9.9 Media is one of India's fastest growing, research-led, diversified media companies that offers high-quality knowledge and insights to targeted consumers, business and professional communities through magazines, websites, events, and peer groups.  We pride ourselves on our entrepreneurial culture and on our ability to create market-leading products for the communities we serve. Whether you wish to communicate through the pages of a magazine, newsletter or directory; or face-to-face at events, exhibitions or conferences; or even online through websites, blogs, or the latest in cutting-edge technology, we have a solution to suit your needs. In addition, our teams can deliver surveys, research, training and a host of other value-added services to fit your requirements.

We take a holistic, 360 degree view of our business, providing end to end media services to cater to our clients’ needs. Thus our partners have the opportunity to communicate their messages through varied forums such as conferences, publications, best practices research and peer to peer networking sessions, to name just a few.

Our niche orientation allows direct access to a targeted audience while also providing the opportunity to learn from the conversations taking place within specific communities. Additionally, we are committed to inspiring interactions and long term relationships with our partners ensuring the maximum visibility and support possible while also offering special benefits to ongoing sponsors.

RESEARCH SERVICES

9.9 Research Service is a unique service that offers high-quality and relevant content to senior executives on various aspects of the environment in which businesses operate. Broadly, our research services are categorised under the following heads:

1. Thought Leadership Research
2. Best Practices Research
3. Industry Analysis and Market Assessment
4. Executive Surveys
5. Government Affairs and Policy Research
6. State Level Market Assessments
7. The 24/7 Economist

1. Thought Leadership Research

 Our customised thought leadership research service is intended for companies that are seeking to intellectually position themselves in the minds of their customers/vendors. In such, they are designed to assist companies rise above tactical positioning by providing them with thought provoking, pioneering, relevant, sophisticated, yet simple to understand research. They are skilfully conceptualised to have ‘media (publicity) value’ i.e. something that businesses (and individuals) talk about, refer to, cite, learn from and even challenge occasionally. By conceptualising and undertaking a customised research of this nature, we assist our clients in developing an intrinsic association with their customers and help them to establishing a revered name and permanent strategic differentiation in their domain/market.

2. Best Practices Research

At 9.9 Research we strongly believe that any problem faced by an organisation, no matter how complex it may seem, is likely to have occurred elsewhere. Identifying these problems and sharing the experiences of others is hence a crucial step towards business excellence. These solutions and experiences can shed light on ‘what works’ and ‘what doesn't’. This involves separating mistakes you shouldn't replicate from successes you'd like to emulate.

Guided by this philosophy, our best practices research is designed to harness the power of ‘collective wisdom’ from the experience of others towards business solution and excellence. Through the year, the team undertake primary research and executive surveys on matters of topical interest to investigate the range of elements that impact business operations. Findings are used to present a detailed picture of how companies tackle key challenges and opportunities, including the management of human resources, finance, technology, information, clients, governance and corporate social responsibility initiatives. This exercise enables clients to assess their own strategies against prevailing, and path breaking, industry practice. Supported with detailed ‘best practice’ case studies, it also enables them to explain how these practices might be operationalised to the challenges they encounter.

3. Industry Analysis and Market Assessment

Through our in-depth industry analysis, we assist clients towards the identification and subsequent assessment of emerging opportunities. This may be relevant for companies seeking to enter India for the first time (or entering a new business in India) or equally, for those wishing to expand their existing business interests in the country. The exercise includes an assessment of key factors such as macro trends, supply and demand factors, industry dynamics and structure, consumer markets and demographics, and legislative and regulatory developments that will affect a business opportunity in the future. Based on this, the analysis seeks to project likely industry outcomes. Depending on the brief, the studies may also seek to identify critical success factors as they pertain to distribution, pricing, product development etc. The approach is based on rigorous secondary research. A unique element of our research output is that secondary research is extensively supplemented with primary research i.e. top-level interviews with industry experts and practitioners, observers and analysts as well as other relevant stakeholders. This approach not only provides access to valuable qualitative insights from respondents’ experience and expertise, but also helps to authenticate the findings of secondary research.

