Inspiring Tales Part 3: My Interviews of First Generation Indian Entrepreneurs Who Made It Big
DAILY POST expands
I believe strongly in my abilities and
my understanding of human beings.
Any business is all about logic, and
being a physics graduate, I feel if
the logic is right, things are bound to
work well.
Still in his mid-30s, Manish Tiwari, Managing Director and Editor-in Chief of Daily Post, is determined to make his dream venture into a force to reckon with in Indian journalism. In the first year itself, the newspaper reached a circulation of over 45,000 per day in Chandigarh.
Buoyed by its success, Manish is now planning another edition from Delhi this year.
In an exclusive interview to Deepak Parvatiyar, he speaks at length about his past, present and future
Buoyed by its success, Manish is now planning another edition from Delhi this year.
In an exclusive interview to Deepak Parvatiyar, he speaks at length about his past, present and future
You are a successful journalist having worked with prestigious newspapers in responsible positions. Did you always want to be a journalist?
I always wanted to be like my father who worked with PTI as a journalist in different parts of India. I got the first opportunity in The Indian Express Group after passing out from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi.
I worked in Delhi for about five years in different organisations. Later, I shifted to Chandigarh for the launch of Hindustan Times edition in April 2000 where I worked as Chief of Bureau for several years before shifting to the Political Bureau of the paper in Delhi. In 2010, I came back to Chandigarh and joined a news channel as Editor (Investigations).
After working for so many years as a journalist, what made you start a newspaper? Do you come from any business family? What support did you get from your family in starting this venture? Was it easy to convince them?
I always wanted to be like my father who worked with PTI as a journalist in different parts of India. I got the first opportunity in The Indian Express Group after passing out from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi.
I worked in Delhi for about five years in different organisations. Later, I shifted to Chandigarh for the launch of Hindustan Times edition in April 2000 where I worked as Chief of Bureau for several years before shifting to the Political Bureau of the paper in Delhi. In 2010, I came back to Chandigarh and joined a news channel as Editor (Investigations).
After working for so many years as a journalist, what made you start a newspaper? Do you come from any business family? What support did you get from your family in starting this venture? Was it easy to convince them?
I harboured the idea of starting a newspaper for quite some time. My friends always egged me on, some even pledged financial support. It did take me a few years to think and concretise the idea before taking the plunge. I like accepting challenges and doing something new and different.
Finally, I took pains to ensure that a strong newspaper was launched. Most of my well wishers were apprehensive, but I was clear in my mind and confident. And in less than two years, we were able to set up a strong brand for Daily Post. Now we plan to launch its Delhi edition as well as a Punjabi newspaper.
Eminent journalists like M J Akbar and Rajat Sharma launched newspapers or television channels. Were you inspired by them or you think it is a natural shift for a journalist to start a newspaper?
I believe strongly in my abilities and my understanding of human beings. Any business is all about logic, and being a physics graduate, I feel if the logic is right, things are bound to work well.
It was indeed a big challenge to start the venture, right from its inception – formation of the company, planning the format of the newspaper, deciding the name, design, setting up the team and leading the organisation as its Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief.
But I always enjoyed what I did. Every day, this new venture has filled me with immense satisfaction. It was my dream to have anewspaper and build a strong brand. This has become a reality, thanks to my indulgent and industrious colleagues. I can say with pride they rank among the best professionals in the industry who think like leaders, not as followers.
There is a huge difference between working for an organization and running it. How did you prepare yourself to the task of launching the newspaper? What was the idea behind doing so?
I am always passionate about what I do in life. Wherever I worked, I tried to put my best foot forward to serve the interests of the organisation, thinking that the set-up was mine, not of the owner.
When I started the organisation and launched Daily Post within four months of forming the company Vigilant Media Private Limited, I was sure of my wicket and confident of setting up a good organisation. My faith in my colleagues and their abilities ensured that everyone worked like the owner. And may be, that’s the reason behind the success story of the Daily Post in such a short time.
