MAM
The power of networking in business and forging meaningful connections
Mumbai: Networking is a crucial skill for success in business. It allows you to build relationships, get introduced to new opportunities, and gain insights and advice from others. However, networking effectively goes beyond just showing up to events and collecting business cards. It’s about creating and nurturing mutually beneficial connections. Here are some tips on utilising the power of networking and forging meaningful relationships in business:
Focus on giving first, not just taking
The most effective networkers approach relationships with a generous mindset. Look for ways you can offer value to others through your expertise, connections, or support. Help make introductions between people in your network who would benefit from knowing each other. Share interesting articles, tips, or other useful information with your contacts. Don’t just look at what someone can do for you.
Build rapport and trust
Take time to establish rapport with key contacts. Get to know them personally beyond just professional titles. Build trust by being reliable, honest, and showing interest in who they are as individuals. Follow through on commitments you make and recommend others only if you truly believe there is a good fit. The stronger the rapport, the more willing contacts will be to help you out.
Stay visible and connect regularly
Don’t just reach out to your network when you need something. Maintain regular contact to nurture relationships over time. Periodically send updates on your latest projects, make phone calls to catch up, and connect face-to-face when possible. Look for opportunities to provide value to others along the way. The more engaged you are, the more likely your contacts will think of you when an opportunity arises.
Listen and ask thoughtful questions
When connecting with new contacts, practice active listening skills. Learn about their experience, interests, challenges, and goals. Then engage them with thoughtful, open-ended questions to uncover areas where you may be able to collaborate, make helpful introductions, or support them in other ways. Take a genuine interest.
Expand your circles
Look for opportunities to meet new people and add fresh connections to your pipeline. Attend industry events, conferences, and seminars that put you in front of different audiences. Engage fellow attendees before and after events. Follow up afterward to continue the conversation. Over time, you will organically build an expanded, diverse network.
Create win-win opportunities
The most meaningful connections are grounded in finding mutual benefits. When you successfully bring together the right people or resources, you add value for everyone involved. Brainstorm creative ways to generate these win-win scenarios that allow you and your contacts to help each other move forward. This could include job opportunities, speaking engagements, new client introductions, press exposure, funding connections, or beneficial partnerships.
In business, who you know is very important. But it’s the strength and reciprocity within those relationships that generate the greatest returns. Be strategic and thoughtful about cultivating your network. The more you can forged meaningful connections based on trust and generosity, the further it will take you.
The author of this article entrepreneur and RiSAA IVF and CEO Dr Saarthak Bakshi.
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
