“All our existing clients want to stay with us”

After setting up and successfully running the media buying, advertising sales and marketing functions for broadcaster NDTV Ltd for eight years, Raj Nayak, the former CEO of NDTV Media, has decided to be on his own. Lured by the idea of running his own enterprise and also, tapping into the fast growing media, marketing and advertising landscape, Nayak has set up his own company, AIDEM, with some ?senior colleagues?. In an interview with BrandWagon, Nayak talks about the idea behind the new initiative and the immediate plans. Edited excerpts:

To begin with, AIDEM seems like a strange name. What?s the idea behind this unusual name?

What is the true reflection of MEDIA ? AIDEM. Got it?

Who are the promoters of AIDEM?

The promoters of AIDEM besides me include some of my senior colleagues, who have been with me for the last 10 years.

What prompted you to launch AIDEM?

Some of my senior colleagues and I have always nurtured this urge to create an organisation that becomes the soul of the media industry. We want to be an aggregator of the best talent in the industy , create a unique business model that consolidates monetization opportunities in every form of media. When we quit STAR TV in 2002, NDTV gave us the opportunity to be part entreprenuers when we joined hands to launch NDTV Media. We almost ran it as an independent company and I would be failing in my duty if I do not acknowledge here that the NDTV management gave us complete freedom to do so. What we are doing now is taking the next big leap to be 100% entreprenuers.

What additional value will AIDEM offer that NDTV Media didn?t?

We see this as a perfect timing given the business opportunity that exists in the media today. The future is media aggregation. Mid-size companies will have to rely on somebody who can bring economies of scale and domain expertise. With more and more specialised magazines being launched, we see this as another big opportunity for us to get into.

What are AIDEM?s immediate plans?

Being on our own will give us more flexibility to expand our business and scale up our operations. There is a blue print that the team has worked out and that sets our vision for the next five years. Part of the plan is to be a 360-degree media sales and marketing solution provider and diversify into different genres, mediums such as radio, print, mobile, out-of-home, retai, cinema and we are looking at regional play as well.

Which are the clients you are beginning your operations with?

To start with, we have NDTV as a client, which includes NDTV 24 x 7, NDTV India and NDTV Profit. Besides this, we have signed up with NDTV Lifestyle which is a separate company with Scripps Network of the USA. We will not only represent NDTV Good Times, but also any other channel that they may launch in India. We are in the process of doing the paperwork for signing new contracts with all our existing clients such as MSN, Filmy, Mi Marathi, Sahara One, etc . All of them have indicated that they will want to continue their business relationship with us. Soon we will be signing some new businesses as well.

How big was NDTV Media?s business in terms of revenues?

NDTV Media did a business of approximately Rs 400 crore for all our clients.

We have heard that the entire team of around 200 people at NDTV Media has moved out to AIDEM. Is this correct?

You are correct. The entire team without exception have resigned from NDTV Media and joined AIDEM. Since this transition has happened amicably with the consent of NDTV, as part of our arrangement we get to retain all the offices and the assets. So this way there has been no disruption in the work.