Phone rings
MW: Hmm. Niira: No but Alok says that is an option that we can explore. MW: No no no, so I'll tell you...I will...mention it to him -
Niira: - Haan MW: That this is what my thought is, and then depending on (inaudible) feedback (inaudible).
Niira: What is the value, Manoj, of the funding that is required by this company. MW: I told you no, about 400-450 odd crores.
Niira: So about $100 million, right? MW: Yeah. Niira: Hmmm.
MW: Not even that much actually - Niira: Wha- and are they making the announcement immediately after the Stock Exchange uh or -
MW: Yeah around then...yeah yeah around then - Niira: - Or about 7 o' clock?
MW: No no no. Because it has to be timed with what they do in Germany na? Germany's, I think about four and a half, five and a half hours ahead. Niira: Four and a - it's three and a half hours, Manoj.
MW: Yeah, so - no, it's summer na, now? Niira: Haan, so three and a half hours.
MW: Three and a half, okay Uh, sooo...I think they will do it mid-day there, that is how it will be around stock market closing here. (traffic sounds) Niira: Hmmm.
MW: Alok said that, "nahin nahin, kal baat karte hain (no no, let us speak tomorrow)", he was in a hurry (inaudible) so he said "kal baat karte hain, waise bhi stock market ke bahar hum log (inaudible) karne walle hain, don't worry about it (anyway we're going to -inaudible- outside the stock market." (pause)
Niira: You saw Manoj Modi's mail na what is this I don't want anything negative? MW: Hmm, hmm.
Niira: I mean, how can you not have anything negative on (inaudible). MW: (laughs) No Alok was very...I told Alok, (inaudible) he said "haan abhi galti ho gayi, abhi kya kar sakte hain? (yes now the mistake is made, what can we do now?)
(pause) Niira: Hmm...nahin, par kitna manage kar paoge tum? (no, but how much will you be able to manage?) MW: Jitna pura dum lagane mein, jitna ho sake manage kar lenge (as much as I can). I mean, a. I want it to be positioned the...not positioned as a lead or front page kind of a thing -
Niira: Toh Mint mein toh lead hai lead hai, ET mein lead hai - (so, there's a lead story in Mint, a lead story in ET -) MW: (laughs)
Niira: DS mein lead hai, jahan pe bhi in logon ke bloody tentacles hai sab mein lead hai (there's a lead in DS, wherever the bloody tentacles of these people are there are leads).
MW: Aaj (inaudible) ka front page dekha, jahan Harvey ka joh story hai - (did you see -inaudible- front page, where Harvey's story is -) Niira: I saw that, I saw that, haan.
MW: Jo PPI ke flats hai, and all other (inaudible) front page flyer dala hua hai. Flyer nahin, front page. (There is a front page flyer on the PPI flats and all other -inaudible-. Not flyer, front page.) Niira: Arrey, second lead hai, Delhi mein. (It's a second lead in Delhi)
MW: Hmm, hmm. Second lead hai, hamare idhar (inaudible). (Hmm, it's a second lead here -inaudible-.) Niira: Haan, second lead in Delhi is a big headline.
MW: Hmm. No but uh, I am not too sure but probably...I have a feeling that uh RIL only has told (inaudible) completely in their hands. Niira: I also thought that when I - I also thought than when I saw that.
MW: Hmm. Niira: Usko ek...jo kal mujhe Prasad baat kar raha tha na mere saath..."Abhi now what to do, they shouldn't do things like that, Hardy" - when he said that I realised, and then he said well we should try and manage it after all, whatever Hardy does it does reflect on us coz they're our partners.
MW: Hmm... (chuckles) Because why would DPS write a note to Sedi to approach LSC, I mean, what is his concern? His domain ends with the (inaudible), so I found it slightly awkward. It's an unprecedented move.
Niira: I think you should send a questionnaire. MW: Sorry?
Niira: You should send a questionnaire, MW: Hmm.
Niira: To DGH. MW: Okay, theek hai
Niira: Except tum log handle nahin (you guys won't) - maybe you'll not manage it, but you should send a - get a journalist to send a questionnaire. MW: Hmm.
Niira: That it's an unprecedented move... MW: And what regarding?
Niira: And why has it been done to Sedi, and send a likewise copy to RIL. Say that the following journalist has asked this question, it's a very unprecedented - they find it very strange.
MW: Hmm. Niira: Haan? Dekhlo unka reaction kya aata hai. (See what their reaction is then.)
MW: Theek hai. (Alright) Niira: (inaudible) se baat bhi kar lete, dekh le.
MW: Theek hai, okay. Niira: But he'll tell you, "no what to do now", that "DDH- DGS has own mind" and all that.
MW: Hmm. Niira: But I think you should just see that, I find it also very odd.
MW: Theek hai, okay. Niira: Yeah? Okay. Alok se baat karke sab mujhe bata dena. Aunty ka mail maine thoda sa change karke bhijwa diya tha. (Speak with Alok and let me know everything. I changed Aunty's mail a bit and sent it out)
MW: Theek hai, well done. Niira: Kal rat ko, aur (last night, and) uh, I think we're meeting today. Ek aur, Manoj, jo maine dekha hai, jaise mujhe Suroojet kal bol raha tha (One more thing I've noticed, Manoj, like what Surojeet was telling me).
