Saregama focus on new media

Saregama India, the Rs 143 crore entertainment arm of RPG Group, has acquired 10,000 equity shares of Rs 10 each in RPG Publications Ltd for publication of periodicals, newspapers and books in the print media, making RPG Publications a subsidiary of Saregama.

Subroto Chattopadhyay, managing director of Saregama, said, “We will first get into publication of news magazines. Initially there will be about four English magazines which will be introduced this year.”

Saregama would use an agreement with Regency Media Pty of Australia, a leading manufacturer of optical media, for a joint venture called Saregama Regency Optimedia (SRO), to foray into manufacturing of optical media like compact discs (CDs) and view compact discs (VCDs). This is expected to boost revenues with a dedicated manufacturing facility for CDs and DVDs.

"Saregama Regency Optimedia is setting up its facility near Kolkata with trial production expected from September this year," Chattopadhyay said.

Saregama has 26 per cent shares in SRO with 74 per cent held by Regency Media Pty.

Saregama is eyeing media opportunities like mobile business for value-added-services in conjunction with telecom service providers.

Saregama would market catalogue products in different languages in emerging platforms like radio to expand revenue and also build capabilities for creating new content with established and emerging music artists to become a content creator.

In 2007-08, Saregama’s revenues from publishing and new media grew by 35 per cent over the previous year.

The company would develop the home video market by dubbing more content in regional languages.

Chattopadhyay said Saregama's home video business now sold English home video products of overseas studios like BBC Worldwide and select independent studios such as Powersports and Millenium.

The company expect 15 per cent rise in home video format revenues.

Saregama could be producing TV software in Bengali as its TV software business now, using dubbed foreign programmes, is available only in four Southern languages.