Please don't use a photograph of mine with a tie, cautions Mr Atul Sobti, former Managing Director of Ranbaxy, as he slips into his new avatar as the proprietor of a neighbourhood tabloid.

Busy giving last-minute brushes to Friday Gurgaon , a compact weekly tabloid set to hit the stands on August 26, Mr Sobti says he has zoned out from the corporate world and now only wants to have fun.

“The power of a newspaper is phenomenal. My newspaper will aim to capture the mood of Gurgaon and I want people to be well read and informed,” he says, adding that it will feature everything from food reviews to musings.

Mr Sobti, who is the editor-cum-publisher of the paper, is investing personal funds along with a few like minded people in the venture. The pages will be printed in Noida and it will be a venture of Arap Media Ventures Pvt Ltd, a company set up for the purpose.

Advertising revenues will bring in the bulk of the money and the newspaper will be priced at Rs 7, one rupee per day. The paper is tying up with corporate offices that abound the area and is putting up mobile hoardings and using the Delhi Metro for promotion.

“For the first three weeks, we hope word of mouth will inform enough people and we expect to start with a circulation of 10,000 copies,” he says.

The 32 pages all-colour paper will have a special section for kids and is in the process of tying up with syndicates for international news.

Mr Sobti, 57, realises that it will be a different game altogether but is confident of pulling it off.

“For 34 years I have been in the corporate world with Xerox, HCL, Hero Honda and Ranbaxy. I have only delegated work. But in an office with a staff of 20, all of them come to me directly. So it is different,” he says.

>divyat@thehindu.co.in

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW