MICAST The Official Podcast Of MICA Ahmedabad

Fondly remembered by generations of MICAns, Prof. Rasananda Panda has unveiled the world of economics to all who have come to study business at MICA for over 15 years. His sharp understanding of business dynamics, the economic environment of India and other emerging markets have fundamentally shaped MICAn students' understanding of economics.  

In this episode of Beyond The Classroom with MICAST, we delve into some hot-button issues in the business world - cryptocurrency, Web 3.0 and the economy's future. 

We discuss:

1. A basic look at cryptocurrency investments: 0:40

2. The regulation conundrum 3:58

3. Is there a crypto bubble?: 11:24

Prof Panda also engages in his favourite activity - answering student questions! Stay tuned till the end for some illuminating answers to questions that Shachee Desai and David Caleb sent in!

#NewPodAlert #MICAST #Economics #Crypto #NFT #Cryptocurrency #Metaverse #MICA #Faculty #BeyondTheClassroom #Business #BSchool

Dr. Darshan Trivedi is an ardent educator, a seasoned media professional, and a passionate director and producer. He's the editor of MICA's annual Indian OTT Platforms Report: a widely-regarded report of repute that the industry looks to for a cohesive look at the evolving space of digital entertainment.

In this episode of Beyond The Classroom with MICAST, we break it down with Dr. Darshan Trivedi, one of our top faculty from the area of Media and Entertainment.

We discuss:

1. Behind the scenes of the OTT report: 0:40

2. How GenZ is shaping the future of entertainment: 7:13

3. The future of how we study OTT: 17:38

We also dive into the stories of his directorial debut and his love for making films! Stay tuned till the end for some never heard before trivia about how he goes about planning his cinema projects.

Prof. Ruchi Tewari, Associate Professor fro the Communications Area at MICA, thinks you can't overstate the importance of crisp communication in a world full of over-saturated messaging. 

As attention spans shrink and 'clutter-breaking' becomes the need of the hour, Professor Ruchi breaks down her basic tenets of how one can cut through the noise. 

In this episode of Beyond The Classroom with MICAST, we bring onboard one of MICA's beloved communications professors and discuss:

1. Getting down to the basics of eradicating clutter: 1:08

2. Her thoughts on some of her trademark expressions and phrases from class: 9:10

3. The key things to keep in mind when presenting an idea: 14:00

Stay tuned till the end to hear more about a side of Professor Ruchi you may not have heard of: her love for biking and her Bullet. 

The Pride Movement in India has rested on the shoulders of those who worked tirelessly to create spaces for the community that helped them feel safe and accepted. The Humsafar Trust, established in  1994, is one of the leading organisations that stepped up to the task of making queer voices heard. 

Suhail Abbasi, Co-Founder of The Humsafar Trust, joins us for a very special Power In Pride edition of MICAST, to tell us the captivating story of Humsafar, the Indian LGBT+ community, and his own illustrious media career! 

In this episode, we cover:

The Humsafar Story 1:20

Representation of queer people in media 13:58

How does one become a good ally to the community? 22:55

The MICAST team wishes you all a very Happy Pride Month! 

We're delighted to put a cherry on top of our sixth season, The Media Masters, by having Professor Santosh Patra, Associate Professor & Area Leader in Media and Entertainment Management at MICA, join us for a crossover Overtime episode!

We discuss: 

1.  How gaming plays into the world of experiential marketing 3:37

2.  Disruptors in the media industry 6:00

3. The future of M&E in a rapidly evolving world 14:22

Professor Patra is an expert on exploring the dynamism involved in the domain of media and entertainment business, digital sociology and new media philosophy. Tune in for an enriching conversation that skims through all these topics! 

Let’s talk comics! We uncover the fascinating stories of how some of India's most beloved comic characters from the Tinkle Comics universe were conceived. 

Our guest tells us all about how the iconic Amar Chitra Katha tells timeless stories for all generations and how print comics have kept up with the digital age. 

Stay tuned for a conversation about:

1. The creative process behind popular Tinkle characters like Shikari Shambu and Suppandi (3:30)

2. The editorial calls that need to be made when retelling mythological stories for Amar Chitra Katha(15:35) 

3. How Amar Chitra Katha's distinct art style was conceived (18:49)

Could there ever be an ACK universe of characters like Marvel, and how does nostalgia play into marketing these widely adored cornerstones of our childhood? Ms. Reena Puri shares her delightful thoughts on these questions asked by our very own students at MICA.

Let’s talk TV! We unravel the nuances of television content in a fascinating conversation with Ms. Megha Tata, Managing Director at Discovery Communications India. 

We gain insights into the television industry's meteoric shift to digital and the creative decisions that fuel the content that reaches our screen. 

Stay tuned for a conversation about: 

1. How to adapt to different storytelling environments (1:07)

2. How Discovery+ breaks through the oversaturated OTT space (5:30)

3. The behind-the-scenes of a massive media company (21:09)

We also discuss the iconic Man vs. Wild case and the changing consumption patterns of audiences, where students at MICA shared their own questions with our industry expert.   

Let’s talk OTT! We engage in a thought-provoking conversation about television, OTT and short-form content with Mr Rahul Sarangi, Vice President - Head of Short Form & New Content Initiatives at Disney+Hotstar. 

This episode is jam-packed with unheard of insights about the diverging content decisions when it comes to TV vs. OTT,  what the future of entertainment looks like, and the mindset future marketers need to thrive. 

Stay tuned for a conversation about: 

1. What goes into  curating  content for radically different audiences (3:20)

2. The short-form content revolution and what it means for the future (12:20)

3. The democratisation of content and the rise of regional entertainment (19:29)

Mr Sarangi also dissects questions from the students of MICA - we discuss the strategy required to bring older generations up to speed on OTT and how Disney+Hotstar breaks through the OTT clutter.  

Let’s talk LIVE events! In our third episode, we welcome Mrs Tulika Yadav, Former Chief Marketing Officer at PayTM Insider.in and Former Head of Marketing & Ticketing for OML Festivals.

We examine the challenges that the LIVE events industry has faced due to the pandemic, the hybridisation of virtual and in-person festivals, and the benefits of taking a sabbatical. 

Stay tuned for a conversation about: 

1. How the LIVE events industry mitigated the effects of the pandemic (1:04)

2. The future of LIVE entertainment (5:14)

3. Hitting restart by taking a sabbatical (15:00)

Students of MICA also share their questions regarding the longevity of digital events and the unique marketing used for events from differing genres. 

Let’s talk movies! In our second episode of The Media Masters, we’re excited to have Mrs. Ridhima Lulla, Chief Content Officer at Eros International. 

From analysing India's changing taste in film, to deciding which stories are worth telling, we explore all that there is to be learned about the business of cinema. 

Stay tuned for a conversation about: 

1. The delicate balance between profitability and creativity (4:44)

2. How OTT has expanded the scope of new, innovative content (13:00)

3. Metaverse and the future of films (15:04)

Our industry expert answers some questions from MICAns themselves, about OTT vs Theatres and Eros’ Bollywood Film Festival campaign, and joins us for an exciting rapid-fire segment at the end.