Rajat to rack it up India style with own channel

His is a story of humble beginnings.
When his parents came to Delhi with seven daughters and a son, there was not much they could afford.
Which is why Rajat Sharma believes in the power of giving back and supporting.
In Pune for the Inner Wheel’s 10th Triennial Conference, he says it’s time to give back. “I went to a municipal school and it was later that I was able to go a good school, because I got a scholarship.I have always wanted to give back,� he reveals.
Rajat Sharma sees his new venture, a 24-hour Hindi channel called India TV, as the means to his end. Based in Delhi and with 43 stations throughout the country, Rajat says India TV will aim to change the face of electronic media in the country. The channel is expected to be on air in two months.
“I believe we are very unique as a country and need to create a style of reporting suitable to our society. We cannot blindly ape shows on Western channels. My channel will be original and the shows on it will be country-specific. I don’t want to commercialise and sensationalise content. The news will be simple. Bad deeds get more space on TV than good ones and I want to change that. India TV will give equal prominence to those who do good. Developmental journalism will be a big part of it. With power comes responsibility and I don’t think channels are exercising that responsibility,� one of TV’s most famous faces says.
Rajat’s fire brand style of journalism has brought accolades and criticism.
Sometimes even from within his own team. “When I sit with my marketing team they tell me that I am a brand and we have to sell you. That’s how deep rooted commercialisation is. But I will continue to hold politician’s responsible and I am not scared of going to jail for it. If I am in the army I cannot be scared of bullets, right?� he says.
Rajat believes India is at a very unique stage and the media will continue to have a crucial role in the development of the country.
“We have the latest cars in one part and no roads in the other; electronic goods on sale and no power. This is the dilemma we are facing as a society and it is the job of the media to bridge this gap. In an illiterate country like India, TV gains a lot of significance. Also it makes politicians accountable and their lives thereby, very difficult,� he says.
anuradha.kher@timesgroup.com