Industry honchos ring in the New Year with resolutions and expectations
My resolution is to cope well with the emerging VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) world. Personally, I want to continue to enjoy life and my newfound status as grandfather the second time over.
SAM BALSARA
Chairman & Managing Director, Madison World
At Grey, we worked closer and better with agencies across the WPP group, leveraging skills, expertise and winning businesses in 2017. As an agency, we got stronger with a great team. For 2018, I plan to continue to use my energy and vitality to bring fruitful purpose and plentiful happiness to everything I do, everyday.
SUNIL LULLA
Chairman and MD, Grey Group
The year 2018 will be a year of remonetization, the Bharat story will continue to play out well for the Print segment with language newspapers driving growth in viewership and advertising. My resolution is to put in more hard work in developing our organization; I plan to work on this every day of the year.
MV SHREYAMS KUMAR
Joint Managing Director, Mathrubhumi Group
I don’t make New Year resolutions as I prefer working to three-year plans. As part of that in 2018, I am hoping to catch up on some lost speed in terms of growth in the last year. Besides that, the big agenda point for 2018 and beyond is Digital transition of our brands.
MK ANAND
MD & CEO, Times Network
The year 2018 is going to be when India will establish itself as a stable economic giant. I expect buoyancy and growth in business. My resolution is to make sure that 2018 is another record growth year for us. We have been outstripping the market growth three times over for four years in a row and we want to continue doing that.
ASHISH BHASIN
Chairman & CEO South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network
The best thing about 2017 was that it absorbed all the residual effects of demonetization and even took the GST impact in its stride. Hence it has paved way for more upbeat expectations in 2018 and beyond. On a personal front, I aim to wander more in 2018.
ANUPRIYA ACHARYA
CEO-India, Publicis Media
I have one very important resolution for 2018, which is, I will take at least two significant holidays in the year - one for myself, to go diving, and the other with my family, and I am hoping to get at least a couple of weeks off for each one.
KUNAL JESWANI
CEO, Ogilvy & Mather India
I had planned a complete digital transformation of our business, but it is taking longer than planned due to rapid evolution of technology, as well as business priorities. I am now quite confident of rolling it out in early 2018.
PRADEEP DWIVEDI
CEO, Sakal Media Group
I wish to make 2018 as the year of record, reflection, review and revision. Great ideas are abundant, but it’s what we decide to do with them that counts. So, in the New Year, I will maintain a compendium in which I plan to chronicle my personal and professional thoughts and ideas.
KASHYAP VADAPALLI
CMO, Pepperfry
In 2018, I promise to be more disciplined about everything I do – exercise, prioritizing and taking care of my health.
VIKRAM SAKHUJA
Group CEO, Media & OOH, Madison Communications
My resolution is to scale up the business via massive brand awareness and consumer engagement. On the personal side, one resolution I have diligently made for the past few years is to run every day. Running a full marathon has been a dream of mine, which I hope to turn into a reality in 2018, beginning with the Tokyo marathon.
RAJAT KHURANA
MD, ASICS India Pvt. Ltd
I don’t make New Year resolutions. On weekdays, a missionary zeal takes over me to set out and deliver my best. On weekends and other off days, I have my inspired moments to pursue my passion and spend time with my family.
RAHUL JHAMB
Brand Head, Forever 21, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd
With four State elections in 2018 and the General Election slated for 2019, 2018 will be a big year for the news genre. It will also test our talent and create innovation in our resources. I am hopeful that the advertising industry will gain tremendously from the news genre as consumption of news content will increase on both OTT and C&S platforms.
AVINASH PANDEY
COO, ABP News Network
My resolution for 2018 will be more sports and eating right. I play Badminton regularly and I hope to increase the frequency of that. I am also keen on learning coding. In fact, I have even reached out to my friend Kunal Shah, Founder of FreeCharge, asking for a few recommendations on whom to learn coding from. Learning to code will help me interact better with my brother-in-law, a software engineer. I often don’t understand the technical terms he throws at me, so coding it is for 2018.