4. Executive Surveys (CXO survey)

For organisations offering high value products and services aimed at key decision makers, a critical element of business development is the ability to accurately identify, segment and understand the target market. While regular industry and market research provides useful insights, it is often inadequate in providing first hand information on key parameters such as demand estimation, price sensitivity, ‘organisational readiness’ (for purchasing the proposed product or service), purchasing process and criteria, etc. The only effective way to gain insights on these parameters is to obtain first hand inputs from decision makers and influencers in target organisations themselves.

Our Executive Surveys are designed to fulfil this need. Through an interview-intensive process that seeks information, inputs and feedback directly from senior decision makers and influencers in target organisations, our surveys provide clients with accurate, up-to-date and authentic information on their target markets. Our surveys use a combination of questionnaires (close-ended and open-ended), one-to-one interviews, and workshops to obtain direct first-hand inputs from target entities. Our extensive professional relationships with several CXO communities (through the Growth Forum, The CFO Institute and CIO Institute) and Government organisations/departments enable us to gain high quality, senior-level access within these entities.

5. Government Affairs and Policy Research

In an economy where the Government plays an important role (and will continue to do so in the near future), it is essential to monitor the operating environment for different industry sectors closely. 9.9 Media assesses and forecasts developments relating to the policy regime for such sectors. More importantly, several industry sectors are undergoing transition either because they have been recently liberalised (hence the policy regime for these is still evolving) or because technology necessitates continuous amendments to existing laws and regulations. For companies operating in such sectors therefore, it is critical to be able to involve themselves in the policy making process to ensure industry-friendly legislation.

In this context, 9.9 Media undertakes policy advocacy and submission activities that seek to provide objective arguments towards the drafting of sensible legislation or amendments thereof. In some instances, it is necessary, prior to undertaking submission activities, to create adequate awareness about particular issues within decision makers. This is done through one-on-one briefings, seminars and focussed workshops.

6. State Level Market Assessments

India in many forms is more like a continent and since the beginning of the reforms process in 1991, economic development across the Indian states has had a significant skew towards states that enjoy certain advantages such as:

• natural endowments – in terms of mineral resources, human capital, favourable climatic conditions
• committed Governments – that have made efforts towards economic development
• infrastructure – physical and social

As a result, these states present a substantially more attractive investment climate than others. In addition, our research indicates that state level variations are only going to increase in the years to come (this is the underlying premise behind our 'two India' theory that seeks to divide India into two distinct economic zones). Clearly, this phenomenon has important implications for companies across business sectors. It requires companies to ensure a 'fit' between their strategic planning and the imperatives of regional variations. Our research seeks to bridge the gap between corporate expectations and objectives and the ground realities of the Indian economic environment. This involves assessing business potential across states/ regions, identifying spending power and consumer trends, assessing and evaluating appropriate locations for establishing/expanding operations, and so on.

7. Executive Briefings

9.9 Media executive briefing on India is a comprehensive presentation on the Indian business and political environment together with a top-level overview of the industry sector(s) of relevance to the client. It presents our forecasts on important strategic and operating issues that impact upon business. These briefings are used as inputs towards strategic planning and budget review meetings and as a management development tool. Equally, for multinational corporations, executive briefings are considered a valuable input towards the familiarisation process for visiting corporate executives. Additionally, from time to time, head office impressions on India are created by news reports in the visual and print media. Developments are often blown out of proportion resulting in the creation of misgivings and inaccurate head office expectations. 9.9 Media, on demand by clients, assessments of important political, economic and social developments in the country. These constitute a valuable support structure for the Growth Forum Members.

8. The 24/7 Economist

Leveraging its core expertise in economic, market and industry research and analysis as well as its inherent understanding of the strategic information and research needs of senior business executives, 9.9 Media has developed a unique service offering, 24/7 Economist.

