‘WION set for global expansion’: Zee Media CEO Raktim Das on next growth chapter
Screenshot taken from the interview Photograph: (Zee Network)
Zee Media CEO Raktim Das outlines WION's global expansion, Zee Bharat's youth focus, AI-led transformation and a new growth strategy
Zee Media Corporation CEO Raktim Das has outlined an ambitious growth roadmap for the company, with WION's expansion, the relaunch of Zee Bharat, technology-led newsroom transformation and revenue diversification emerging as key priorities. In an exclusive conversation with Zee Business Managing Editor Anil Singhvi, Das discussed the company's quarterly performance, upcoming projects and its strategy for sustainable growth.
WION expansion to remain a key growth focus
Speaking about the company's flagship brands and future priorities, Das highlighted WION, India's global news channel, as an important part of Zee Media's next phase of expansion WION is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and according to Das, the channel is set to expand further across both domestic and international markets in the coming quarters. The company sees an opportunity to build WION's global presence while strengthening its reach in India. Alongside WION, Zee Media will continue to focus on its core brands, including Zee News and Zee Business. At Zee Business, the company is also evaluating subscription-led offerings and premium content as it looks to develop additional revenue streams.
Zee Bharat gets a new avatar
Another major focus area is the relaunch of Zee Bharat, which is being positioned as a youth-focused, digital-first news and culture platform. Das said the new Zee Bharat is a social-first, digital-native, 24/7 streaming youth culture news brand. Its content mix will comprise 30% news and 70% non-news content, with the latter focused on youth lifestyles, interests and culture. The strategy reflects Zee Media's broader effort to connect with younger audiences across digital platforms rather than relying solely on traditional television consumption.
Quarterly performance shows improvement
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Zee Media Corporation reported a significant sequential improvement in its quarterly performance. Revenue increased around 20% QoQ to ₹191 crore, while EBITDA moved from a loss of ₹11 crore to a profit of ₹16 crore. EBITDA margins stood at around 8.5%, while losses narrowed from ₹26 crore to ₹12 crore. Das said, "QoQ revenue grew by 21% and EBITDA grew by 74%." He attributed the improvement primarily to two factors: transformation of the company's news ecosystem and diversification of revenue.
Omni-channel strategy driving transformation
Explaining the company's transformation, Das said, “We have adopted an omni-channel news brand strategy. Whether viewers are on a TV screen, mobile screen, or any other medium, we want to remain relevant at every touchpoint. This transformation is being driven by technology adoption in the newsroom.” The company is increasingly looking at broadcast and digital as interconnected businesses rather than separate verticals.
Revenue diversification beyond advertising
Das also pointed to the company's efforts to reduce its dependence on conventional advertising. Instead of relying solely on traditional advertising, Zee Media is exploring branded content, events and international markets. The company is also looking at ARPU and subscription-led opportunities to monetise its large digital user base. The strategy is aimed at creating multiple revenue streams while making better use of Zee Media's existing content and audience ecosystem.
What drove the 21% revenue growth?
According to Das, the company is combining on-ground monetisation opportunities with digital and broadcast advertising. A key part of the strategy is understanding advertisers' specific business challenges and developing customised content and advertising solutions around those requirements. Additionally, the company has changed its approach to the market. Das added, "We're focusing on monetization for advertisers and will offer companies accordingly." The focus, therefore, is shifting from simply selling advertising inventory towards providing advertisers with solutions designed around their business objectives.
Regional channels offer another monetisation opportunity
Zee Media also sees significant potential in its regional network. Das said the company's regional presence can help it tap retail advertisers by integrating broadcast and digital offerings. The strategy is expected to provide advertisers with broader reach while allowing Zee Media to monetise audiences across multiple platforms.
Digital and broadcast to work as one business
On the company's digital strategy, Das said, “We need to stay connected with auditions across different touchpoints. Digital and broadcast are not separate businesses; they are an integrated business approach. The format of content varies depending on the platform.” The strategy involves adapting content according to the platform while keeping the underlying news brands connected across television, mobile and other digital touchpoints.
AI and the 'digital brain' vision
Technology is another major pillar of Zee Media's growth strategy. Das said the company is using AI to improve speed and efficiency in the newsroom. But the larger ambition goes beyond newsroom automation. "Our larger vision is to create a "Digital Brain" (intelligence warehouse) for the entire news ecosystem, leveraging an organization's past and present knowledge base to deliver accurate and better content." The proposed Digital Brain is intended to bring together the organisation's historical and current knowledge, helping newsrooms access information faster and potentially improve the accuracy and efficiency of content creation.
Where will the fundraising proceeds be used?
On the deployment of funds raised by the company, Das said that the proceeds are being primarily directed towards in-house technology development and content acquisition. The investment is therefore expected to support both sides of Zee Media's growth strategy, strengthening its technology infrastructure while expanding its content capabilities.
Zee Media's growth outlook
Das said the company has spent the last 8-9 months preparing the organisation for the next phase of growth.
“For the past 8-9 months, we've been working to make our organization future-ready.” Going forward, the company plans to focus on sustainable and robust growth across Zee News, Zee Business, WION, Zee Bharat and its technology-enabled Digital Brain initiative.
“Our primary focus going forward will be achieving sustainable and robust growth through Zee News, Zee Business, WION, Zee Bharat, and the technology-enabled digital brain.” The company remains focused on sustaining revenue growth while developing new ways to engage younger audiences.
With WION's international expansion, Zee Bharat's youth-focused relaunch, potential subscription opportunities at Zee Business, greater regional monetisation and AI-led newsroom transformation, Zee Media is positioning its next growth phase around a combination of strong brands, digital expansion, technology and diversified monetisation.
