The exchange4media group last week started a series called ‘Leading from the front’ that looks at how pioneers, industry leaders and founders are creating legacies and institutions in the Indian Media & Entertainment industry. We bring you today the story of Vineet’s pioneering, diversified and futuristic multimedia media conglomerate.
Vineet Jain, who first joined The Times Group in 1988, has an enviable legacy, not only as a far-sighted strategist who diversified the group into all other media beyond Print, but also as the chief content architect for newspapers, TV, radio and online platforms, whose initiatives have subsequently become templates for rest of the industry. He was appointed Deputy Managing director in 1993, and then Managing Director, five years later. Since then, he has handled the daily operations of the group, including marketing, cost functions HR, brand management, etc.
Vineet JAIN was involved with the Times Group’s overall content strategy, its implementation, and the design of the major newspapers: The Times of India (The Economic Times), Navbharat Times, and The Times of India. In this case, he played a key role in introducing what is now a standard template for localisation in national newspapers by significantly increasing the coverage of edition-specific cities in TOI and deepening the focus. This was the very first time a national paper had done this at such a level. Vineet Jain was also instrumental in the fine-tuning and structuring of other sections which have endured the test of times. Visionary Jain also realized, decades ago, the importance of shorter articles with more variety to grab readers’ attention in an era when the Internet began to appear. As part of this, he introduced a brief, Times Views- one paragraph boxed edits in the news pages of TOI & ET- so that readers could be drawn into analysis of the news item even as the boundary between news and views was maintained.
Jain modernized the newspaper’s content strategy and architecture, as he had become the group’s chief architect in the late 1990s. These fundamental changes in content strategy, architecture and pricing (along with the innovations such as invitation/cover prices and subscription schemes led by Samir Jain) were the building blocks that allowed TOI to overtake Hindustan Times at Delhi in the late 1990s.
Vineet is credited for pioneering lifestyle journalism and entertainment in India. His meticulous and detailed approach met the needs of readers who wanted more useful news. He introduced reader-friendly sections like stock listings, crosswords, reader engagement, film reviews and more in the TOI main newspaper. He created and implemented the TOI editions-based supplements, such as Delhi Times, Bombay Times etc., which attracted thousands of new readers, especially younger ones, and introduced them to new audiences with their all-colour, visually appealing focus on films, health, fashion, and fitness. They were an instant hit with advertisers, and have been replicated across the entire newspaper industry, as well as on other platforms such TV and Digital. They have been adopted by other platforms, such as TV and Digital, to reach out to new audiences.
Vineet jain is considered by industry experts to be the only media owner that truly understands youth culture and urban life. The creation of lifestyle journalism in all media has spawned a new industry for events with entirely new audiences. Times Group again has been at the forefront. While the Times lifestyle supplements initially drove advertisers to sponsor events in the media, the model has been adopted by other media.
Vineet Jain, in addition to his legacy of publishing, has expanded the group into all other media spaces. Vineet Jain, who was a pioneer in the digital world, recognized the Internet’s importance early on. The TOI, one of India’s first newspapers, launched a website in 1997. In 2000, Times Internet Ltd. was established, spawning an array of digital entities.
Vineet Jains, the first Indian media owner, recognized the importance of Radio in the mid-90s. Times FM was first to broadcast on AIR and was later transformed into Radio Mirchi, now Mirchi, once FM radio stations for private use were permitted by the government. Mirchi is still the market leader today, cementing its place as the father of Indian FM Radio.
Vineet Jain made his first forays in TV, but he wisely waited until scores of new entrants were settled before deciding to enter. With the arrival of Times Now and Times Network’s other innovative channels, Indian news television is no longer the same. Vineet has been responsible for turning the Times Group into Asia’s largest media conglomerate from a publisher of print magazines and newspapers. This was achieved by putting readers, viewers and listeners first, anticipating each shift and change and using industry-wide best practice. He also built a team of world-class professionals who share his work ethic. The next chapter in the story of this towering leader of the Indian media industry will be very interesting. He has rewritten many rules and transformed content, strategy and profit across all parts of the Indian value chain.
Vineet JAIN was awarded the Impact Person Of The Year 2013 title by the exchange4media group for his pioneering role and these reasons.
Vineet has been credited with building new businesses in Times Group such as TV, Digital and Radio. However, Vineet joined TOI at age 21 in 1988 and contributed to the print business for the next 30 years. Vineet Jain worked with his father Ashok Jain as well as older brother Samir Jain. The mainstay of their business was the dominant newspaper and print business.
Samir Jain has been credited for leading, guiding, and strategizing the Response, Monetisation and Invitation Pricing over the past three decades and now Brand Capital during the last fifteen years. However, the younger Jain also contributed greatly to the print and newspaper businesses, working with his older sibling Samir Jain.
Senior executives remember Vineet as a driver and leader who was fully involved with the newspaper and printing organisations. He was also involved in the hiring of new employees, as well as mentoring and supervising leaders. Jain also worked on the marketing and product side of the print and newspaper business. Vineet was also involved with the editorial architecture and print products of the newspaper, from the conception of the new entertainment supplement which the entire industry adopted following initial criticism.
Vineet contributed to the city supplement and hyper-localisation within the newspaper. He made sure these supplements became a force for editorial and revenue.
Vineet has been working at the Times Group for 36 years. He was involved in all aspects of administration, printing, and management.
Vineet Jain also helped in taking these newspapers to the internet more than two and a half decades back; the newspapers sites were launched under his leadership.
Vineet is credited rightfully with the building of the Times Group’s TV business, radio business, digital and internet business, and education business. But in his first 18-20-year tenure, he made a significant contribution to the Times Group’s newspaper and print businesses. He also spearheaded many editorial, product, and marketing initiatives that still have an impact on the Times Group’s business.
Vineet’s impact on the Times Group was immense. It began in print. But through his pioneering attitude, he led the process of creating a futuristic conglomerate.