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Tag: Anant Goenka

  • AVGC policy to facilitate investments, foster innovation and contribute to building world-class infrastructure: Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, MIB

    AVGC policy to facilitate investments, foster innovation and contribute to building world-class infrastructure: Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, MIB

    MUMBAI: Sanjay Jaju, secretary, ministry of information and broadcasting, Govt of India today said that the media and entertainment industry play a pivotal role in shaping our society, influencing our perspectives, and has a multiplier effect on our economy. “The sector is renowned for its creativity, innovation, and cultural richness. It serves as a beacon not only for our nation but also for the world,” he added.

    Addressing the ‘FICCI FRAMES 2024’,   Jaju stated that the government recognizes the pivotal role that the Indian media and entertainment sector plays in shaping our society, influencing our perspectives, and reflecting our collective efforts. “India is going through a digital transformation phase and the sector is also witnessing rapid shifts with the availability of content which is online,” he stated. We are also witnessing a rapid increase in foreign investments especially in the OTT segment which paves the way for looking at this segment as a chief contributor to India’s soft power, noted   Jaju.

    Speaking on the various government initiatives along with the AVGC policy, Jaju further emphasised that the policy is now in an advanced stage. “I can assure you that this policy is not only going to facilitate investments within our country and the states but will also foster innovation. It will ensure skill development and help protect intellectual property and will also contribute to building world-class infrastructure. We also envisage setting up of National Center of Excellence for animation, VFX, and extended reality sector along with setting up incubation centres,” he added.

    Jaju further highlighted that the government is giving a thrust for foreign filmmakers to make films in India. “The Indian media and entertainment sector not only has huge growth potential but also brings in a lot of employment. Our focus will be on creating a conducive environment for the industry to thrive. All stakeholders need to collaborate and innovate to capitalize on the huge opportunities,” he noted.

    Govt of Maharashtra minister of skill development and entrepreneurship Mangal Prabhat Lodha said that the realisation of ‘Viksit Bharat’ depends on the collective contribution of everyone, and skilling is integral to the future of our country.

    An Indian actress Rani Mukerji said that FICCI FRAMES 2024 has set the agenda for an ever-changing media and entertainment industry. “The pandemic forced us to adapt, innovate, and reimagine the ways in which we connect with audiences. As consumer preferences evolve, there is a growing demand for unique and innovative content delivery,” she added.

    FICCI and vice chairman, RPG group vice president Anant Goenka said that FICCI FRAMES 2024 has been a cornerstone over the years, significantly influencing the trajectory of India’s media and entertainment industry. The Indian media and entertainment sector has witnessed remarkable growth over the past decade, and the digital revolution has reshaped our industry.

    FICCI Media and Entertainment Committee and CEO of broadcast and entertainment, Viacom 18, chair Kevin Vaz, said that the road ahead for the industry is brimming with possibilities and challenges alike. The integration of artificial intelligence promises to reshape the landscape of content creation, distribution, and consumption, particularly generative AI, which is now an inexorable part of M&E supply chains, he added.

    AVGC-XR committee chair Ashish Kulkarni, FICCI delivered the vote of thanks.

  • “Traditional media in India is also experiencing a steady growth”: Kevin Vaz

    “Traditional media in India is also experiencing a steady growth”: Kevin Vaz

    Mumbai: Viacom18 CEO- Broadcast entertainment Kevin Vaz reflected on the Media & Entertainment sector, both on a global scale and within the Indian context at FICCI frames 2024 event. He said, “In 2023, our industry witnessed a remarkable era of content creation, with over 200,000 hours of content produced annually. Indian content has transcended international boundaries, captivating audiences in more than 160 countries and topping streaming charts on global platforms. In 2023, Indian content bagged not one but two Oscars for the best song and the best documentary respectively. Indian music talent has bagged 3 Grammys recently. 2 Indians (Vir Das And Ekta Kapoor) won the prestigious International Emmy’s awards. This shift indicates a new era where local flavors and stories are embraced by audiences worldwide, showcasing the universal appeal of Indian stories and our storytelling.

    The integration of digital technologies in the Indian M&E industry is at a scale without parallel amongst the comity of nations. Driven by accessible and affordable internet, with Commercial 5G services rollout propelling the growth of India M&E, we must recognise the virtuous cycle of investments in creativity that drive the expansion of affordable internet in India. We can be proud of the fact that Indian companies, Indian creators, Indian producers, are at the forefront of the digital content revolution, be it in films, music or gaming.

