A Report on Times of India
By:- Hussain Padrawala
6/7/2014
Introduction:-
The Times Group is Indias largest media conglomerate with its flagship Bennett,
Coleman and Company Limited (BCCL) being the largest publishing company in India
and South-Asia. Starting off with The Times of India which is now the largest English
publication in the world, BCCL and its subsidiaries (called The Times of India Group),
are present in every existing media platform Newspapers, Magazines, Books, TV,
Radio, Internet, Event Management, Outdoor Display, Music, Movies and more. With a
turnover exceeding a billion dollars, the group has the support of over 25,000 advertisers,
11,000 employees and an audience spanning across all continents.
Key Businesses:
Publishing
o Largest publishing co in India: 13 newspapers, 18 magazines, 11 publishing
centres, 26 printing centres
o Largest English newspaper in India by circulation (and the world)
o Largest Business newspaper in India by circulation (2nd largest English
Business daily in the world, behind WSJ)
o Largest NonEnglish newspapers in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore by circulation
(Indias three largest cities)
Television
o Indias most viewed English News Channel for over 6 years running
o Indias most viewed English Business News channel
o Indias most viewed Bollywood Entertainment and Lifestyle Channel for over
9 years running
o Indias first HD English Movies Channel
o Indias first English Entertainment Channel focused on Romance and Comedy
Digital
o Largest Indian network based on traffic and revenue (behind Google,
Facebook, Yahoo)
o Operates 30+ digital businesses, most of which are Top 3 in their competitive
segment
o Most popular B2C mobile short code in India, across SMS, voice, WAP, and
USSD Radio
o Largest radio network in India by revenue and listenership, with 32 stations
Out-of-home
o Largest Outofhome advertising business in India with presence in all major
metros
o Owns advertising contracts in most major airports in India.
Other Activities
o Music
o Movies
o Syndication
o Education
o Financial Services
o Event Management
o Specialised publications - including books and multimedia
History:-
TIMESGROUP - KEY MILESTONES
1838
The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce was first published on November 3, 1838 as a bi- weekly
newspaper for Bombay's business community. Dr. J.E. Brennan (also Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce)
was the Editor with owners comprising of a British syndicate of 11 firms, two barristers, a doctor and native
merchant Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy.
1850
Shareholders decide to increase the share capital and the paper is converted into a daily.
1859
Bombay Standard and Chronicle of Western India merge into The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce to
form Bombay Times & Standard.
1861
Editor Robert Knight amalgamates The Bombay Times & Standard and Bombay Telegraph & Courier to form
The Times of India - giving it a national character.
1892
T. J. Bennett becomes the editor and enters into a partnership with F.M. Coleman to form a joint stock
company - Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. (BCCL).
1907
Editor Stanley Reed revolutionizes news production by extending the deadline to midnight. Until then any
news that came in after 5 pm was held over for the next day. The newspapers first price war was also initiated
with cover price being cut from 4 annas to 1 anna leading to a five-fold increase in circulation.
1946
The Times of India gets Indian ownership with Seth Ramakrishna Dalmia buying the company.
1947
Exclusive Sunday edition of Times of India launched in Mumbai. The company also launches its Hindi daily
Nav Bharat Times in Delhi.
1948
Sahu Jain Group takes over as the owners of the company after Ramakrishna Dalmia sells the firm to his son-
in-law Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain - who becomes the first chairman of the group.
1950
The Times of India launches in Delhi.
1952
Filmfare launched.
1959
Femina launched.
1961
The Economic Times is launched.
1962
Maharashtra Times launched.
1965
Femina Miss India contest started.
1988
Times of India complete 150 years. Special stamp released by Government of India to commemorate the
occasion.
1996
The Times of India crosses 1 million marks in circulation. It also carries the first-ever colour photograph.
1997
BCCL enters into music market with Times Music.
1999
India times web portal launched; BCCL enters music retailing business with Planet M. Also operates the first-
ever private FM broadcast through Times FM (which later becomes Radio Mirchi).
2000
The Times of India crosses the 2 million mark in circulation.
2001
Radio Mirchi - Nationwide private FM broadcasting starts. 360 Degrees - Event management business also
launched.
TOI goes all colours and storms Delhi by being "Number One".
2003
Launch of the Times Private Treaties as a strategic business division.
