Q. Please take us through your professional journey.

A. I was one of the youngest full-time professional journalists in the country when I joined The Telegraph as a trainee during my final graduation year at St Xavier's College. Over the years, I have worked at leading media companies like The Times of India, CNN-IBN Group and DNA. Before joining Harkisan Mehta Institute of Media, Research and Analysis (HMMRA), I was Bureau Chief with the Times of India. I have recently joined as a honorary Board Member at the Centre of Excellence of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). I am also a blogger and in 2015, I was rated as the author of one of India's most influential articles by Scroll.in. I continue to be a columnist with leading publications.

Q. Would you agree that Mass Communication as a subject has changed over the years? What kind of changes have you observed in the last five years?

A. The world has taken rapid strides towards digitization in the last five years. Interestingly, when the print media has dwindled in the developed countries, in India, it continues to remain strong. I think that in the next five years, the digital medium will voraciously eat up a large chunk of print media's revenue share while TV will continue to grow at a slower pace.

Q. With digitalization of media, what is the way ahead for Mass Communication students?

A. Proper training and mentoring have become the most crucial factors for media students. Any professor can point you towards a text book or you can Google anything an answer to a tough question. But what will make the difference is the training while you are a media student. That is why choosing a good institution is so important for your career in the media.

Q. What skill set should a student possess in order to make it big in the media industry? What skill set can a media institute offer to students?

A. We must remember here that no student develops the required skill sets on their own. It has to be developed through proper training. The dormant skills need to be honed properly. Given a passion for the subject and coupled with good training, any student can make it big in the media industry today. It's the duty of the institute to provide industry relevant training to the student. Training that helps them excel in their jobs. That remains our first priority at HMMRA.

Q. Many students get confused when it comes to choosing between a degree and a diploma course in media. How should a student decide?

A. The content of the course, the faculty and opportunities available after the course should be the primary factors to consider before deciding which course to take up. A media course cannot be taught through textbooks or by academicians. It has to be taught by professionals through a practical approach which makes them relevant in the job market. There was a time when there were very few university affiliated media related degree courses in the country. Now, the situation is just the opposite, there are very few good legacy private institutions offering diplomas in media related courses.

Q. What, according to you, are emerging careers in mass communication?

A. Social media image management, digital content curation, online journalism, twitter handle management and digital data mining have all become mainstream careers in the last five years.

Q. Students usually get confused when it comes to choosing between course and college. What should be the correct approach?

A. You should always look at the institute first. Who are offering the course is more important than what is being offered. Everybody is trying to sell a course -- so throwing in complex jargons and making empty promises are commonplace. You can't verify these claims unless you join there as a student. So it's best to choose an institute who have been there in the market for a long time and are experts in conducting media related courses. Choose an experienced institution when going for media related courses.

Q. What factors should a student in keep in mind when choosing a media school?

A. The most important factor is that a media course cannot be taught by an academic. This is not something that you learn through text books and Google. A media course can only be taught through a practical approach that makes you employable. A good media school is always a preferred recruitment destination for media companies when it comes to recruitment of freshers.

Q. As the Director, what is your primary focus at HMMRA?

A. It has always been my endeavour to make my students job ready. My focus is firmly fixed on the fact that my students have been traditionally employed by the best media companies in the country. The need to make these media companies come back to us for recruitment every year forces us to maintain a certain level of training standard. This remains and will always remain my primary focus as the director of HMMRA. 

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