WZCC Youth Wing: Visit to Spenta Multimedia
24th July 2010.
“A pen is mightier than the sword”, going by this old saying, the WZCC Mumbai Youth Wing organized
a visit to Spenta Multimedia on Saturday, the 24th of July 2010. There could have been possibly no
better place to visit. With a focused group of 10 individuals coming from different walks of life, this visit
proved as interesting and beneficial as the previous ones.
The aim of this visit was to hear the Entrepreneurial Experience of the Davar brothers and how Print
Media can help an Entrepreneur.
Started in 1995 by the Davar brothers, Maneck and Minoo, have grown Spenta from strength to
strength. Today Spenta is a leading publishing house in India with a portfolio of 32 custom (contract)
publications and 5 newsstand magazines with a collective print run of over 800,000 copies and a
readership of over 4 million (average per month). It was Jet Wings, the in-flight magazine of Jet
Airways that proved their credibility in print media. Since then, they have set their footprint in Custom
Publishing, Consumer Publications, Printing and Online. With branches all over India and also
overseas, it’s the perfect combination of Dedication and Passion that catapults Spenta to be a bench
mark for others in the Print Industry.
Media is a great platform for Entrepreneurs to showcase their business. Statistics reveal that 25 % of
a company’s budget goes to advertising and marketing. Its via media (print or online) that a person
can know more about a particular company or product, not to forget the fine designing that appeals
and tempts the eye! With people spending long hours over the internet, web-newsletters act as a
magnet to attract customers.
What could be more interesting than hearing it from Mr. Maneck Davar as to how he set about to
nurture the entrepreneurial spirit in him. An active discussion on one topic lead to another and a clear
insight was obtained on the functioning of a print media house- starting from content development to
editorial, leading to designing and art work and last but not the least printing. It was evident from a
discussion with Mr. Davar that Sales and Business Development are instrumental in driving business.
Ethics in Business are important and there is no short cut to money, and Mr. Davar added that a lot is
based on trust and it’s the Parsi name that everyone looks up to.
Mr. Minoo Davar himself took us for a detailed tour of their Printing press. With highly conceptualized,
customized smart machinery, Spenta is one of the biggest publishers where printing goes on 24/7.
Machinery comes mainly from Europe – Germany and Switzerland with some traditional Indian
machinery still functioning to the fullest.
Technology and Automation have led to machines with Artificial Intelligence and ability to store
printing specifications for years at a stretch, but nonetheless, a keen and trained eye is required for
final inspection at the end of the job.
It was here that we realized that it’s not just material management but also people management which
is a key to the success of a company as if the workers are happy, it automatically translates to a job
well done. Spenta believes in this and strives its level best to ensure that everyone leaves the Spenta
premise with a smile on their face and enthusiasm to come back the next day.
Customer Satisfaction unravels the Company’s belief more so when in the Print Industry, payments
come post a three month period from the client. Mr. Maneck Davar stressed that one should never
compromise on Quality. Spenta will go to the extent of re-printing the entire consignment if they
believe it to be not up to the mark.
At the end of the visit, it was evident that there is no substitute for hard work and the following aspects
of Print Media add to the entrepreneur’s advantage:
P = Personal touch when a brochure / catalogue is sent to the potential customer
R = Revenue Model: Plan your enterprise in a way to develop a strong Revenue Model
I= Investment to Income: A well done marketing strategy will boost sales. Involvement: Involve
yourself in every step / stage of your business: only then will one know the ins and outs of his own
brainchild and this helps to bring in new processes / changes
N = Never say No to a customer, Never Compromise on Quality or Ethics and Use to Net to grow your
NET worth
T = Team: Know your team and ensure that your employees are happy
The visit so appreciated, it was extended by an additional 2 hours despite the heavy rains. We at
WZCC Mumbai Youth take this opportunity to once again thank Mr. Maneck and Mr. Minoo Davar and
all at Spenta for sparing us their time and giving us this “Food for Thought Day” at Spent Multimedia.
It is via such interaction and one-on-one discussions that lead to a strong grounding in the making of
an Entrepreneur.
In its enduring effort to re-ignite the spirit of entrepreneurship, the W.Z.C.C is organizing a speaker
session with Mr.Keki Mistry, CEO of HDFC on Aug 6th, IMC, Churchgate at 6pm. Mr.Mistry will be
speaking on “Lessons from the global financial crisis & the role of housing in the Indian economy.” For
more details please call 9870593377.