    Platforms like JioCinema have revolutionized sports viewership in India, offering accessible and affordable access to live matches like the IPL. This goes to show the importance of internet accessibility in driving the growth of the M&E industry. Unlike other industries, M&E has caught the digital transformation wave early and stand ready to reap the benefits with supportive developments in the all-critical triad of infrastructure readiness, consumer market growth, and enabling public policies.

    The surge in digital media is forecasted to propel the M&E sector’s growth to a 10% annual rate, reaching INR 3 Trillion by 2026. Technological innovations have brought with it a paradigm shift in consumer preferences. Consumers now demand more personalised, interactive, and immersive content. This creates another facet to the growth of the entire digital media segment, including online curated content, digital advertising, online gaming, to name a few. Each of us need to reflect on how these preferences will change the way we think about the future of M&E, and the business models that are most suited to respond. To navigate the future, all of us at various intersections of the industry need to adopt innovative strategies and create engaging content across multiple platforms, leverage big data analytics, collaborate with global partners, and explore new revenue streams.

    Despite this digital boom, traditional media in India is also experiencing a steady growth, showcasing India’s diverse media consumption habits. While this might appear to be a paradox when viewed through a singular global lens, this is the truth of India – a market of AND, not OR.

    As we reflect on the journey of 2023, it becomes clear that it was a year marked by both challenges and triumphs. The first half was subdued, with modest growth rates across various segments of the industry. However, as raw material prices stabilized and marquee events like the ICC Cricket World Cup and Assembly Elections unfolded, we witnessed a significant uptick in the second half. And while the M&E industry is estimated to grow at 10% CAGR through the next few years led by digital, traditional mediums such as Television and print are also poised to grow.

    This growth underscores the enduring appeal of linear TV, particularly among established advertisers who value its unmatched brand-building capabilities at scale. It’s essential to acknowledge the continued significance of traditional media, including television, print, and outdoor advertising, in reaching diverse audience segments, especially in regional markets.

    The road ahead for the industry is brimming with possibilities and challenges alike. The integration of artificial intelligence promises to reshape the landscape of content creation, distribution, and consumption. Particularly generative AI, which is now an inexorable part of M&E supply chains. Advances in generative AI, while still relatively nascent, have produced an explosion of possibilities in the creative sector. It has ushered in a new dimension to the creative process, allowing the industry to explore uncharted territories of creativity and push the boundaries of productivity.

    As AI technologies continue to evolve, they offer unprecedented opportunities for personalized experiences and targeted advertising. However, this next-gen transformation also presents challenges such as data privacy concerns, reskilling and the need for ethical considerations – concerns that the industry and government together need to explore and address.

    Amidst these dynamics, the industry must also address the pressing need for stronger intellectual property rights protection to safeguard the integrity of our creative ecosystem. The proliferation of digital platforms and content creation tools has exponentially increased the avenues for creative expression, yet it has also heightened the risk of copyright infringement. Strengthening our IPR laws is essential to foster a conducive environment for innovation and creativity while ensuring fair compensation for content creators. The National Intellectual Rights (IPR) Policy, established in 2016, is due for review. This presents an occasion for all of us to engage on how we think about monetisation, commercialisation of content as well as the protections required for it, in a fast-evolving technological environment.

    The road ahead encompasses both opportunities and challenges in equal measure. As we navigate this complex landscape, as stakeholders of this vibrant sector, we must all remember that at the heart of it, our industry is about our consumers in a very human sense – their emotions, relationships, talents – their stories. All of us here today are simply facilitators – connecting stories to audiences and audiences to stories.

    As we begin FICCI Frames 2024, I look forward to the next three days filled with enlightening discussions, insightful sessions, and meaningful collaborations. Let us seize this opportunity to chart a course towards a future that embraces innovation, leverages technology, and upholds the timeless values of creativity and expression.

    Finally, I’d like to express my gratitude and admiration for Leena Jaisani and her team for putting FICCI Frames 2024 together. This is the 24th edition of India’s biggest media and entertainment symposium and it just keeps getting bigger and better. So kudos to the team for scaling this up consistently!” he concluded. 

  • RPG Group appoints Anant Goenka as vice chairman

    RPG Group appoints Anant Goenka as vice chairman

    Mumbai: RPG Group, one of India’s leading business conglomerates, announced the appointment of Anant Goenka to the position of vice chairman of the diversified group.

