Indrani Mukerjea, CEO, INX Media, & Chairperson, INX News

"I have been hands-on right from the funding stages. What has worked for me is that I have been a viewer all my life, and hence not been so close to the woods. This is one reason why I have been able to make the channel fresher. I know as a viewer what causes fatigue. When you have been in the system, you come back with the same mindset, and you make different versions of the same thing."

Just a year back, Indrani Mukerjea had a successful headhunting operation in INX Global, where she actively worked with various companies to solve their people needs. Her involvement then in television was only as a viewer and at best, conversations with Peter Mukerjea, the then CEO of STAR Group. However, the picture has changed dramatically for her over the year, as she played a key role in founding INX's media entities -- INX Media and INX News. Mukerjea has a lot on her plate right now as the CEO of INX Media and the Chairperson of INX News.

With two channels already on-air, Mukerjea already has some views on what she thinks is the way ahead for the television fraternity in India. In this interview with Noor Fathima Warsia of exchange4media, Mukerjea speaks on the experience so far and the road ahead for INX. Excerpts:

Q. Are there any teething problems that you are facing?

We have not faced any problems as such. We have done well for the channel distribution. We don't want to function as a start-up. If you see, we have gone full-out with the best marketing, best programming and the best distribution. Arun Mohan, our distribution head, has delivered results in his earlier stints and he is doing a better job here. The most important things is that we have been able to get ourselves to launch and what makes me happy is that I don't even come from this industry. People were waiting and watching to see what I would do, and I think I've been able to pull a rabbit out from my hat. I don't think anyone has launched two channels from ground zero in eight months!

Q. Do you observe any back-checks for your key decisions just to ensure that you are making it right?

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At INX, we have made a very conscious decision to back everything with research right from day one. Nothing is done here without proper research, and our heads are conditioned to follow that. No one comes to me with silly decisions and wastes my time -- I have been lucky with the key professionals that way, and that is a reason we are where we are. We had started work in March 2007 from one table, Vynsley (Fernandes, COO, News X), my secretary and me, and from that, the studios coming up, the buildings, getting all the licences -- there is a lot that has been done.

Q. The structure is different for News X...

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Yes. At INX Media, Peter and I are the two pillars who hold the business together as Chairman and CEO. In News X, Vir (Sanghvi) and I are the pillars. The only difference is that there, Vir is looking after the content and I am looking after the commercial side, but otherwise we jointly take all decisions. At News X, I am Chairperson and Vir is CEO. In both entities, we have the same kind of understanding and team work. You can go with the mode of one-ship-one-captain or the dragon-boats, where everyone is rowing the boat -- we are the second, we have got many senior hands, who are all putting in the same kinds of efforts.

Q. Would you like to speak more on the focus that you are laying on the content of the channel?

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We have been very clear that we would bring fresh content to our viewers. Our brief to the production houses hence has been very different, and so the channel looks different. We have been very firm on reflecting the values of India but not in a patronising manner, and also not going overboard in being sensational. We want to make it as real as possible. TV is all about drama and there are no rights and wrongs. You can connect with the viewer if you make the storyline entertaining and also more real -- not address issues that take away the entertainment bit, or sensationalise so much that the viewer cannot relate with it.

Channels today have not been able to find that fine line in the content. The audience has evolved, the channels have not. If I am going to try and live life the way it was 20 years ago, and keep showing the same thing because it worked 10 years ago, then it is going to cause fatigue. Also, we are very strict in our quality control, and are handholding our production partners. They have gone the extra mile for us to make that difference.

Q. Did you ever get nervous?

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The only time I was nervous was on November 12, two minutes before 9 PM. For me, the attitude was 'Big deal, we are launching a channel'. It is really not rocket science. If we can create life in nine months, it would be a shame to not be able to get a channel on-air in eight months! I am an entrepreneur, and entrepreneurs and fantasists believe in a dream and they convert it to reality, and as they do that, others believe in them too. You have to have the right support and guidance, and as you know, for me I have it in home grounds -- Peter has been an immense help.

Q. What can we expect next from you?

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The English news channel would launch in the first quarter of 2008, we've not frozen the date yet. We have already started acting on the regional music channels. The first thoughts are for Punjabi, Bengali and Gujarati, but that may change, we are still working on that. We have nine channels on the radar right now, but everything is still in early stages to really talk about them.

Q. In the first content line-up you announced, 'Jiya Jale' was beginning November 19 in the 8.30 PM block and then you put it at 9.30 PM and moved the Balaji show in the weekend.

