MAM
Future lies in internet and wireless: Time Warner’s Parsons
MUMBAI: Global media giants have suddenly got serious about internet. The mood is reflected in the recent buys News Corp and Viacom have done, gobbling up internet assets like mySpace.com, propertyfinder.com, Neopets and iFilm at valuations that have surprised many.
Drawing inspiration from its rivals’ aggressive internet strategies, Time Warner’s chairman-CEO Richard Parsons refuses to jettison his plans on the internet and wireless front. Irrespective of the fact that Time Warner burnt its fingers with its 2001 merger with America Online Limited (AOL), Parsons feels the convergence of traditional media and the Internet is inevitable with online advertising holding an “exciting potential”.
“We are the only media company with a major stake in the Internet”, Parsons said during an interview with New Yorker media columnist Ken Auletta. However, he acknowledged the ongoing talks with competitors to sell off a stake in AOL. According to Parsons, Microsoft, Yahoo and a partnership of Google and Comcast have expressed interest in buying or partnering with AOL in recent weeks.
Parsons expressed Time Warner’s interest in retaining some control over the division even if a deal goes through. “We want to help our other companies to take advantage of the Internet and it would be easier if we retained part of AOL after a deal goes through,” he said during the interview.
When queried by Auletta about areas where Time Warner was not active presently, Parsons singled out Wireless and gaming. “Games online and computer games are becoming a huge, huge business, with young males aging 18 to 35.”
Parsons hinted at Time Warner’s plans to attempt some acquisitions or deals on the wireless front. The company has already made its foray into wireless as it joined Comcast, Cox and Brighthouse in a wireless-cable venture with Sprint Nextel to develop a way for consumers to watch cable TV through their cell phone
MAM
MSM Unify appoints Rohit Kumar to lead India campus business
Ex CollegeDekho COO to drive partnerships, scale campus engagement in India.
MUMBAI: From classrooms to boardrooms, the campus playbook is getting a new chief architect. MSM Unify has appointed Rohit Kumar as founding member and president of its India Campus Business, signalling a sharper push into one of the world’s fastest-evolving higher education markets. In his new role, Kumar will oversee the company’s India business vertical, taking charge of institutional partnerships, campus engagement strategy and domestic growth. The mandate is clear: build scalable, technology-led models that connect Indian universities and colleges with global academic and career pathways, while staying grounded in local campus realities.
Kumar brings over 24 years of experience across telecom, IT services and education technology, an unusually broad mix that mirrors the convergence shaping modern education platforms. Most recently, as co-founder and COO of Collegedekho, he helped scale the business into a Rs 300 crore enterprise, delivering a 67 per cent CAGR over five years and building partnerships with more than 2,000 institutions nationwide.
That growth journey also saw the platform expand into adjacent verticals including learning, marketing services and overseas education, backed by multiple funding rounds from investors such as Girnarsoft, ADQ, ETS and Man Capital.
Earlier in his career, Kumar held senior roles at companies including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications, Sify Technologies, Indiatimes and Videocon, where his work spanned revenue growth, operational efficiency and market expansion across key regions including Maharashtra.
His appointment comes at a time when India’s higher education ecosystem is undergoing structural shifts driven by digitisation, global mobility and increasing demand for outcome-linked education. For MSM Unify, the opportunity lies in bridging domestic institutions with international pathways through a more integrated, tech-enabled approach.
As the race to own the student journey intensifies, Kumar’s task will be less about building from scratch and more about connecting the dots between campuses, careers and a rapidly globalising education economy.
