Exclusive | Aim to be best content providers: DB Digital's Gyan Gupta

Getting another initiative under its sleeves, Dainik Bhaskar launched its latest offering, moneybhaskar.com under its DB Digital arm, initially in Hindi. The website aims to bring to the fore relevant information and insights about the world of finance and business.

According to a December 2012 report by McKinsey and Company, India has the third-largest Internet user base in the world. Industry body the Internet And Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) expects India's internet user base to touch 243 million by June 2014, projecting a year-on-year growth of 28%. Readers are looking forward to content consumption in regional language.

There is a majority of population who prefer to read news in Hindi, Gujarati and Marathi, with Hindi leading as the widely read language in our country. The Hindi-speaking market especially Northern and Central belt in the country have tremendous growth and potential. Readers want expert opinion and advice on a diverse array of topics including tutorials on taxation, live stock trading, personal finance advice etc. This is a big market which is yet untapped and can educate readers on in-depth quality content which is, appealing yet informative on wide-ranging aspects of business. MoneyBhaskar is an attempt to educate readers in their regional language.

This is the first time Dainik Bhaskar has come up with a financial business website looking at the internet penetration of 243 million. This avenue will provide comprehensive and detailed insights into the sector and empower the consumer to utilize this information for his benefit.

Adgully caught up with Gyan Gupta – COO, DB Digital to get some deeper insights on the same.

Gupta said that Moneybhaskar.com fits into a completely fresh proposition. To begin with it’s a Hindi language website which is targeting a large community of Small and Medium Business Entrepreneurs (SMB) segment across the Rajasthan and Gujarat belt and promises to add value by delivering profitable and beneficial advices by studying the markets thoroughly. “This proposition fits into a large untapped gap that existed in the market, one where these individuals seek information in their own language but did not have any formalized avenue. Our website also emphasizes on usage of very simple and basic language rather than financial jargon which a person from a non-finance background cannot comprehend”, he added.

Elaborating further he said, “Let’s take for example the budget coverage. There are hoards of websites out there sharing coverage but we have created a meaningful differentiator by telling a reader how will the budget affect him rather than just putting forward the news. An individual is concerned with only what’s in for him before the larger perspective of society. We shall always aim to provide differentiated and valuable content which will be deeply thought through and insightful”.

The website also serves as a platform for stock and commodity investors, NRI’s, professional working class, SMB entrepreneurs, retailers etc. It will offer interesting and varied content on commodity trading, personal finance, investment, trading, markets, expert opinion and analysis and much more.  The large panel of experts, editors and panellists will advice on a diverse array of topics including tutorials on taxation, live stock trading, personal finance advice etc. to add to a reader’s experience.

In terms of operational and revenue generation aspect and plans of the company, Gupta said, “Our initial aim and challenge will be building traffic on the website. This will be built completely on quality of content and marketing initiatives. We are sure the content will build loyalty and repeat consumers for us eventually making us the most preferred destination for economy and business based news. Once we are able to achieve this, the monies will automatically flow, we are confident of that. On the operational front we have a wonderful team of experts who understand the intricacies of finance very deeply and are well equipped to guide our readers.”

“We want to be the most preferred destination for content across all platforms and domains. It would be a little primitive to share future plans from our side at this moment. We have now reached a stage where we need to nurture and look after what we have already built before venturing onto the next business,” Gupta adds.

Apart from this they have also added bollywoodbhaskar.com, a website dedicated exclusively to movies and television related content, in the last few months before moneybhaskar. The websites have been performing well and these will pave the way for branching out further platforms in the times to come.

An extensive research goes before launching a product wherein they always try to introduce something that has a demand and fills a need or a gap that exists. Along with that, a lot of market research is also done to understand the pulse of the market and the psyche of the target audience. This has ensured that all our products have successfully kicked off and given them a head start.

In terms of strategy, Gupta said, “Our strategy is very simple; be the best content provider and maintain high quality across all platforms. And this has definitely worked for us. Along with this, we ensure that we provide content that the user is seeking. Hence we are continuously improvising on our product and tweak our delivery model based on feedback received. We understand that the customer is king and it pays rich dividends to maintain a close proximity with your customers.”

When asked  what according to him are those 2-3 aspects that businesses like yours need to keep in mind and deal with competition, he emphasized by saying that consumption pattern for information is undergoing a sea change and is constantly evolving. The advent of technology is something we have to keep up with if we want to stay ahead of competitors. “Secondly, as I mentioned earlier content is going to be the key in this space. Loyalty is a premium nowadays, and someone will be devoted to your product only if you deliver uniqueness and a quality product. We need to understand the dynamism of this sector and the growth potential across the country to tap into it correctly and fruitfully,” he added.

Speaking of trends, he believes that one can foresee a multi-fold growth in the number of people accessing the digital platform for information. Along with that, language is going to be a big driver in the future too. Increasingly, people are seeking information in their regional language.

“In terms of the pipeline, I can promise you a lot of activities and growth going forward but can’t reveal much about our plans at this moment. You can be rest assured that we will be the most buzzing digital conglomerate in the times to come and we are in it for the long haul,” Gupta concluded. [By: Aanchal Kohli | Twitter: @aanchalkohli]

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