    In addition to his new role, Anant Goenka will continue to serve as the vice chairman of CEAT and Zensar Technologies. This move strengthens the leadership at the group headed by Harsh Goenka, ensuring stability and continuity in the long term for the group, which is acclaimed for its corporate governance and people friendly value system.

    RPG Group chairman Harsh Goenka said, “Anant’s extensive experience, driving CEAT towards performance excellence over the past decade, will play a pivotal role in shaping the next wave of growth for the RPG Group. This era is defined by rapidly evolving technology and I believe Anant has the requisite skills and business instincts to herald change and make a difference in the way we adapt to technologies, markets and consumers.”

    A highly accomplished professional, Anant brings a wealth of experience to his new role. Prior to being the Vice Chairman of CEAT and Zensar technologies, Anant led CEAT as managing director & CEO through a highly transformative ten-year period.

    Under his leadership, the market capitalization of the company grew significantly by over 20 times.

    A graduate from the Wharton School and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management, Anant began his career in Unilever and RPG group company KEC International before joining CEAT. His leadership played a pivotal role in CEAT’s historic achievement of winning the prestigious deming grand prize making it the first tyre brand in the world to receive this coveted accolade of business excellence.

    Anant Goenka’s remarkable achievements have earned him recognition as “India’s Under 40 Business Leader” by CEO Forum in 2020, “GQ: 50 Most Influential Young Indians” in 2018, and “Next Generation Business Leader of the Year” by Forbes in 2017. He was also named among “India’s 40 under 40 Business Leaders” by the Economic Times-Spencer Stuart. He has also served as the chairman of the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA).

    Speaking on the announcement, Anant Goenka said, “It is an honour and a responsibility that I will cherish and I hope to contribute towards the growth and competitiveness of our diverse businesses. Our fundamental value system, our governance standards and our quest for happiness will remain the guardrails within which we will continue to operate.” 

  • Avinash Pandey re-elected president of India chapter of IAA

    Avinash Pandey re-elected president of India chapter of IAA

    Mumbai: At its Annual General Meeting held on 27 September 2023, the following members were unanimously elected:

    Avinash Pandey (CEO, ABP Network) – President

    Abhishek Karnani (President, Free Press Journal Group)- Vice President

    Nandini Dias (Independent Advisor)- Hon. Secretary

    Jaideep Gandhi (Founder, Another Idea) – Hon. Treasurer

    The following five members were elected as voting members:

    Srinivasan K Swamy (Chairman & Managing Director, R K Swamy Ltd),

    M.V. Shreyams Kumar (Managing Director, Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing Co Ltd)

    Prasanth Kumar (CEO-South Asia, GroupM)

    Anant Goenka (Executive Director, The Indian Express Pvt Ltd)

    Janak Sarda (Director, Blue Logic Systems)

    Cosmos-Maya CEO Megha Tata will continue as an ex-officio office bearer as Immediate past president.

    Apart from this, five more members will be co-opted in the upcoming ManCom meeting along with other special invited members.

    Adds Pandey, “The India Chapter of the IAA is arguably the most active industry Association of its kind in the country. Its initiatives cover a wide spectrum of areas including saluting excellence in Marketing, Creativity and communicating Sustainability. In the year gone by, we also started Tech Pulse to cater to the growing digital market. The IAA has always maintained that what is good, is good for business and in that spirit it has converted its Voice of Change initiative into a nation-wide movement aimed at breaking the gender bias in advertising and the entertainment industry.

    In the year ahead we will also be spear-heading two initiatives where we walk the talk that Communication is a Force for Good, and will also once again lead a group of CEO’s to the USA to study the latest developments in communication.

    I look forward to a very meaningful term ahead.”

  • Economic Times’ Sanjay Sindhwani is new digital CEO of Indian Express

    Economic Times’ Sanjay Sindhwani is new digital CEO of Indian Express

    MUMBAI: Indian Express Online Media Services, the digital arm of The Indian Express Group, has appointed Sanjay Sindhwani as its CEO. Sindhwani comes from The Economic Times, where he was VP-digital products and business head. He will report to group CEO George Varghese.

    He replaces Durga Raghunath who had resigned last December.