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There are various things to this. We wanted a strong weekend block and there was the option of putting a soap there. Even though we are looking at one-hour shows, I am not really convinced on a one-hour right now. As the Balaji show evolved -- and what I saw of it was fantastic -- we realised that it had the body to be a one-hour show and so we decided to put it on the weekend and package 'Ustaad' strongly. It sorted out the weekend block for us, and it made sense. By mid-December we would be launching the 8.30 PM band as well.

Q. Coming back to the channel, what for you is the most important aspect of a channel?

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For me, the three most critical functions begin with the right set of people for all functions, at any given point in business. It is not just about getting the right people but you have to retain them as well, or else it would a downward slide for the channel. People make an organisation and we have looked at people with the right attitude, the can-do attitude, who may not always be from the same industry but we have ensured that there is a good combination in our teams. If you just hire people from the industry, you end up creating bad versions of what exist.

The second critical function is content. There are new trends coming in as well. We may see people preferring seasons to a long-running series, as we have been seeing in international markets. The pace at which India is changing is very different today. We are past the days when a movie was released in the US and would release here after two years. Consequently the mindset is also changing similarly.

The third aspect is distribution. Marketing is critical in the launch phase and then research is very important too, and should be updated continuously. If you have got all this right, revenue will flow in automatically.

Q. However, there are channels today that are gathering more audiences...

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As I said, there is no right and wrong here. It's like sitting for an exam and if you get a score based on your preparation, it doesn't mean someone else can't get that kind of score. In terms of numbers, 9XM has done well in the beginning -- 9X is a much larger base so there is still time before we really see something there. My aim right now is doing a good job. Where you eventually get, you don't know.

Q. The last time we spoke to you, you were mentioning about a crash course in television to be able to better handle your responsibilities at INX Media and INX News. How has the experience been?

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Getting that training was important for me at that point to know the medium and its nuances better. We got people from the international market to come and train me -- people such as Richard Platt who has been in the international market for over 25 years. That has really shown its advantages because I believe that this is the reason why our channel is reflecting global standards right now. We wanted it to look fresher and richer but, honestly, even we didn't expect it to look like this in terms of sheer on-air quality in all aspects. We are treating the colours very well; we are very cautious about audio; the cast; the shooting locations and so on. These are small things that make a huge difference to the channel.

I have been hands-on in the organisation right from the funding stages. Also, what has worked for me is that I have been a viewer all my life, and hence not been so close to the woods. This is one reason why I have been able to make the channel fresher. I know as a viewer what causes fatigue. When you have been in the system, you come back with the same mindset, and you make different versions of the same thing. That has not been the case with me.

Even at a personal level, I am happy with what I have been able to contribute to the industry. In the initial stages, at the risk of sounding immodest, I had said that the quality of the content would be world-class, but I have lived up to it. And now when I have been professionally recognised for it as well, it is all the more encouraging.

Q. Has there been any difference or change in work with you being appointed CEO, and Peter Mukerjea becoming Executive Chairman?

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Nothing in my work or responsibilities has changed. Peter was always supposed to be Chairman. We had to wait for the non-compete and sometime after that for the non-solicitation to end, but ever since he was here, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that he would be the Chairman of the organisation. Both Peter and me report to be board -- he is clearly focussed on revenues and new business development, while I look after content and corporate function.

Q. What would you mean by being professionally recognised?

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When the board decided to appoint me CEO. I am so used to being the owner all of my work life and it was the same here as well. But when the board appointed me CEO, it made a difference to my life because that was a professional recognition. 9X has always been a Mukerjea channel to start off with, but this recognition so early in life has been good.

Q. What is the kind of investment in all this?

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The investment has been reasonably good to live up to our commitments. We are going to ensure that we arm not only our people, but our partners in other fields as well with more than enough financial resources to deliver the best, and you are seeing it already. With the people we have, the marketing, content and distribution that we have put together, there is no compromise. You cannot come up with the best product otherwise.

Q. What is the impact that you see with all this on the existing channels?

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I don't think I can really speak on that now. I think we would be all right. We would be eating into other channels also but as the number of television homes is growing, there is need for more, though I don't know how long this window would remain open. We want to make a difference and stand out, but I don't know how much that would affect someone else's standing.

Q. How are you placed in terms of ad rates -- which tier?

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Who wouldn't want to be at the top! We have been very blessed that we had advertisers who have had faith to support us from day one. We are bringing global practices of creating clubs and so on. When you give the best, you want to get the best as well, and we are priced to achieve that.