Though you are not a Punjabi, why did you chose Chandigarh for launching your newspaper? How confident were you of making it big at a time when most of the newspapers suffered from economic slowdown, and the newspaper readership growth was registered at a meagre 0.3 per cent?
I shifted from Delhi to Chandigarh more than 13 years ago. I found the people in this part of the region large hearted, enterprising and capable of thinking big. Since I knew the area well, having worked in Hindustan Times for many years, it was easy for me to not only understand the issues and focus on them, but also feel the pulse of the readers.
I strongly feel that there is space in the market for anything good you bring. Many of my friends thought how will the newspaper be different and compete with giants like The Tribune, Hindustan Times, Times of India and The Indian Express. But I always thought if 12 English and vernacular newspapers can do well, why the 13th cannot, especially when you give the readers what they want in a good product.
That is exactly what happened. Everyone liked the newspaper and within one-and-a-half year, we have been able to stabilise operations. Since we are planning our Delhi edition and also a Punjabi newspaper from Chandigarh, we are setting up a big office and printing press in Mohali. It is just a matter of time when the other editions also hit the stands.
What were the challenges that you had to face while starting the project? Wasn’t finance a big challenge?
Money does matter and wherewithal too is vital for the success of any venture. The biggest challenge was to put together a team that was able to deal with any problem. Since I wanted leaders to join Daily Post, not the followers, I took care in making appointments.
I wanted them to think positive and come up with solutions to the problems, not create them. Some did put up resistance but soon, either they started following the system or bowed out.
Their ideas were old and archaic and they did not want to change with the changing times and scenario. The Editor left the organisation just ten days before the launch, saying the team wasn’t capable of launching a newspaper. He didn’t have faith in his own team and kept resisting the launch.
He wasn’t thinking like a leader. But what happened surprised not only him but also everyone in the industry. The same team launched Daily Post ten days after he left and saw to it that the paper posed a strong challenge to any English newspaper in the country.
Money does matter and wherewithal too is vital for the success of any venture. The biggest challenge was to put together a team that was able to deal with any problem. Since I wanted leaders to join Daily Post, not the followers, I took care in making appointments.
I wanted them to think positive and come up with solutions to the problems, not create them. Some did put up resistance but soon, either they started following the system or bowed out.
Their ideas were old and archaic and they did not want to change with the changing times and scenario. The Editor left the organisation just ten days before the launch, saying the team wasn’t capable of launching a newspaper. He didn’t have faith in his own team and kept resisting the launch.
He wasn’t thinking like a leader. But what happened surprised not only him but also everyone in the industry. The same team launched Daily Post ten days after he left and saw to it that the paper posed a strong challenge to any English newspaper in the country.
Within a year of its launch, your newspaper made a mark and seems to be well on way to becoming a profit-making venture. Is this along the expected lines?
Whatever we have achieved is more than what we had expected. The reason for the success of my organisation is the confidence of my colleagues in me and in the organisation.
What are your feelings? Have you proved any point to yourself, your family or your peers?
Right from the beginning, I was sure that my organisation will do well. I have nothing to prove to anyone. I have always tried to prove a point to myself. So far so good, but I know I have a huge task ahead. Expanding business and launch of more editions of Daily Post both within the country and abroad, top my agenda.
Besides being the Managing Director, you are also the Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper. How do you maintain the balance between the two?
I devote a major part of my time to business. By evening, the focus shifts to my editorial responsibilities. Since the team is professional and good, they ensure smooth functioning of the organisation on a day-to-day basis.
What is your mantra for success? What type of recognition do you crave for?
As everyone says, there is no substitute to hard work and dedication. This is the only mantra for success in life.
I live in the present. I have always enjoyed doing what I did. This was another experience in my professional life.
At any point of time, did you ever dream of taking up any other profession? If so, what held you back?
I always wanted to be a journalist, and I am thankful to God,that He let me do what I wanted to do in life.
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