    The Indian Express Group executive editor Anant Goenka welcomed Sindhwani saying that he has known Sindhwani for close to three years and has also learned from him. In an email to the employees, Goenka wrote, “Sanjay joins us at the beginning of a year when public trust in the news media has hit an all-time low and when recognized news media brands are often being baited and are getting caught picking political sides.”

    Sindhwani has spent 24 of his 25-year career in the Times Group, which he had joined after brief stints at Bradma of India and Usha India. He joined Bennett & Coleman as an investment analyst in 1994. In 1999 he became editor, product and brand head at Times Internet. Sindhwani is an electronics engineer from Nagpur University and did his MBA in finance from the Institute of Management Studies.

  • Sudhanshu Vats says content, platform and technology key to good storytelling

    Sudhanshu Vats says content, platform and technology key to good storytelling

    MUMBAI: On day 1 of FICCI Frames 2019 in a session titled ‘Looking back as we move ahead’, Viacom18 group CEO and MD Sudhanshu Vats was in conversation with Indian Express executive director Anant Goenka. The burning question that came out to dominate this conversation was ‘does the industry even realise how to and what to evolve to?’

    Vats began by stating that a lot has changed in the industry for the better. He went on to state, from the content space, the first thing that has changed, irrespective of the platforms, is that the industry has moved away from broadcast to micro-cast online. The industry has moved from beaming things to having more conversations making things more interactive.

    According to him, the second most important change led by technology is that it isn’t necessary to tell stories to everyone, rather tell it to a limited number of people and tell it successfully. 2018 has seen films target certain audience and these films performed exceedingly well in spite of not being blockbusters such as Andhadhun, Badhai Ho, etc. 

    The third and most interesting thing he pointed out to is the changes and differences between curator, creator and consumer. It used to be much simpler to differentiate between these three in the past but today the lines have completely blurred. And this is also followed by audiences across, where audiences have also become content curators.

    While reiterating the fact that the industry is experiencing many important changes, he states a welcoming change is the narration of diverse stories in a classical content sense.

    He stated that because the TV model is an ad-driven model, telling stories in an authentic manner has become a little difficult as compared to the past as it's driven by ratings. He noted that while playing with the original story, many times the industry is taking away from the story. He stressed that importance must be given here and that the focus must be on the ability to tell stories which will eventually sell rather than looking at only selling the stories.

    Speaking about ‘Formula’ as a safety net, Vats believes that formula works as a safety net at some level. With minds being patterned in a particular format, and sometimes from the commercial point of view, one must believe in intuition. With reference to the western world, he added that the media industry in the West follows a pattern format leading to success.

    Sudhanshu Vats believes that there will be a lot of custom use in the story and segmentation in the audience. According to him, there will be a set of audience that will love, and there will be one that doesn’t. But in the future, it won’t matter as every story can reach its audience and every audience their story.

    The session ended on the note that the future can be rafted only from lessons learnt in the past. The media industry is in interesting times today, as it witnesses a disruptive process of embracing change to redefine itself for the future.

  • CEAT announces bat sponsorship association with cricketer Mayank Agarwal

    CEAT announces bat sponsorship association with cricketer Mayank Agarwal

    MUMBAI: CEAT Ltd has announced its association with Mayank Agarwal, an upcoming batsman for India. This endorsement makes Mayank a valuable addition to team CEAT, which also has the likes of Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, and Harmanpreet Kaur. He will now be seen playing with a CEAT bat in all formats of the game.

    Commenting on the endorsement, CEAT Ltd MD Anant Goenka said, “We are glad to bring on board the extremely talented cricketer, Mayank Agarwal to represent the CEAT brand. At CEAT we strive to identify talent and encourage them in their cricketing journey. We believe that Mayank has all the qualities to become the next big thing in Indian cricket. We wish him all the very best and welcome him to the CEAT family.

    Mayank Agarwal made his mark by becoming the top scorer for India at the 2010 Under-19 World Cup. His remarkable performance in the 2017-18 Ranji Season, where he scored over a 1000 runs earned him the Madhavrao Scindia Award that is presented to the highest run-scorer in the season. That performance paved the way for his entry into Kings XI Punjab at the 2018 IPL auction.

    Mayank recently made a dream Test debut against Australia during the Border – Gavaskar Series on Boxing Day, 26 December 2018. He went on to score 76 runs in his first innings of the match, which was the highest score by an Indian cricketer on Test debut in Australia.

