TV18 enters the gujju land, launches Gujarati Business Channel 'CNBC BAJAR'!

Network 18, the group which operates news channels - CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNBC-TV18 Prime HD, CNN-IBN, IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat (a Marathi regional news channel in partnership with the Lokmat group) now launches CNBC BAJAR, the first Gujarati Business news channel.

Sanjay Pugalia will be the Editor-in-chief of CNBC BAJAR, India’s first Gujarati Business Channel- A channel that speaks the real language of business.

Pradeep Pandeya, Executive Editor of CNBC BAJAR briefing about the new business news channel said, “The CNBC BAJAR team has been working on it from last two years. Network 18 has always followed the right time to launch their channels as last time in 2002, when the Network launched CNBC Awaz it coincided with the bull-run in the market and now the market is seeing another bull run and this is, I believe is the right time to launch the Gujarati channel.”

CNBC BAJAR team conducted market research and other activities and received feedback from Gujarat. About a year back, they started building team to get system in place before the launch.

Sharing his thoughts on what triggered then to tap in the Gujarat market, he said, “Basically with all the business channels that we see today, have their core viewership coming from the investors, mostly in equity and commodity. So, all the business channels which are there in English, Hindi and now in Gujarati all are trying to cater to the traders and investor community. And according to experts, if we see the Indian market, every second broker is a Gujarati and every third investor and trader is also Gujarati. From small-time traders to business leaders, the Gujarati community is India’s most dynamic business community. Usually all the Gujaratis are born entrepreneurs and risk takers and have been driving the Indian economy with their ambition and putting India on the global business map. It has always been a part of their DNA to give birth to pioneering business ideas, capitalize on opportunities and create a glorious future. This I believe thus becomes an important community to talk to and what better than a business channel that talks to them in their language!”

On the launch, Editor-in-chief, Sanjay Pugalia, said, “The kind of programming plan that CNBC BAJAR has, the channel is armed with a global attitude and the pace of a general news channel. We have added stronger doses of content around SME, retail, bullion and commodity into the typical mainstream mix of business news. We will focus both on the micro markets within Gujarat as well as the global markets which affect the investment and business decisions of the business savvy Gujarati's.”

The channel is anchored and driven by some of the biggest names in Indian news and television. Sanjay Pugalia, as mentioned above, will be the captain of the ship as the Editor-in-Chief, alongside reputed anchor, Pradeep Pandya, while actress Aashka Goradia will be the face of the channel.

CEO of CNBC channels and Forbes India, Anil Uniyal speaking about the business rationale behind starting this channel said, “On every economic parameter, from industrialization to GDP per household, Gujarati's are top performers today. However, there isn’t enough content being created to serve this hugely affluent set of viewers. It was thus a very simple decision for us when we decided to start this channel. Not only that, no other community devours content revolving around finance, markets, business and economics the way this community does.
With the launch of CNBC BAJAR, our company has become India’s only truly diversified business news network with unmatched presence across platforms. We can only go upwards from here.”

Backed by the editorial might of the CNBC Universe – CNBC TV18 and CNBC AWAAZ, CNBC BAJAR is the newest jewel in the crown of the business news network. The channel has found endorsement from various personalities like newly crowned Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uday Kotak, Deepak Parekh, Chanda Kochhar, Vallabh Bhansali, A.M. Naik and Adi Godrej.  “Today if we see the number of companies in the private sectors and MNC’s, 1/3rd of the market cap belongs to Gujarati’s. In the top markets where we have TATA, Birla and Godrej, Ambani’s in markets like finance and the merchant Banker’s are Gujaratis. So, we are looking at very significant and influential part of the current market that exists for the business news. This top influential community can be the consumer and experts too on the channel”, added, Pandeya.

CNBC BAJAR is partnered by Infibeam.com, in association with Adani and Ganesh Housing.
Speaking on the partnership, Vishal Mehta, Founder and CEO, Infibeam.com said, “I feel very happy and proud about the new business channel 'CNBC BAJAR' in Gujarati. Gujarati’s are entrepreneurial and well known for their business acumen and this channel in Gujarati will be worthwhile for their business and new vision. It will be truly their ‘own channel’”.

The channel will be offering a mix of live market coverage from NSE, BSE, commodities, currency, etc. and feature shows on aspects such as personal finance, entrepreneurship, property, lifestyle, etc. Adding about the programming strategy Pandeya said, “CNBC BAJAR is going to be a 24 hours business news channel, focusing on stock market starting 8 am - 4p.m. Following which we’ll have general news i.e. business bulletin program, finance and commodity program. Being a Gujarati business news channel we’ll be closely tracking business and every market in Gujarat as well.”

At present CNBC BAJAR has the team size of 50 people including editorial team, technical team and others. Apart from this, channel has the back support of Network 18 for the launch of the channel.

Since Gujarati’s are perhaps the most global community in the country today, the channel will not only find interest in its home state but also all over the country and beyond that as well. “Gujarat has investors and traders in bulk and that’s how the market is important for all the business channels. I believe CNBC BAJAR will be the only channel which will have the larger growth of the audience, as apart from India, Gujarati’s are present in Europe, America and other parts of the world too”, added Pandeya.

The marketing campaign of the channel is centered on the thought – ‘The mother tongue of business’. It brings out the centricity of business in the life of Gujarati’s and how extensively the language is used even today in the numerous dealings of business. The campaign has been designed by Piyush Pandey’s O&M. At a time when the TV industry is going through wholesale changes, this channel targeting a specific niche of affluent viewers is an example for the rest of the industry on the way forward for everyone.

CNBC BAJAR is available on Tata Sky channel 896, You Scod channel 286, GTPL channel 263. [By Ranjana Gupta | Twitter : @RGrightsreserve]