Previous Occupation: Financial Journalism (Deputy News Editor, CNBC-TV18)
Present Occupation: Business Development (DGM, Bennett, Coleman & Co. (Times of India Group)
Sector: Media
Work Experience: 12 years
Interests – Professional/ Personal:

Professional interests: Business strategy, content monetisation, financial markets
Personal interests: Hard rock, football, English fiction novels

Can you tell us a little about your family background/ history?
My wife Meha runs a branding and marketing concepts start-up called “Just As Meaningful,” while my four-year-old daughter Tiara runs all around the house wreaking havoc.
My roots are in Allahabad, where I spent the first 20 years of my life, before moving out to look for better opportunities. My mother is still in Allahabad, where she teaches in one of the foremost schools in the city.

Briefly describe your personal and professional achievements (including recent awards/ special projects)
I have been very fortunate to have been part of a very new project at the Times Group, which invests in highly ad-dependent early stage companies. The project is called Springboard and it creates an opportunity for entrepreneurs with visionary ideas to achieve scale and profitability relatively quickly. The success of this model is special since it is a highly structured investment, demands constant portfolio management and directly aids the Times Group’s inorganic growth needs. It has gained tremendous traction within a year, with over INR 500 crore deployed.
Earlier, I had a “not-so-common” opportunity to host live television programmes on leading business channels like Bloomberg TV and CNBC-TV18.

Tell us about your profile pre-ISB and recap your professional life after ISB, including your career progression
Prior to ISB, I used to head the markets news desk for CNBC-TV18. In fact, in the nine years I spent with the company, I had the opportunity to wear multiple hats – writer, equity researcher, commodities analyst, television producer, presenter and editor.
Post ISB, I moved to Bloomberg TV India, where I took charge of the entire markets programming, content strategy and content responsibilities for the channel’s offline and branding solutions initiatives. However, I was itching to get my hands dirty in hard-core business development. I was fortunate to have come across the opportunity with Bennett, Coleman & Co. in their strategic investments division called Brand Capital.

Describe your fondest memory of ISB.
Perhaps my fondest memories at ISB have been sitting over uncountable cups of tea in the quad with close friends debating business strategies and playing Wii games late into the night. A close second would be the long runs that I would take around the campus. Some of the classes, especially during the electives, were also quite a lot of fun!

How do you think ISB has contributed to your career growth?
I feel ISB has contributed a lot to my professional growth in the last few years. Not only have I successfully made a functional shift, I have also been able to approach more complex issues in a more structured manner. The greatest contribution of ISB has been the strong alumni network, which is always there to help you out.

If you have to sum up ISB in one word:
Super.

Word of advice for the current class?
They should cultivate their networks judiciously and make sure that they learn the fundamental underpinnings of at least one important business that they are passionate about. No one can become an expert in everything, but a deep understanding of your core expertise and the ability to bring together a team of other experts is what will make you successful.

What was your favourite course/ class at ISB and why?
There are two: Valuation Using Financial Statements in Term 5 and Economics of Strategy in Term 7.

What are the areas in which you can contribute to ISB?
I would love to lend a helping hand and provide guidance to any students who either come from a media background or are looking at a future career in media (whatever be their choice of media). Apart from that, business plan reviews for students who wish to take the entrepreneurship path is something I would love to contribute to.

What do you enjoy most about your current career position?
The opportunity to meet dozens of charged and passionate entrepreneurs, be their advisor, and at the same time, accumulate detailed knowledge about many more sectors than I ever would have in a normal job.

What is the next new thing in the industry or vertical you are working in? Any trends that you can see?
The future of media lies in “mass customisation” and the ability to address “the job that needs to be done.” This means being able to customise the experience and the consumption time, and being able to repurpose content/ service for each person across different platforms.

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