The Hindu Business Line : ‘Journey, not destination, counts’

The Ambassador is as garish and kitschy as can be. The barber shop in Jodhpur that he makes over is a burst of Gods and Goddesses and a riot of colour. Then there’s a tattoo artist in Goa, the old French architecture of Puducherry as well as the new Aurovillean one. And what are all these elements doing in a fashion show with a name that’s rather reminiscent of rakish Indian movies, that has launched on Discovery Travel & Living?

“Travel, food, fashion – no clear demarcation exists in a lifestyle channel,” says Deepak Shourie, Executive Vice-President and Managing Director, Discovery Networks India. Speaking to BrandLine at the Mumbai launch of The Adventures of the Ladies’ Tailor, Manish Arora’s series on Indian fashion, in Mumbai, Shourie, said the shows on this channel were notable for the journey, not the destination. Excerpts from the interview:

Why a fashion show?

Well, fashion, food, lifestyle – we’re a very urban channel. The target audience is more upscale, more metro-based, there’s more gender equality. This is a series on the emergence of Indian fashion seen through the eyes of a style guru, how fashion can be synthesised from the environment.

How has Discovery Travel and Living’s journey been so far?

The journey has progressed as per plan. We wanted to bring something that was not fiction, not Discovery (Channel), but lifestyle and celebrity fare that catered to the kind of audience I mentioned earlier. That includes travel, fashion, food, homes … We have chosen and picked programmes and many of them are produced here – The Great Indian Wedding, A Matter of Taste, and so on.

So what’s the next India-based programme about?

Very broadly, hotels, and that’s all you’re going to get out of me. There are several kinds.

Can we expect a lot more India programming on Discovery Travel & Living?

If the ideas are good and well-sponsored, of course, we will do them.

What do you have to say about the growing competition from other lifestyle channels?

Which lifestyle channels? You think there are more?

We respect competition of any kind. The difference lies in what we’re doing. Of course, eyeballs will switch, but where do they stick?

What’s the most popular segment on Discovery Travel & Living?

Hmm … cooking. But it’s the journey, not the destination, that counts. Travel, food, fashion – no clear demarcation exists in lifestyle channels.

How is the Discovery group of channels doing?

Discovery has a wider appeal. It’s watched by all. People say, first we used to watch, now we understand. I’m a great believer in emulation and aspiration, and the channels reflect that. It’s the No 1 among all international channels, in spite of the huge clutter.

The plans for Animal Planet...?

We need to do some strategic thinking and some changes are being made globally. We cannot talk about future plans now. You will very soon witness some strategic changes.

Where do you go from here?

India is a very young country that’s educating itself. Products like Discovery will do well in the foreseeable future because of change in lifestyles and informed interests.

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