The Times Group

The Times Group is one of the largest media services conglomerate in India. Currently dominates the newspaper and media business in the country. It reaches out from:

• 11 Publishing centers
• 15 Printing centers
• 55 Marketing offices
• Over 6000 employees
• 5 Dailies including two of the largest in the country with approx 3.3mn copies circulated daily
• 2 Lead magazines
• 29 Niche Magazines
• Reaching 2468 cities and towns
• Turnover of nearly USD 400 million

Businesses

Its major brands include:

• The Times of India India's (World's) largest English Broadsheet Daily
• The Economic Times India's largest and the World's Second largest Financial Daily after Wall Street Journal
• Navbharat Times Largest Hindi Daily in Delhi and Bombay
• Maharashtra Times Largest Marathi Daily in Bombay
• Femina Women's Magazine
• Filmfare Film Magazine
• Planet M Music Retailing brand
• Times Music Music Publishing, (including Hindi Film, Pop Music & Devotional/Spiritual music)
• Times Multimedia Multimedia Publishing Division
• Times Television The Group's latest venture. Started recently with an entertainment and Lifestyle channel called Zoom

Its subsidiary companies include:

Times Infotainment Media Limited, Entertainment Networks India Limited which together have

• Radio Mirchi National network of Private FM stations
• 360 Degrees Events
• Times Outoors Outdoors

Times Internet Limited which has

• Indiatimes portal

A brief history of The Times

1838: The first edition appears on November 3, 1838 known as The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce. The issue is published twice a week under Editor J.E. Brennan. It is basically a city paper reflecting the interest of Bombay's business community.

1846: The newspaper experiences çhanges hands and Dr.George Buist appointed Editor.

1850: Shareholders decide to increase the share capital and the paper converted into a daily.

1861: Editor Robert Knight amalgamates The Bombay Times, Bombay Standard and Bombay Telegraph & Courier to form The Times of India and gives it a national character.

1880: The Times of India Weekly Edition launched, to meet the need for a weekend paper. This later came to be known as The Illustrated Weekly of India in 1923.

1890: Editor Henry Curwen buys TOI in partnership with Charles Kane.

1892: Following the death of Henry Curwen, T. J. Bennett becomes the Editor and enters into a partnership with F.M. Coleman to form a joint stock company - Bennett, Colemen & Co. Ltd. (BCCL)

1907: TOI's first price war under editor Stanley Reed: price cut from 4 annas to 1 anna; circulation rises 5 times

1946: For the first time the paper transfers to Indian ownership. Ramakrishna Dalmia buys out Bennett, Coleman & Co.Ltd. for Rs. 2 crores.

1948: Sahu Jain Group become the owners of the company. Shanti Prasad Jain is the first Chairman of the group.

1950: Delhi edition launched with K. Gopalswami as the first Indian editor.

1952: Filmfare launched

1959: Femina launched

1961: The Economic Times launched

1984: Samir Jain and Vineet Jain join BCCL.

1987: Printing of The Times of India from Kandivili Press.

1990: The Times Group establishes a Marketing school by the name of The Times School of Marketing 1991: BBC features The Times of India among world's six great newspapers.

1993: BCCL starts production of television software.

1996: The Times of India crosses 1 million mark in circulation.

1998: BCCL enters into music market with Times Music.

1999: Indiatimes webportal launched; BCCL enters music retailing business with Planet M.

1999: Times Multimedia

2000: The Times of India crosses the 2 million mark in circulation.

2000: Timesofmoney - JV with Citibank

2001: Radio Mirchi - Nationwide Private FM Broadcasting

2001: 360 Degrees - Event Management Arm

2002: Times Outdoor - Outdoor Advertising & Billboard Marketing

2003: Times Classifieds - http://www.timesclassifieds.com/ Classifieds site catering to web audiences, the group publications and also publications from other countries like Sri Lanka

2004: Launch of the Jobs portal Times Jobs http://www.timesjobs.com/ Television Business launched with the launch of a lifestyle and entertainment channel called z00m

External links

• Indiatimes (http://www.indiatimes.com/)
• The Times of India (http://www.timesofindia.com/)
• The Economic Times (http://www.economictimes.com/)
• Times Classifieds (http://www.timesclassifieds.com/)
• Times Jobs (http://www.timesjobs.com/)
• The Times School of Marketing (http://tsm.timesjobs.com/)