ARUN IYER
Chairman and CCO, Lowe Lintas
My New Year resolution for 2018 is to achieve work, life and health balance, and excellence at work.
DEEPIKA SABHARWAL TEWARI
Associate Vice President - Marketing, Tanishq
Having made and broken scores of New Year resolutions, I’m a tad wary of making more. Just last year, I had set myself the task of reading a book every week and hitting the gym daily. A year later, I’ve read perhaps five books and visited the gym for about as many days. But it’s that time of the year and newer resolutions must be made. Otherwise, the only thing we may break could be whisky glasses on dance floors. The first one is to repair at least one that I broke from last year: reading a book every week. I’ve a stack of about 10 to start with. Must travel more. So the second one is taken care of, work and kids’ exams permitting. Workwise, to do less admin work and more creative work. Having turned entrepreneur, I was too busy to meet people the last couple of years. I plan to meet more this year, which might make me busier. I’ll have less butter with my paranthas in 2018. Or run 5 km for every spoonful. You know, I’m breaking this one on Day 1. And most importantly, not make any resolutions for 2019!
SATBIR SINGH
Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Thinkstr
I plan to connect more with myself, and come up with newer ideas, newer methods, newer approaches...
TARUN KATIAL
CEO, BIG FM
I always wanted to go trekking and camping up in the hills – I will definitely plan to do that in 2018. More time with family is going to be my big resolution.
SIDDHARTHA ROY
CEO, Hungama.com
My resolution will be to go back to the basics, to focus on the strengths of Print, aggressively evangelise core unique deliveries of a No.1 newspaper like Vijay Karnataka. We will also aim at adding Print adjacents like On-Ground & Digital and provide better returns to marketing campaigns of advertisers.
RANJEET KATE
CEO, Vijay Karnataka
My New Year resolution would be all about more music, more fun, more friends, and more business. The one thing I am looking forward to in 2018 is monetizing my passion for music to the maximum. I want to create a whole new ecosystem of music, and use the power of music to transform the world, connect brands to consumers, or even just share music with people, and connect them through it.
RAJEEV RAJA
Co-Founder, BrandMusiq
In 2018, I will read more (novels, not social media posts), act more and, of course, win more -- not just awards but, in keeping with my new role, new businesses too!
SUMANTO CHATTOPADHYAY
Chairman & CCO, Soho Square
Personally, I have to get back to exercising and lose all the excess weight I have gained over the last two years. I have got a big target of weight loss! Professionally, I want to be more focused.
LARA BALSARA
Executive Director, Madison World
Anything will be better than 2017, and that’s the best thing about 2018. My New Year resolution is to produce a movie.
MITRAJIT BHATTACHARYA
President & Publisher, Chitralekha Group
I’m not too much of a New Year resolution person, but there are a couple of things that I want to see happening in 2018. I want to indulge in a bit of musical theatre and also give life to a book I’m hoping to write... #chasethatdream
BRIAN TELLIS
CEO, Fountainhead-MKTG
In 2018, I aim to meet a new client and supplier every week.
MANDEEP MALHOTRA
Founding Partner & CEO, The Social Street
The one thing I do plan to do in 2018 is relish every single day, live in the moment and not wish time away. It’s easy to get so caught up in your life that you forget to enjoy it. And what a shame to do that when you’re living the dream!
MALINI AGARWAL
Founder & Creative Director, MissMalini Entertainment
We are looking forward to launching IRS after a gap of four years.
I VENKAT
Director, Eenadu
Apart from getting eight pack abs, my resolution is spending more time with family because I missed out on that in 2017. For me, 2018 will be all about fitness, travel and family on the personal front. On the professional front, it will be about achieving really good benchmarks for Radio City, not just in the Indian context but also globally.
KARTIK KALLA
EVP & National Programming Head, Radio City