    On his association with CEAT Ltd, Agarwal said, “I am extremely proud to associate with CEAT, and it’s an honour for me to represent the brand, both on and off the cricket field. CEAT has a long and illustrious history in cricket, and it gives me a great sense of pride and responsibility to join the group of talented and successful cricketers at CEAT.”

     

  • CEAT and Rohit Sharma Continue their Long- Standing Partnership

    CEAT and Rohit Sharma Continue their Long- Standing Partnership

    MUMBAI: CEAT Ltd. today renewed its association with one of world’s most swashbuckling batsmen; Rohit Sharma for a period of 3 years. Rohit Sharma is the first player in the history of cricket to score three double-hundreds in ODIs, an accolade that stands out among many others bagged in his career.  The graceful player will continue playing with a bat that prominently displays the CEAT insignia, in all formats of the game.   

    Currently part of the Indian cricket squad, Rohit has been a consistent performer across all the formats of the game. Rohit was given the opportunity to captain the Indian Cricket team for the first time when the Sri Lankan cricket team toured India in 2017. Since being given that opportunity, he has proven to be an exceptional captain as he won that series, the tri nation Nidahas trophy and the recently concluded Asia Cup. Rohit’s batting and captaincy was also pivotal in leading Mumbai Indians to victory in the 2013, 2015 and 2017 editions of the IPL. He recently broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record as he became the first batsman with six 150-plus scores in ODI’s. Over the years, Rohit has truly become one of the world’s best as he continues to play crucial knocks for club and country and continues to smash records.

    Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Anant Goenka, Managing Director, CEAT Limited said, “We are proud to extend our relationship with Rohit Sharma who has been a stand out performer across all formats of cricket. Rohit is not only an extremely talented batsman, but also a great leader and an inspiration to young aspiring cricketers. Our association with Rohit has been extremely fruitful for the brand CEAT and we are extremely happy with this long term association.”

    On his renewed association, Rohit Sharma said, “I am really happy to be continuing this association with CEAT. I am extremely grateful for their backing and they have been a great support to me. These last 3 years have been very memorable and productive for me personally. I am looking forward to continuing this association with this prestigious company for many more years to come.” 

    CEAT has its roots gripped with cricket, including its partnership with IPL for the Strategic Time Out segment and the CEAT Cricket Ratings that recognizes and rewards the exceptional performances of players on the international stage. Rohit is joined by Ajinkya Rahane, Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill & Harmanpreet Kaur as cricketers who currently have bat endorsement deals with CEAT.

  • Ultimate Table Tennis: Ceat is title sponsor

    MUMBAI: In what can be termed as a major boost to the inaugural edition of Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), India’s leading tyre manufacturing brand Ceat has come on board as title sponsor.

    Ceat has been associated with other sports in the past and their latest association with India’s first-ever Professional Table Tennis League comes as a shot in the arm for the sport. Ceat is the flagship company of Rs 22,000-crore RPG Enterprises.

    With this new association, the league will be called Ceat UTT. “Table Tennis is a very dynamic sport and we are very happy to come on board as the title sponsor for Ultimate Table Tennis which has the potential to revolutionise the sport in India. We at Ceat believe that the young crop of players have it in them to create greater success stories in the following years. We already have several Olympians in India from Table Tennis and I am sure that with the right kind of backing and exposure which Ceat UTT will provide, their performances in other major international events will be impacted positively. Ceat is committed to the development of the sport in India and are keen to help the sport in its endeavour to achieve glory,” stated Ceat Limited MD Anant Goenka.

    The corporate giant further stated that apart from the title sponsorship, they would continue to help the players in different ways like they do with other Indian sports. “CEAT has been actively involved with various other sports in India for a while now and we are very grateful to them for coming on board as title sponsor. This is another boost in our endeavour to bring about a revolution in table tennis and help the sport grow to greater echelons in India,” said Ceat UTT league owner Vita Dani.

    Ceat Ultimate Table Tennis will start from 13 July, 2017 in Chennai then will move to Delhi from 21 July and the ultimate culmination, two semifinals and final will be held in Mumbai from July 26, 2017. The league will have 24 of the best Indians as well as 24 world-class international players competing against one another through six clubs. Each club will have eight players—four men and four women with an equal mix of overseas and Indian players, apart from a foreign and an Indian coach. The league will be broadcast live on Star Sports Select 2 HD, Star Sports Select 2, Hotstar and JioTV.

