With 80% youth TG, content needs to be young in spirit: Dr Subhash Chandra

Dr Subhash Chandra, MP, Rajya Sabha & Chairman, Essel Group & ZEE, is bullish on the youth of the country. His advice to the youth is what the Zee Group has been following – always stay ahead of the curve and do not fear to experiment. 

Chandra remarked that if the Zee Group, which is a Rs 60,000-Rs 70,000 crore company, did not offer something new, others would move ahead and Zee would just be a brand name. “So, I say never fear to experiment as 80 per cent of the target audience for media and entertainment is youth, therefore, the content has to always be young in spirit. You can’t be old in spirit and make new content for young people. So, you have to experiment and bring in new content, for which you need to surround yourself with young people and also learn from them,” he stressed. 

Chandra remains positive about the media industry in India, which he sees growing rapidly as far as the business part is concerned. At the same time he also said, “However, as far as quality, correctness and doing the right thing is concerned, no one thinks about putting a restriction or check on what someone does or thinks. Self regulation is what they have to believe in.” 

Meanwhile, Chandra’s motivational youth show, Dr. Subhash Chandra (DSC) Show, is all set to return to television screens from May 6, 2017 with new episodes that highlight inspirational stories of people from different backgrounds. 

After shooting at New Delhi, the next episodes of the DSC Show were held at Whistling Woods International Institute and Prahlad Kakar School of Branding & Entrepreneurship (PKSBE) in Mumbai. During these episodes, Chandra spoke on topics close to his heart – “MBA versus Entrepreneurs, Job-seeker versus Job-creator” and “How is entrepreneurship in creative industries different? What is required to be a successful media and entertainment entrepreneur in 2017?” 

Sharing insights and examples from his own experience in the media and entertainment industry, Chandra noted, “The Indian Media & Entertainment industry stood at Rs 126,200 crore in 2016 as per the FICCI-KPMG Media & Entertainment Report 2017 and is expected to almost double its current size by the year 2020. We can, therefore, see that there is much opportunity for growth in this industry. To become a successful entrepreneur in the M&E industry, or for that matter in any industry, you need to have a strong product on offer which is unique from any other existing product or you need to cater to an audience that has not been tapped before. By experimenting with new and creative offerings, you can keep the interest alive for your audiences, your employees and yourself.”