CONSUMERS GLOBALLY are accessing entertainment — be it movies, serials, sporting events and news — on their mobile screens. It has caused a plateauing of TV viewership, impacting advertising as viewers allocate lesser time to watching TV. It’s the Smart TVs or Connected TVs that have bridged the gap by streaming content. Kalli Purie, vice chairperson and executive editor-in-chief, India Today Group (ITG) has ensured the group stays ahead of the curve in capturing viewer attention across these platforms. According to a Comscore report, ITG achieved video viewership of 52.5 million, with the highest time spent (535 million minutes), becoming the leader in news/information category among Connected TV viewership. Purie oversees strategic direction as well as on-ground operational execution at ITG which comprises Hindi news channel Aaj Tak, which remained the leader for two decades, India Today TV, India Today magazine, Business Today, Lallantop and the Tak channels.
Newer content providers with low-cost set-ups added competition during the year, impacting revenue. To counter this, the group deployed a technology led approach to understand business processes better. ITG integrated AI across TV, digital, and print platforms. In FY24, the group recorded revenues of ₹990 crore, against ₹922 crore in FY23. Profits were lower at ₹56 crore, compared with ₹88 crore. — Anup Jayaram