As the word suggests, Media is a medium to reach out to the masses through various delivery platforms and it encompasses the creation of content, expression of ideas and, various techniques relating to the creation of such ideas. Media involves print, television, Radio, Feature Films, animation, gaming, internet and Mobile content and all this essentially involves content creation and its delivery through various medium to reach out to the masses.

 You will be surprised to know that the media sector has been growing faster than the growth in the Economy in India as Indian economy is growing at 8-9% per annum compared to Media sector which is growing at more than 18%. The reason is simple. Growing economy increases the purchasing power of the consumers and they tend to spend more on entertainment. Growing numbers of television channels, Multiplexes, FM Radio, computer games, DVDs, music CDs and online content is example of this growth.

Gone are the days when we had the choice of watching only Doordarshan. Today we have more than 413 television channels catering to News, entertainment, movies, sports, animation, infotainment, health, spirituality, religion in various languages. Every cinema hall is showing several movies at the same time. Thanks to the growth of Multiplexes. In a click of a button, you can surf through any information on earth and network of several unseen friends through Internet. In short Media has changed the way we see the world, the way we laugh and the way we cry. It is empowerment of the consumer who never had so many choices in life.

 As I mentioned earlier, the Indian entertainment industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the Indian economy. At present the annual turnover of the industry is estimated to be Rs.513 billion which was Rs.438 billion last year. The expected rate of compounded annual growth in past 4 years has been 19%.

 Going by mere statistics, the potential of opportunity and growth in the Indian media industry is there for all to see. Besides being a lucrative career option, the media sector has glitz and glamour that attracts many young people to it. But behind the sensation and the sparkle of film and television lies unstinted hard work and toil, a race to meet deadlines and stay afloat and shine in times of cut throat competition. With news, entertainment, infotainment and films all holding potential for lucrative gains and growth- innovative ideas and clap trap shows become the order of the day. The entertainment industry is experiencing a major shift in the way entertainment is distributed, with new distribution channels, such as broadband, internet access and wireless communications which are driving significant growth in the industry. I’ll take you through the various genres of the media with a brief on each and the growth and opportunities available in every form of this booming industry.

 Television

 The Indian television market has shown unprecedented boom in the past few years. New channels, new content formats, reality shows and niche channels rule the roost in the current scenario. The major reason for this boom is increased target population wherein more than 115 million homes have a television sets out of which more than 70 million homes are connected through cable and satellite, increased advertising kitty wherein a substantial portion goes into television advertisement, affordable technology and better and improved distribution platforms like DTH and IPTV. With 3G technology coming to India, you will soon witness Mobile TV as well. The entire television industry has grown at an impressive 21% in past 4 years and is estimated to be the size of Rs.226 billion.

 Films

 The Indian film industry has emerged as the largest in the world in terms of number of films produced. In 2007 we have produced 1146 feature films in India. The turnover the first 10 hit films only from India is more than 6.5 billion and overseas distribution has fetched another Rs.2.5 billion. The film industry is estimated to be Rs 96 billion and growing at 14% per annum. New avenues of making money make this industry much more lucrative than what it was few years back. Increased number of multiplexes, boom in DVD sale, digital cinema, internet download of movies, renting of DVDs, increased collection from overseas market and telecast of movies through television have added to the revenue stream of feature film business. More and more corporates have entered into the business of feature films production and distribution. The ever-increasing Indian Diaspora around the world has also significantly impacted the growth of the movie business in India.

 Recent past has seen international films coming alive in India in dubbed versions. These films too have done increasingly well. No one had ever imagined that we shall see great Hollywood films like Spiderman, Jurassic Park, Aliens and Finding Nemo in our native language.

 Digital cinema is another wonder of the modern world wherein we see the cinema through Servers and internet. Today we have more than 1000 digital cinema halls in the country which are spreading in tier 2 and tier 3 cities making it reach to the masses who had never seen the films on the day of its national release. The biggest advantage of digital cinema is extremely low cost of distribution.

  Print

 Print industry is growing at 16% per annum with the estimated size of Rs.149 billion. The portion of newspaper constitutes more than 87% of the total print industry and the balance 13% is contributed by magazines. With better technology, we have access to newspapers with several colours and better quality through digital printing.

 Animation and Gaming

 Animation industry is growing at an impressive rate of 24% and has estimated size of Rs.13 billion whereas the growth rate of Gaming is 32% with the estimated size of Rs.2.7 billion. Mobile games and online games are in huge demand and so is the case with the animated content through Television and now movie. With the successful launch of 2D Animated film Hanuman, more and more animated films are being produced in India.

 Radio

After the liberalization of policy relating to the Radio, more than 400 FM radios have emerged in more than 100 cities in India. Now people have the option of listening to more than 6 Radio channels in a particular city. Satellite Radio and Internet Radio has caught the attention of the masses. You will be surprised to know that the radio industry is growing at 24% rate per annum and has estimated size of Rs.6.5 billion.

 MUSIC

 Unlike other sectors of Media, Music industry is not growing at all. Last year the growth rate was a meager 1%. The entire industry is marred by piracy. Today you can download any song through various sites free of cost. It is shocking that music industry which is in the blood of all the Indians is bleeding. The sector is estimated to be Rs.6.5 billion. Though the overall music industry is not growing, digital music has witnessed 33% growth. Online music is another segment driving growth. The biggest boon the music industry has got in the recent times is the launch of several radio stations which has increased the demand for the music content apart from ringtone downloads which significantly add to the revenues of the music industry.

 Other Segments

 Other emerging segment in Media industry include Online Advertising which has grown at unbelievable growth rate of 69% and is estimated to be the size of Rs.2.7 billion. In all the segments of Media, online advertisement has recorded the highest growth. Thanks to the growing penetration of PC and internet in Indian homes.

 OOH or out of home is another emerging segment with impressive growth of 25% and has estimated size of Rs.12.5 billion. This is possible through growing consumerism wherein the advertisers wanted to advertise their products through all the available medium and hoardings and banners on streets, bus shelters, buses and trains, railway stations and airports.

 Future outlook

 Convergence is the new mantra of the Indian entertainment industry. The internet offers the consumer the choice to view and watch what he demands at the mere click of his mouse. It is the ‘pull’ factor of the internet as opposed to the ‘push’ of television content on viewers that makes it the mantra of the present time. Newer technologies will dominate the media sector and its boundaries will be merged with those of the telecommunications and information technology segments, giving rise to a host of value-added features for consumers and new revenue streams for players in each segment. Mobile entertainment, with its ability to dissect the boundaries of time and space, will be a big growth driver.

 In my opinion, content will continue to hold the reigns of the film and media industry. The mighty growth and opportunities in the businesses will only continue with new and innovative content hitting television screens and also making the same accessible on the internet and other communicative devices through which it can reach potential viewers. The challenge will be to churn new and innovative channels, movies and create content that continues to appeal to the insatiable need to be entertained. The film and media industry promises growth and opportunities galore with television, entertainment, news, films, radio, animation and convergence being now available to consumers across the world. For interested professionals, the challenge is to take them on, cut through the cut throat competition, stay afloat and then shine bright in the world of media- that with all its downbeats continues to be the enthralling and fascinating to all…and continues to prove that there is indeed no bizz like showbiz.