Insights on mega-trends in India; HT Media Ltd.

Abstract

The internship kicked off with a two and a half day long orientation with twelve other interns. We got a flair for how the entire company functions and how each department is linked to each other. It was during the orientation that the We of HT Education, Market Research, Events, Ads for Equity, Circulation, Marketing and Strategy gave us presentations on how their respective departments work. We also got an opportunity to interact with the Editors-in-Chief of Hindustan Times and Mint newspapers. I believe this WMt essential :inc giving me a 360 degree outlook of the company before I took up my desk in the Market Research department. All interns were randomly allocated roles in HT Media, though there was a preference for location. My internship was based out of HT House in New Delhi. I worked directly with Pankaj Seith, VP of Insights and I had my project guide, Shalabh Aggarwal, Research Manager, assisting. me from time to time. I was briefed on my project and from then on, I was required to submit deliverables based on deadlines given to me. I conducted desk research by scanning the internet for particular trends as well as scanning the previous months' newspapers (ET, HT and Mint). This was a stepping stone in my project as it was crucial in identifying and" finalizing the trends to be researched. I had complete freedom as to how to approach the trends with the end objective of giving HT Media an opportunity to increase revenue and readership, and for developing a new product. I interacted with several industry experts and suppliers/companies to recognize the market~ gaps and opportunities. My presentation went through various iterations with my bosses and by mid-May, it was shown to the business heads at the Mumbai office. It got a good response and few more deliverables were ordered based on my presentation. The two sectors that I had focused on were Education and Telecom. Apart from my main project, I was also exposed to the various facets of Market Research - Field research and Tele-QC. I visited the agency tied up with HT Media and conducted quality checks. This involved supervising the interviewers (survey takers) on how to approach interviewees without creating a bias. I accompanied some of them during surveys and monitored their performances. The Tele-QC study involved me to study how telephonic surveys are taken and checked for errors and biases. What I found remarkable about HT Media is that everyone is willing to give you their time to help you out with your queries. Amidst the hustle and bustle, we also did have a lot of fun at the office - from celebrating birthdays, to the several lunch-outings that'I've"lreerron"dming' these two months. Overall, my internship at HT Media Ltd was an immense learning experience.