Match made on TV: Here is India's first 24x7 channel that's all about weddings

On the night of November 27, 2011, when the cosmic world was in ‘perfect’ alignment,a record number of 60,000 weddings took place in Delhi. The gods were not the only ones smiling that night though. Joining them were players from the Indian wedding market, whichis estimated to be worth Rs 1.9 lakh crore ($30 billion) and is expected to grow 25 to 30 percent annually. The latest to enter the race is Shagun, a matrimonial channel, the brainwave of 39 year old Anuranjan Jha, a former television journalist. Started in April 2013, this channel has given a new window to the matchmaking game.

Wedded to an idea
Jha switched tracks in his career when he met his future wife through a matrimonial website. The pleasant experience kick-started a business idea. “In 2001, when I got married, the internet had not percolated to the masses in India as not everyone was comfortable with it,” relates Jha, Managing Director, Shagun TV, who feels the situation has not changed since. “On the other hand, there is almost complete penetration when it comes to television,” he says.

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Jha toyed with the possibility of extending matrimonial services through television.However, he did not pursue the idea due to lack of infrastructure, capital and due to a lack of experience in running a channel. So he continued working in various media houseslike Zee, Aaj Tak and India News. His last job saw him at Complete News & Entertainment Broadcast (CNEB) as Chief Operating Officer. By then, Jha had acquired all the insights he needed on how to run a channel. He first shared his idea with the management at CNEB.

[caption id=“attachment_82413” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Source: The Taj Wedding Barometer, 2013[/caption]

It piqued their interest but a venture did not materialize, prompting him to go solo by end-2010. Getting started Jha was lucky. A friend, Chakradhar Dhoundiyal - founder of Noida-based Vertent Media Soft Pvt. Ltd., a production house - decided to fund the venture. Having been in the business of audio and visual shows, Dhoundiyal understood the idea’s potential and invested Rs 70 crore in Shagun TV. It was launched as a wedding entertainmentchannel for India, covering every facet of a wedding. “We envisage connecting families through this channel and look at playing a socially responsible role for the masses,” says Dhoundiyal, Chairman, Shagun TV.

Jha has formulated the programs with two distinct sets of people in mind - the prospective bride and groom and their parents. He says he did this since the age groups differ greatly. So, if one show is on astrology - the first step in a traditional Indian marriage, another focuses on match-making. To highlight the popularity and success of the channel, there is a chat show featuring the engaged-to-be-married couples along with their family members.

A reality check Shagun TV, which was initially launched on Videocon Direct-to-Home (DTH),
rolled out in Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Mumbai within the first month.

Jha says that the channel has received a mixed response. He believes it has more revenue options with regard to advertisements when compared to other channels. Apart from regularadvertisements, Shagun TV will also air paid content - anyone related to a wedding or the wedding industry can pay them to air sponsored features like an individual’s wedding ceremony. “I want every 30 minutes of airtime to be monetized and sold,” says Jha.

Jehil Thakkar, Head of Media and Entertainment at KPMG, says the broadcasting industry still relies heavily on advertising. “There was some hope that this dependence will taper with digitization of the industry. There is still time for this as subscription revenues from digitization have not flown to broadcasters yet. This year the numbers will be softer because of the overall economic condition,” he says.

Thakkar, however, expects larger players to continue to do well and says advertising will converge around leaders. But for the middle and lower rung of channels, it’s going to be a tough year. For someone starting new channels, Thakkar says, success depends on the genre they are tapping. Dhoundiyal also realizes that Shagun TV will encounter challenges since it is a niche product, but is confident about overcoming them.

In a two-year period, Jha plans to raise Rs 35 crore in investment from Vertent for creation of new content. Aware that the going will be tough given the current economic situation, Jha is however, gung-ho about the idea becoming a hit. His reasoning? “Peoplewill not stop getting married. As long as they are investing in marriages, there is business for me,” he says.

By the third year of operations, Jha says, Shagun TV will break even. May be then it would be apt to say, Congratulations!

This article first appeared in Entrepreneur Magazine India.