The Times Group

Infobox_Company
company_name=Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd.
company_logo=
company_type=Private
foundation= flagicon|IND Mumbai, India (1838)
location= New Delhi
key_people=Indu Jain
Samir Jain
Vineet Jain
industry=Broadcasting, Publishing, Media, Internet, Entertainment
slogan=
products=Films, Television,Magazines, Newspapers, Books, Websites
revenue=gain$700 million USD (Aug 2007)
num_employees=7,000 (2007)
homepage=

The Times Group is the largest media services conglomerate in India [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b13239ae-328c-11dd-9b87-0000779fd2ac.html Virgin Radio owner sets his dial for the web] Financial Times] . It is headed by brothers Samir and Vineet Jain. It reaches out from:

*11 publishing centers [http://www.timesmusic.com/about.php About Us] Times Music]
*15 printing centers
*55 sales offices
*Over 7000 employees
*5 dailies including two of the largest in the country with approx 4.3 million copies circulated daily
*2 lead magazines
*29 niche magazines
*Reaching 2468 cities and towns
*32 Radio Stations
*Turnover in excess of USD 700 million

Businesses

Its major brands include:
* The Times of India, India's (and the world's) largest English daily
* The Economic Times, India's largest financial daily, and the world's second largest after The Wall Street Journal
* Maharashtra Times, India's largest Marathi daily and Maharashtra's No.1 Newspaper
* Navbharat Times, the largest Hindi Daily in Delhi and Bombay
* Mumbai Mirror India's largest circulated compact newspaper
* Bangalore Mirror, Bangalore's first morning compact daily
* The Times of India - Kannada

ubsidiaries

Its subsidiary companies include:

ENIL & TIML

Times Infotainment Media Limited & Entertainment Network India Limited that together control

* Radio Mirchi National network of Private FM stations
* 360 Degrees Events
* Times Outoors Outdoors
* Mirchi Movies Limited Filmed Entertainment. Producers of BEING CYRUS, VELLITHERAI, MANJADIKURU

TIL

Times Internet Limited which has
* Indiatimes portal
* Times of Money - an online payments portal specializing in remitting money to India and other parts of the world

Times Global Broadcasting Limited

This was a Joint Venture with Reuters. No longer a joint venture as Reuters has exited.
* Times Now A News Channel
* ZOOm A Lifestyle Channel

Times Business Solutions

* Times Jobs, a jobs portal [http://www.tbsl.in/about_tbsl.html About Us] Times Business Solutions Limited]
* SimplyMarry, a matrimonial portal
* Magic Bricks, a real estate portal
* Yolist, free classifieds portal
* Ads2Book, online classifieds booking system for print publications

World Wide Media

World Wide Media - A magazine joint venture between BCCL and BBC magazines
* Filmfare
* Filmfare Awards
* Femina
* Femina Miss India A Beauty Paegent
* Top Gear India
* Hello

Private Treaties

The Times Group also acquires equity stakes of small and fast-growing companies in lieu of advertising. These companies range from real estate to online brokerages. These Private Equity stakes (termed as Private Treaties [ [http://www.privatetreaties.com Private Treaties] ] ) have often lead to speculation that favourable editorial coverage is being provided to the investee company.

TIML Golden Square

TIML Golden Square Limited which purchased Virgin Radio (soon to be called Absolute Radio) in the United Kingdom [ [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5bf80d84-7845-11dd-acc3-0000779fd18c.html Virgin rebranded as Absolute Radio] Financial Times] . This company is a direct subsidiary of BCCL (not through TIML or ENIL) [ [http://www.radioandmusic.com/headlines/y2k8/may/31may/virgin.php Times of India group buys UK's Virgin Radio for £53.2 million] radioandmusic.com] .

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 newspaper is published twice a week under editor J.E. Brennan. It is basically a city paper reflecting the interest of Bombay's business community. [http://www.zoomtv.in/about/ About Us] zOOm]

1846: The newspaper changes hands and Dr. George Buist is appointed editor.

