Women and Entrepreneurship
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SUCCESSFUL WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS contd...
BTL came out with an initial public offer (IPO) in October 2000 to set up an
integrated studio in Mumbai and to buy advanced equipment. A day prior to
its listing on BSE, BTL entered into negotiations with Nine Network
Entertainment India Pvt. Ltd. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nine
Broadcasting India Pvt. Ltd.) for a merger in the ratio of 65:200 through an
all-share deal. The merger was later called off. In its first year as a
public company, Balaji showed a net profit of Rs 646 million on net sales of
Rs.3.45 billion for the nine month period ending in December 2000.
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The initial years in the business were not very easy
for Ekta Kapoor. There were times when she used to have 5 or 6 pilots
ready but none of them would get approval from the channels. People did
not take her seriously. Experienced writers would try to force her to
accept sub-standard scripts as they thought she was the “brainless
daughter of a moneyed father.”[4] She was able to overcome these barriers
through sheer grit and determination. |
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She worked relentlessly, even foregoing holidays, to make a
mark for herself. Her time was completely occupied with thinking out
stories, finalizing scripts, deciding on sets, costumes, casting, etc.
Her hard work and commitment eventually paid off, and by the early 2000s she
had two highly successful serials, Kyunki Saans Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (KSBKBT,
Because the Mother-in-law was also a Daughter-in-Law) and Kahani Ghar Ghar
Ki (KGGK, The Story of Every Home) to her credit. She was called the lady
with the Midas touch as she hit gold with almost all her projects. By the
end of 2002, she had about 35 programming hours per week on television - no
mean task for a person in her late 20s. Her hold on television viewers was
very strong. She had shows on almost all channels telecasting Hindi[5]
programs, as well as some on regional channels. BTL became the biggest name
in television and every offering of Ekta Kapoor was lapped up by eager
viewers.
Ekta Kapoor believed that her initial failures contributed a lot to her
success at a later stage. As a novice, she made too many presumptions about
the tastes of her audiences. But after her first few projects failed, she
became more careful. She started watching television carefully to analyze
the programs that were succeeding and those that were failing to understand
the likes and dislikes of the viewers. She said that her study of TV
programs helped her understand viewers' preferences.
Ekta Kapoor was responsible for introducing a number of changes in Indian
television. She was credited with introducing Indian viewers to daily soaps
when weekly soaps were the order of the day. She felt that weekly serials
could not hold the interest of the audience because of the time gap between
episodes. When people missed an episode, they lost interest and stopped
watching the serial altogether. Daily serials, however, not only captured
and sustained the interest of the viewers, they were also more remunerative
for the producer.
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KIRAN MAZUMDAR SHAW
SHAHNAZ HUSAIN
SHRI MAHILA GRIHA UDYOG LIJJAT PAPAD (SMGULP)
ENTREPRENEURIAL STYLE
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
ADDITIONAL READINGS & REFERENCES
[4] The Financial Express June
18,2001.
[5] Hindi is the most widely spoken language in India.
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