TV9 Network appoints Raktim Das as COO of Studio9, focusing on branded content

TV9 Network has announced the appointment of Raktim Das as COO of Studio9, responsible for driving the convergence of TV and digital revenue function, with a focus on branded content innovation.

In his new role, he will be setting up an independent profit centre that will design and monetise Web+TV custom content products across multiple language platforms. He will also be responsible for building talent relationships and strategic partnerships for nurturing new growth avenues.

In his last role as Executive Cluster Head – Innovation Studio and Custom Content at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Das collaborated with leading brands to co-create many award-winning content campaigns.

Commenting on the appointment, Barun Das, CEO, TV9 Network, said, “Studio9 is a concept which will enable the convergence of traditional TV and Digital in our network. Digital is the future – Hindi and regional news will certainly make a transition from traditional TV to web format. This convergence in the revenue field is of extreme importance. Studio9 will also work with clients to develop creative solutions for their communication challenge. Das is certainly the best in the industry to build it from scratch”.

He further said, “I expect the M&E industry to drastically change the way it conducts business in the post-Covid world. Those who will adapt to solution-driven models in business, with the infusion of the right technology, will lead the revival. While the broader economic environment will be highly challenging, the television news industry will possibly be better off compared to other genres.”

It will offer innovative business solutions to clients, design platform-agnostic content to weave brand stories and sustain meaningful conversations with consumers, curate television special shows, enable digital activations, and develop IPs that align with the marketing objectives of clients. In doing so, Studio9 will bring together some of the finest professionals in the industry with the proven expertise of having created pioneering, benchmark-setting initiatives, and managing leading content platforms.

Raktim commented, “I am looking forward to being part of the TV9 family. I see a huge opportunity for growth in the language markets as 9 out of every 10 new internet users in India are likely to be Indian language users. In the new normal, when we are all managing tight business situations, clients and agencies are looking for compelling solutions that are woven around smart innovation to enable purpose-driven, meaningful brand engagement. Ultimately, driving cross-screen engagement will provide the edge to brands”.

Barun also said that the video content across linear TV and digital platforms will converge before completely shifting to the digital model. “Our digital business model will centre around 3Cs: content, context, and commerce. To me, the digital content business is as much a tech business. Technology is a differentiator and not an enabler. Then comes the ability to innovate as per changing viewers taste.”

The network comprises four regional language leaders in TV9 Telugu, TV9 Kannada, TV9 Marathi and TV9 Gujarati, and the national Hindi news channel TV9 Bharatvarsh, which has earned a place for itself in the league of the Top 5.