1850: Shareholders decide to increase the share capital and the paper is converted into a daily. [ [http://nla.gov.au/anbd.bib-an6204051 Australian Library Collections] Libraries Australia]

1859: "Bombay Standard and Chronicle of Western India" merges into The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce to form "Bombay Times & Standard" [http://www.nla.gov.au/asian/gen/sanews.html South Asian Newspapers in Australian Libraries: a Holdings List] National Library of Australia]

1861: Editor Robert Knight amalgamates The Bombay Times & Standard and Bombay Telegraph & Courier to form "The Times of India" and gives it a national character.
1880: The Times of India Weekly Edition is launched. This was later called "The Times of India Illustrated Weekly" and finally as The Illustrated Weekly of India in 1923. [ [http://nla.gov.au/anbd.bib-an25188860 Australian Library Collections] Libraries Australia]

1890: Editor Henry Curwen buys The Times of India 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: In the newspaper's first price war under editor Stanley Reed, the price is cut from 4 annas to 1 anna, and 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 is launched with K. Gopalswami as the first Indian editor.

1952: "Filmfare" launched.

1959: "Femina" is launched.

1960: Sahu Ramesh Chandra Jain joins BCCL

1961: "The Economic Times" is launched.
1984: Samir Jain and Vineet Jain join BCCL.

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

1990: The Times School of Marketing is established as an in-house training school to feed the group

1991: BBC features The Times of India among the 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.

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

2000: Timesofmoney - JV with Citibank.

2001: Radio Mirchi - Nationwide Private FM Broadcasting. [ [http://enil.co.in/enil.html ENIL] enil.com]

2001: 360 Degrees - Event Management Arm launched.

2002: Times Outdoor - Outdoor Advertising & Billboard Marketing.

2003: Times Classifieds - 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.tbsl.in/History.html Our History] Times Business Solutions]
*Television Business launched with the launch of a lifestyle and entertainment channel called z00m.

2005: Launch of a Matrimonials website TimesMatri

2006:
* Launch of a television News Channel called Times Now in collaboration with Reuters.
* Radio Mirchi holding company ENIL (Entertainment Network India Limited) lists on the Indian stock markets. It is the first Times Group company to List on the bourses.
* Launch of a Property services Portal Magic Bricks
* TimesMatri is rebranded as Simply Marry
* A new holding company by the name of Times Business Solutions is created. This company controls the brands TimesJobs SimplyMarry (earlier called TimesMatri) and MagicBricks
* TimesofMoney launches Remit2Home, to cater to Global Remittance Market

2007:

* Launch of The Times of India - Kannada
* Launch of Bangalore Mirror

2008:

* Launch of SimplyMarryZine.com
* Launch of The Times of India, Chennai Edition [ [http://www.livemint.com/2008/04/11235220/TOI8217s-launch-all-set-to.html TOI’s launch all set to heat up Chennai] livemint.com]
* Launch of Pune Mirror
* Acquisition Virgin Radio in the UK [ [http://www.londonstockexchange.com/LSECWS/IFSPages/MarketNewsPopup.aspx?id=1856978&source=RNS Sale of Virgin Radio to TIML for £53.2 million] London Stock Exchange] [ [http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Company/Corporate_Trends/Times_Group_buys_UKs_Virgin_Radio_for_Rs_448_cr/articleshow/3089589.cms Times Group buys UK's Virgin Radio for Rs 448 cr] The Economic Times] [ [http://www.campaignindia.in/news/times_of_india_company_buys_virgin_radio_holdings_ltd Times of India company buys Virgin Radio Holdings Ltd] Campaign India]

External links & References

* [http://www.SimplyMarry.com/ SimplyMarry]
* [http://www.indiatimes.com/ Indiatimes]
* [http://www.timesofindia.com/ The Times of India]
* [http://www.economictimes.com/ The Economic Times]
* [http://www.timesnow.tv/ Times Now]
* [http://www.timesofmoney.com/ TimesofMoney Ltd]
* [http://www.timesjobs.com/ TimesJobs]