The service seeks to undertake strategic, economic and industry research specific to a company’s macro-level decision making and planning needs. It performs the functions typically performed by an in-house economic cell, such as the generation of decision-oriented management intelligence and information; ongoing research on the environment, markets, consumer trends, and best practices; validation of corporate hypotheses and assumptions through specific and target-oriented research; and providing a fresh and ‘outside-in’ perspective to a company’s strategy formulation and planning process.

The output of the 24/7 Economist service includes reports and research output, case studies, industry/corporate surveys on management practices and business functions, brainstorming sessions with the client’s management team, scenario planning sessions with external stakeholders. The structure and format of the service is such that it offers flexible and secure options to specific companies based on the intensity and depth of research/inputs required, and ensures that integration with the client’s management processes/teams and confidentiality are not compromised upon. Since 9.9 Media possesses core competencies in this form of research, we are able to leverage our knowledge base to offer effective research solutions at costs far lower than those that would be incurred if firms sought to set up their own in-house economic cells.

RESEARCH TEAM
Together Everyone Achieves More

Anuradha Das Mathur

Anuradha is the Founder Director of 9.9 Media and heads the research division, among others. She has more than more than 15 years of experience in running a research business, advisory services and senior peer groups in India. She led the research and advisory business for the Indian affiliate of the Economist Intelligence Unit for almost 12 years. Prior to 9.9 Media, she headed Businessworld and launched a series of business intelligence services for the magazine. She has strong professional relationships and networks in the Indian CXO community and this makes her ideal for the leadership of 9.9 Research.

Anuradha has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Lady Shri Ram College (University of Delhi), and a master’s degree in Economics from (Cambridge University)

Mahesh Ravi

Mahesh is the National Manager of 9.9 Research. He joined the firm in 2008, prior to which he worked at Infosys in corporate marketing. In his current role, Mahesh has wide ranging business development responsibilities as well as operating responsibilities for the firm’s research practice. He is also the Product Manager Inc India Magazine the latest publication from the 9.9 Media stable of magazines, aimed at chronicling the stories of India’s high-growth mid-size enterprises.

Mahesh has twin bachelor’s degrees in Economics and International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.

John L Khiangte

John is the Economist and Manager of 9.9 Research Services. He has more than 5 years experience in business and economic research and setting up of business intelligence unit. In his current role, John is responsible for managing thought leadership research, government affairs and executive briefings for the firm’s research clients and Growth Institute Members (a premier peer network for India’s rapidly transitioning mid-size enterprises).  

John has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce (University of Delhi), and a master’s degree in Economics from Delhi School of Economics.

P Poorvaja

Poorvaja is a Research Associate at 9.9 Research. Her prime responsibilities at 9.9 Media include developing content for the Growth Institute, writing reports, designing executive surveys and servicing clients as part of the Research team. Poorvaja joined the team in 2008. Her areas of interest include human resource, corporate finance and business strategy.

Poorvaja has bachelor’s degree in economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce (University of Delhi), and a master’s degree in political science from Jawaharlal Nehru University and specialises in International Relations.

Allen Sharma

Allen is a Research Associate at 9.9 Research. His prime responsibilities include developing the online services, supervising executive surveys and servicing clients as part of the Research team. Allen’s area of expertise includes environment related issues, corporate finance, business strategy and other core business issues.

Allen has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from University of Delhi and a diploma in business administration (MBA) from IILM Institute of Higher Education, Delhi

Deepali Goel

Deepali is a Research Associate at 9.9 Research. She joined the team in 2009 and has a background in market and industry research, having worked in a leading KPO. Her prime responsibilities at 9.9 Media include servicing clients as part of the Research team.

Deepali has a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Hansraj College, Delhi University and a diploma in business administration with specialisation in finance from ICFAI University.

RESEARCH SERVICES
Illustrative list of assignments