Launch of the Jobs portal Times Jobs.
TOI E-paper launched.
Entry into TV business with the launch of Indias first lifestyle and entertainment channel - Zoom.
2005
Launch of a Matrimonial website TimesMatri later rebranded as Simply Marry.
Mumbai Mirror, the city-centric daily tabloid launched in Mumbai.
2006
Launch of a television News Channel called Times Now.
Radio Mirchi holding company ENIL (Entertainment Network India Limited) lists on the Indian stock
markets. It is the first Times Group company to list on the bourses with IPO being oversubscribed by more
than 41 times.
Launch of a Property services portal Magic Bricks.
TimesofMoney launches Remit2Home, to cater to global remittance market.
Acquisition of Karnatakas leading newspaper company Vijayanand Printers Limited makes BCCL the
dominant force in Karnataka.
2007
Launch of Bangalore Mirror, Ahmedabad Mirror, ET (Gujarati) and Whats Hot a premier weekend
entertainment supplement.
The Times of India becomes largest English daily in the world with circulation breaching the 3 million mark
and beating Sun (tabloid) of UK.
2008
Launch of ET (Hindi), Pune Mirror and The Times of India editions at Jaipur, Goa and Chennai.
Acquisition of Virgin Radio (now rebranded as Absolute Radio) in the UK.
2009
TOI Crest edition launched.
Launch of ET Now premier business channel having integrated newsroom with ET print edition.
2010
Private Treaties re-branded as Brand Capital.
The Speaking Tree newspaper launched.
ET Wealth launched.
Maharashtra Times launches Pune edition.
Vijay Next (premier weekly newspaper from Vijay Karnataka) launched.
Indias first HD-only premium movie channel Movies Now (HD) launched.
2011
Sunday ET re-launched as a tabloid.
Bodhivriksha (spiritual weekend newspaper in Kannada) launched.
2013
Launch of Indias first English Entertainment Channel focused on Romance and Comedy in HD as Romedy
Now+ and SD as Romedy Now.
KEY MANAGEMENT HEADS
..
BCCL
PROMOTERS &
DIRECTORS
Chairperson : Indu Jain
Vice-Chairman & MD : Samir Jain
Managing Director : Vineet Jain
..
..
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Executive Director : Trishla Jain
Executive Director & CEO : Ravindra Dhariwal
Executive Director & COO : Shrijeet Mishra
Executive Director & President : Arunabh Das Sharma
Non-Executive Director : A.P. Parigi
Non-Executive Director : Kalpana J. Morparia
Non-Executive Director : M. Damodaran
Non-Executive Director : Leo Puri
..
Times Television Network (comprising BCCL-TV Division,TGBCL and ZENL)
MD and CEO (TV Business) : Sunil Lulla
CEO ET NOW, TIMES NOW and
zoOm
: Avinash Kaul
CEO English Entertainment
Channels
: Ajay Trigunayat
..
..
Times Internet Limited
CEO : Satyan Gajwani
..
..
TimesofMoney
President : Avijit Nanda
..
..
Times Business Solutions Ltd
CEO : Satyan Gajwani
..
..
Times VPL
CEO : Sunil Rajshekhar
..
..
Worldwide Media
CEO : Tarun Rai
..
..
Entertainment Network (India) Ltd
CEO : Prashant Panday
..
..
Alternate Brand Solutions (I) Ltd
CEO : Prashant Panday
..
..
Times Innovative Media Limited
MD : Sunder Hemrajani
CEO : Arghya Chakraborthy
..
..
Times Foundation
Head : Shailendra Nautiyal
..
..
EDITORIAL HEADS
..
The Times oF India
Editorial Director : Jaideep Bose
Executive Editor : Arindam Sengupta
..
..
Economic Times
Editorial Director : Rahul Joshi
..
..
Maharashtra Times
Executive Editor : Ashok Panwalkar
..
..
Navbharat Times
Executive Editor : Ramkripal Singh
..
..
Mumbai Mirror
Editor : Meenal Baghel
..
..
Speaking Tree
Editor : Narayani Ganesh
..
..
Vijaya Karnataka
Editor : E. Raghavan
..
..
Times Now
Editor : Arnab Goswami
..
..
ET Now
Editor : R. Sridharan
..
..
Zoom
Editor : Omar Qureshi
..
