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Discovery in marketing overdrive
NEW DELHI: Discovery Communications India, managing the affairs of Discovery and Animal Planet channels in India, has decided to go in for aggressive marketing initiatives to promote the programming on Discovery, including sending direct mailers and bringing out a 22-page quarterly programming guide in India Today.
Speaking to indiantelevision.com in a lengthy interview, marketing whiz and managing director of Discovery India, Deepak Shourie, said, “These marketing initiatives are yielding good results as the discerning viewers are talking about Discovery and that is what advertisers and media planners would also like to know.”
The glitzy programming guide mailers, titled ‘Your Guide to The Finest in Real-World Entertainment’, have been sent out to over 6,000 people who can easily form part of India’s Who’s Who and include judges, media personalities, artistes and even prominent politicians.
But the biggest response to Discovery’s initiatives have come from the programming guide which has been sent out with the latest issue of India Today which hit the stands on Sunday evening.
Since there is also a contest where Nokia cell phones are to be won by just sending in one’s name and address, till Thursday afternoon some 20,000 entries had already been e-mailed.
On being asked the reason behind choosing India Today over Outlook for the marketing vehicle, Shourie, who has worked with both the newsmagazine, said, “because India Today’s reach is more.”
However, Shourie did not elaborate whether attaching the quarterly programming guide initiative with India Today would continue beyond October-December. “Let us see what sort of response we get and whether we need to continue with such moves. At the moment I cannot say anything on this,” the bespectacled brother of disinvestment minister Arun Shourie said.
The marketing initiatives are part of Discovery India’s aggressive plans to hot up things in the infotainment sector where the players include National Geographic, Adventure One and Animal Planet.
Apart from stepping on the gas pedal, Discovery India has also been cutting the flab here. So much so that on-air promos are now being designed and made in India which has “substantially brought down costs” on such activities.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