  • Is digital taking over print?

    Is digital taking over print?

    MUMBAI: With the growing number of avenues available for news consumption in India, viewers are often puzzled about which source to trust. The explosion of digital, television and print media has changed the way of news consumption.

    And discussing how news had moved avenues with changing time were Indian Express whole time director Anant Goenka, BBC World News television presenter Ros Atkins, Extentia Information Technology CEO Umeed Kothavala, Inshorts founder Azhar Iqubal, The Wire founding editor Siddharth Varadarajan, Zee Media Group CEO Bhaskar Das and CNN International chief New Delhi bureau Ravi Agarwal. Moderating the session was MxM India editor-in-chief Pradyuman Maheshwari.

    Over the years, we have seen news moving from print to magazines to TV and now to digital platforms. Shedding some light, Zee Media’s Das said, “That the market is supposed to move, is a basic axiom. The problem that the majority of the houses are facing is that they are stuck to one business model. With digital, there are multiple ways of making money. Monetisation moves from format to format. In the end, it’s not about the medium. You can’t compare a conventional way of system with a realistic model. There are four monsters like Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon. They make money. There will be monopolistic tendencies.”

    Indian Express’s Anant added, “Digital has arrived. Our revenues have increased over four years and I see print is going to be there for a long time. I can say that Indian Express can survive digitally with the same reportage and structure. But I think in digital you can’t just stick to advertising. That will not be much. You will have to get audiences to pay for content.

    “Every story is different, and depending on the story, we file digital first or print first. The best investigative story we like to give to print first; exclusivity is a one minute word. At the moment we find it is exclusive on the web only for a minute. Also if it is time critical to break the story, then we do break it on web”, he explained further.

    Das said, “The audiences that consume newspapers today they were born before 1970 and are not post 1990 born. At the same time, most of the stars want to see their names in newspapers.

    The Wire’s Varadarajan added, “With digital the ability to tell stories has enhanced due to the enhanced interactivity. The viewers can consume content according to their convenience on digital platforms. Every TV channel and newspaper today recognises digital as the future. But the old adage of dollars for print, dimes for digital and pennies for mobile still holds true for most organisations.”

    Inshorts Azhar Iqbal when asked about how his news application was working and what was its future replied, “We are not making any money as of now. I don’t know how are we going to perform in the future. We are focused on ‘time is money’. As long as we can attract eyeballs, we will be able to monetize”.

    Adding, Extentia Information Technology’s Umeed Kothavala said, “Digital and technology have changed the context of consumption. Along with monetization, organisations also need to keep track of the growing power of social media, citizen journalism and also the fact that there are many more options for people to get their news from”.

    Anant took on Inshorts Azhar Iqubal, making his displeasure known at the latter copying news from Indian Express without the media group’s consent and rehashing it into a 60 word article for Inshorts’ usage.

    On the entertainment front, Varadarajan commented how a majority of entertainment news in the print sector was paid for by artistes and hence they would always prefer their exclusive interviews to be printed in the print medium rather than digital.

    CNN’s Agrawal said, ““Digital news is the present, not just the future. It is the present and is very important for us. CNN International looks at providing content globally. We don’t have a print medium. The news that we cover is from a global perspective and the information can be accessed by all the people irrespective of the geography. We as an organisation think of being the first to put out the news. We then decide on how news can be distributed across the various delivery platforms.”

    BBC’s Atkins pointed out that if BBC didn’t provide relevant news to the audience, they would not come to it. “On my show BBC Outsource, if there is a credible story, say from CNN, I will show it to my audience. Given that social media is expanding and that news can be accessed through it, we have to provide credible content to the audience.”

    The panellists also discussed the importance of maintaining the same level of credibility and gate-keeping standards on a digital platform as on traditional print or television platforms.

    Voicing his opinion, Varadarajan said, “There are two things which are important – credibility and reliability. One should always try to achieve both these elements. If you can’t pick on one, than you should always give preference to credibility”.

    “We get higher fee from most of our advertisers because the news that we are providing is credible and they know this”, added Das.

    When television came in, the pundits said that it was the end of print. When roll out of the internet, they said that print and television would not be able to compete. All the mediums have so far been able to co-exist, and even grow. With so many upcoming digital avenues, what will be interesting to see is how print will retain for itself its space in the ecosystem and how digital will be a game changer that it is already has become.