Times Group launches strategic media mgmt course with SPJIMR

Mumbai: The

Times of India

Group, in partnership with the SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (

SPJIMR

), has launched a Programme in Strategic Media & Entertainment Management (

PSMEM

). The programme’s structure and curriculum is a reflection of the media & entertainment (M&E) industry’s current and future skill set requirements. It aims to create thoroughbred M&E professionals, leveraging the high-powered advisory and academic council members’ extensive and insightful experiences.

The academic council comprises eminent people with experience in the M&E industry — M G Parameswaran (Ambi), brand strategist, founder of Brand-Building.com; Abhinav Chopra, CHRO, Viacom18; Sameer Pitalwalla, CEO and co-founder, Culture Machine Media; Rohit Suri, chief HR and talent officer (South Asia), GroupM; Sandeep A Varma, founder and MD, ICOMO Advertising India and film director; Vikram Sakhuja, group CEO (media and OOH), Madison; and Dr Ashita Aggarwal, associate professor and head of department (marketing), SPJIMR, Mumbai.

PSMEM envisages all potential participants getting a thorough understanding of the business side of traditional and emerging digital M&E verticals. Every general management subject — marketing, HR, finance, economics — has been given an M&E perspective. The unique component of PSMEM is the M&E Entrepreneurship Modules (I&II) to encourage entrepreneurial innovation in the M&E space with assessments from a few VCs in the second term. The two experiential workshops in design thinking and creativity are other unique facets of this programme.

Eminent industry personalities have conceived the curriculum after analysing existing skill gaps and growing demand for managerial talent. Taught by the core faculty from SPJIMR and the industry representing traditional and new media, PSMEM aims to equip young media professionals and help them thrive in the new M&E world. Having spent years in the media and advertising sector, Madison’s Vikram Sakhuja will expound on the principles and skills required to excel in the industry. He said, “PSMEM is an absolutely brilliant initiative between the Times Group and SPJIMR. Both fantastic institutions are bringing in media and management skills respectively, offering a real killer combination.”

Storytelling is another important ingredient that is essential to sell or connect the audience with a brand and can be done in different forms, believes

Culture Machine Media

co-founder Sameer Pitalwalla. He said, “While content is king, there is a lot beyond print and short videos.”

Being an HR and talent officer, GroupM’s Rohit Suri is well experienced in nurturing young talent to meet industry requirements and becoming leaders. He said, “In my search for talented professionals from college campuses, I have always felt there is a huge gap between what is taught versus industry requirements. Through this course, my intention is to equip young professionals with relevant skills to enable them to apply their expertise right from Day 1 of their job.”

ICOMO Advertising India’s founder and film director Sandeep A Varma said, “There is a lack of managerial talent among today’s professionals. I am glad to be part of such a course, which encompasses the new-age media trends with a focus on technological advancements. I am sure this will create leaders who will justify the positions of future managers/entrepreneurs.”

Interested candidates can get more information by visiting www.timestsw.com/PSMEM or calling 1800 102 2321.