Raghav Bahl, media entrepreneur and founder of The Quint hosted a dynamic Facebook Q&A session on Tuesday. Readers of The Quint sent in a volley of questions — from the future of digital media, to net neutrality, to the India-China relationship. Here are some of the questions and answers from the Q&A:
On India-China Relationship and More
Ratnika Vyas How is India (being potentially stronger) utilising it’s sea routes better than China strategically ?
Raghav Bahl India has enjoyed a traditional advantage over China in having a stronger Navy —but over the last decade, China has overtaken us here too, simply because they have invested much more aggressively in building their Naval strength. Yet all is not lost for India. We must step up the investment in our Naval fleet, AND strike a strategic co-ordination with the largest and most powerful fleet in the world, viz the American fleet. Such a co-ordinated/strategic concert between India’s Navy and America’s Flotilla will ensure that we keep the Indian Ocean and other critical sea lanes secure and peaceful. It’s also good to see India striking out independently, as we are proposing to do with Iran/Chabahar.
Laxmi Narayan Do you think US is strengthening its relations with India due to a threat from China ?
Raghav Bahl China is clearly a factor, not just in the US-India equation, but in almost every geo-political dynamic. Having said that, I believe that an American-Indian alliance is an inexorable, historical force which shall play out in the 21st century — this relationship will be as significant as the US-NATO-Japan relationship of the 20th century. It’s all there, documented and defended in my new book SuperEconomies.
On Modi’s Performance
Ashok Sharma How do you rate our PM’s performance in all fronts? Does he need to deliver more in infrastructure and health? How far he can take our country in his tenure? Thanks.
Raghav Bahl I have written categorically about this —see my last few posts on The Quint. I believe the Prime Minister’s performance is strong and encouraging. Some people are getting unusually impatient. Do remember that he inherited an economy in a very deep funk - but he has taken several energetic measures which should play out soon now. Remember what we learnt in Economics 101 — viz that economic policy works with a lag. I genuinely believe that the lag is coming to an end, the economy is banking out of its deep funk, and a virtuous cycle of growth should begin soon! The signs are already there, with car sales growing at 18% in April. We should keep the faith.
On the Future of Digital Media
Abid Shafi By when do you see full digital media adoption in India. Is low Internet penetration in rural areas an impediment in its growth?
Raghav Bahl Low wireless bandwidth is the critical constraint, and not so much the “low penetration” in rural areas. I see the tipping point at a confluence of two factors: 1) when smartphone penetration tops 300 mn (within 24 months, I shall bet), and 2) when consumers begin to enjoy close to 1 gb wireless connections ... Inshallah, both shall happen within the next 2 years, and then, BOOM TIME!
Gazal Bawa How relevant do you think is design for the growth of digital media in today’s date?
Raghav Bahl Design is what attracts consumers, so it has be KEY. And in the hand-held world, design goes beyond skin-deep colours or layout; it actually enhances a user’s experience by providing an effortless, easy navigation — so design is CRITICAL, for look/feel/PERFORMANCE!
On Net Neutrality
Nishant Nayyar What are your views on #NetNeutrality? Do you think it will actually be a bane for startups? Alternatively wouldn’t it be a cheaper tool than traditional marketing costs?
Raghav Bahl Do read my piece on this on The Quint.
On Regulating News Media
Zacarias Kanjirath Joseph Are you in favour of a regulatory authority, which sets out binding legal standards that ensure say, neutrality in reporting, non-sensationalist reporting etc. Contraventions of which lead to punitive sanctions against such media organisations?
Or are you confident that market forces are good enough to ensure such standards of reporting news?
Raghav Bahl Strong self regulation, competitive forces, the wisdom of audiences/readers/viewers ... this is enough to keep us tethered to ethics and values. The state has got no role to play — we shall be disciplined by you, the reader!
On the Verizon-Aol Deal
Tushar Banerjee Sir, what is the implication of the Verizon-AOL deal? Could it be a one off deal or are we looking at a new trend of Telco-OTT-Content Convergence?
Raghav Bahl I see this as a seminal development. In the pre digital/mobile era, telephony, internet delivery and content were almost distinct silos. But now, these 3 areas are merging into one seamless consumer experience. Therefore, this seamlessness at the consumer end has to get reflected in corporate structures too - and that’s exactly what has happened today with Verizon and AOL. And do remember that the forerunner to this transaction was Comcast’s acquisition of NBC. Onwards!
Plans for the Quint
Rohan Ranade I been a Fan of The Quint for quite sometime now.What inspired you to start The Quint? Also apart from being a Digital News Delivery Platform, what is that one thing that stands out for Quint. Thanks ... Awaiting your reply.
Raghav Bahl Thanks for your most encouraging words about The Quint. We have taken a tiny step in a thousand mile journey. Many more features/functions/content-types have to be created ... it shall be a long odyssey of adventure and discovery. Come and enjoy the ride with us — we hope to make it a globally bench-marked content-cum-technology offering.
(Here’s the link to the Q&A)
All that and more questions were put forward in the Q&A. And if that wasn’t enough, Raghav Bahl will join for more such sessions in the future. Keep watching this space!
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