25 & Winning

My first visit to the CyberMedia Office at Panchsheel Enclave, Delhi, in
1989, I will never forget. I had taken a bus from South Avenue, where I was
putting up in a barsati with an MBA batch-mate who had a job, and had
forcefully brought me from my sleepy hometown wanting me to find a job.

During those days bus rides gave me nausea, so when my interviewer asked me
to name three computer companies, my head started to spin even more. I had heard
of only one computer company in my life, and that was IBM. Fortunately, my eyes
fell on two cardboard boxes in that small roomone had Wipro, and the other HCL
marked on them. I assumed these were also computer makers and mentioned these
names. I was through.

Later when I told my dad that I had been selected for a computer magazine, he
just asked me if there were other computer magazines also. On knowing that there
were hardly any other, he said he would recommend that I take up this job. He
told me that do not run in the direction everyone is already running in. Explore
new things.

I strongly believe that even in 1989, CyberMedia was looking for people who
were not in a rat race. In fact, at that time IT was hardly a few hundred crore
rupee industry, and the most unlikely place for career aspirants and
entrepreneurs. That perhaps set the tone for the future of the young company.
Over the years, we have explored and identified niches within Dataquest
readership, and wherever feasible have launched new magazines such as the DQ
Weeks and DQ Channels, to cater exclusively to their information needs.

Ibrahim Ahmad

 It is, therefore, not surprising that our guiding principles are very
simple, and yet very long term. They are based on ground realities but still
very lofty. One of our key strengths has been to make sure that for a magazine
that is for readers primarily in India, we are writing about people and things
in India. This has given us tremendous advantage in the past when several
international magazines tried to set shop but folded up.

Our India focus also helps us with another very remarkable strength that I
take pride inrelationships. Today, Dataquest is almost on a monthly touch
through editorials and conferences with the Top 5,000 CIOs, the Top 200 IT CEOs,
and the Top 100 e-governance bureaucrats in the country. That is a lot of
opinion makers and decision makers, and we are very proud of it.

Today, Dataquest is the undisputed market leader, with over 50% market share
in terms of revenues. In fact, we are more than all our direct competitors put
together. This is a clear indicator of advertiser and reader confidence in us.
So many advertisers are spending money with us to reach out to buyers or their
products and services. There are readers who have not missed a copy of the
magazine ever since it was started 25 years ago. We have always believed that we
are partners in progress, with our readers and advertisers. That has been our
formula for success for the last 25 years. And will be so for the next 25 years
also.