Sakal: Driving Growth in the Digital Age
As Sakal Media Group turns 93, Janhavi Pawar, Director, Sakal Media Group, shares her thoughts on the Groups legacy, adaptability and future goals
Q] Sakal Media just completed 93 years, as a young leader. What do you think makes Sakal stand out and in which areas within the Group do you want to bring about a change?
93 years is a very long time. Unlike many other media houses that focus solely on disseminating information, Sakal has embraced a more holistic approach—informing, educating, and genuinely caring for its readers. For instance, we’ve been doing social work since the 1940s, so we’re very strong in that space, not just in Maharashtra and Goa, but across the country. We are also strong in organising events and reader engagement activities. I want to make the company much more future resilient, adapt to changing times, be open to experimentation and innovation, look at multi-language markets, different audiences, and go global.
Q] Today is it easier for legacy media organisations with bigger structures to operate or for more compact, new age news media vehicles?
Each organisational structure comes with its own set of advantages and challenges. Legacy media houses, for instance, excel in credibility, brand awareness, and a vast readership base. On the other hand, newer digital platforms thrive on agility, adaptability, and cost-effective business models that allow them to experiment and evolve with changing times. For Sakal, the focus is on leveraging the strengths of a legacy media house—particularly its credibility—while taking deliberate steps to ensure we maximise our potential and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
Q] You operate primarily in two big markets, Maharashtra and Goa. How has the readership grown for your newspapers in these two states since COVID and why?
For us, post-COVID, the readership has definitely accelerated. Over the past few years, we’ve restructured the organisation, particularly in how we manage teams. Our formula allows us to focus deeply on individual projects, events, or publications, ensuring their success. Even the best organisational structure cannot thrive if the content is weak, so we strike a balance between general news that appeals to a broad audience and niche content catering to specific interests. For example, Sarkarnama, a weekly political newspaper for readers passionate about politics, and gaming products named Doka Koda and Esakalgames.com, which are sold exclusively in Pune to engage younger audiences. These niche content categories have proven to be significant drivers of engagement for us.
