AJITH BALAKRISHNAN: FROM ADVERTISING AGENCY TO SUCCESSFUL WEB PORTAL
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| Ajith Balakrishnan, CEO, Rediff.com |
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To the graduate student who found fulfillment in moving the net in football fields, his uncle set a new goal: apply for the entrance test to IIM. Although he was reluctant at first, the information that an interesting football match was scheduled at the venue on the same evening clinched the deal.
Ajith Balakrishnan wrote the test and later emerged as the first rank holder that year. After successful completion of the course from IIM, Kolkatta, he teamed up with Divan Arun Nanda, a fellow management graduate from IIM, Ahmedabad to start the advertising agency Rediffusion in 1972.
The agency started by the 22-year-old soon became one of the leading 5 ad agencies in the country – a position that it retains till now. In the meanwhile, the agency completed many milestones that included creating ads for Rajiv Gandhi’s Congress Party in the 1984 Lok Sabha elections.
The beginning of 1990s was a time of change. On a month long visit to London with his wife Renu, he chanced upon MOSAIC, a forerunner of cyber messenger. Becoming aware of the possibilities that Internet was opening up, he immediately decided to make use of the new medium and its possibilities. That was the birth of Rediff.com, the web portal that competes with the best in the world in terms of information and entertainment, communication and mobile lifestyle.
In the 2000 sq.ft office of Rediff at Mumbai, 150 professionals work in free space without cabins. Anyone can approach anyone else and share ideas. According to Ajith, such an atmosphere enhances creativity and efficiency.
Although he spent most of his adult life outside Kerala, he keeps a tie with his native land of Kannur. His hands are behind the move to get professional coach for training the young football players of Kannur.
Yes, moving the Net had come to mean more than one thing for the one time footballer.
Courtesy:
Siby John Thooval
(text), P.K.Shahim (photo), Malayala Manorama,
September 18, 2005
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