MW: Hmm. Niira: Ki (That) you know, yeh log jaise Ravi Sodi aur um, yeh kaun, Tony aur all that (these people, like Ravi Sodi and um, who else, Tony and all that) - Tony is continuously out meeting the editors. Continuously. Uska kaam hi wohi hai (That is his job).
MW: Hmm. Niira: Woh kuch aur karta nahin hai. Tony mujhe - (inaudible) maine Surojeet ko bola tha, ki mujhe koi media ka person de[/]i (He doesn't do anything else. Tony -inaudible- I had told Surojeet that I want a media person).
MW: Hmm. Niira: He said Niira tujhe ek baat bataon, like Tony na, yeh tumhare logon ko hi karna padega (Niira, let me tell you one thing, like Tony, your people will have to do this on their own).
MW: Hmm. Niira: You know, within your own people, you have to find a trusted person. Because, yeh jo Tony karta hai (what Tony does) - Tony is continuously only meeting people.
MW: Hmm. Niira: He doesn't sit in office and plan any strategy or work out any presentations or anything like that.
MW: Hmm. Niira: Uski job hai sirf (His job is only) to go out there and meet the media. And because he knows them for years he's able to talk to them, he's able to you know, have lunches with them. Aaj kal kaise dinner lagta nahin ghar jaana padta hai (Nowadays, there're no dinners so he has to go home).
MW: (laughs) Niira: Lekin zada tar uska logon ko milna (But mostly his meeting people) - I mean, continuously milta rehta hai (keeps meeting), he doesn't stop meeting people. Toh, I you know, I think ki that, you know, that is his strateg- whatever it is, whether it worth it or not. Joh Venky karta tha (What Venky used to do) -
MW: Hmm. Niira: - toh kaam karta tha, kafi kaam aata tha. Aaj ke din mein to (inaudible) jaise koi hai nahin, Manoj (- that works, is of quite a bit of use. These days I (inaudible)...like no one is there, Manoj).
MW: Nahin hai. Niira: Sab client servicing ho gaya, (Everything has become client servicing) Manoj.
MW: Hmm, hmm, hmm. Niira: Woh nahin chalega (That won't do). MW: Hmm.
Niira: Tum ko ek Head of Media laana padega (You'll have to get a Head of Media). MW: Hmm.
Niira: Ya to tumko Bombay media ek laana padega aur ek wahan pe (Or you'll have to get one Bombay media and one over there). MW: Delhi mein ek aur lafda (More confusion in Delhi).
Niira: Delhi mein laana padega (You'll have to get one in Delhi)...I don't think you can not do that, because it's become a very uh this thing, uh, it is a very...and somebody who has his own relationships...
MW: And content also. Niira: And content, and content, yeah. (pause)
MW: This...you don't think this Yasra guy will be good, is it? Because at least he can talk all the political side in terms of content while going and meeting people, I'm just throwing an idea up in the air.
Niira: Nahin (No), I don't think so. Depth nahin hai (No depth). MW: Theek hai.
Niira: I don't think so, I think theek hai, aadmi political ke liye theek hai, usko alag tarike se use karna padega but uski maine jo dekhi hai relationships handful wahan pe hi wahan pe hai jahan pe you and I ke limited hai. Aur um (alright, the man is good for political things, we'll have to use him differently, but of what I've noticed of his handful of relationships, they are in areas where yours and mine are limited)...
MW: Woh hi woh hi relation waale PR (inaudible) (That's what, that's what, relation-based PR). Niira: Haan, unka...usme (inaudible) Baljit ki much better hai (-inaudible- Baljit is much better in that respect). Baljit is...maybe Baljti needs to be sort of...groomed.
MW: Hmm. Niira: Because I don't see it otherwise going any other way. MW: Hmm.
Niira: You see, Pathak ka...jaise kal unka announcement hua hai, mutual funds ka one leg ka (Pathak's...like yesterday they'd made an announcements, the one about the mutual funds' one leg), AUMs, whatever, right? MW: Hmm.
Niira: I...you know, look at that, they are on-the-go of making announcements everyday. MW: You should read the interview of (inaudible) with Talsani in Mint.
Niira: Aaj hai (Today)? MW: Hmm. Niira: Kya (What) interview?
MW: Upfront he's taken all the questions, he's asked (inaudible) to ask all the uncomfortable questions and he's answered. (pause) Niira: Mmhmm, like what?
MW: Like you know, you've once 3 out of the 4 given PPs (inaudible), uh, you know, uh, are you still embarassed of you know (inaudible), do you regret the Reliance Power IPO, what is happening in Padri? He's taken all these questions and answered them. Niira: Hmm.
(pause) Niira: (sighs) MW: (inaudible) Niira: Big interview?
MW: I mean, I think, very well handled. Very well handled. I mean, it reminded me of Ratan Tata's (inaudible) because you know, Tata has that way of answering all the tricky ones that uh a journalist ask and answers it very deftly and confidently.
MW: Maybe he was tutored and all that, but the fact that (inaudible) asked all these questions and he has answered it, so obviously it feels like he knew what (inaudible) was (inaudible) Niira: Hmm. (pause)
Niira: Chal tera...Vishal ke mail pe correction kar de. Maine bheja nahin abhi tak (Okat, make that correction on Vishal's mail. I haven't sent it yet).
MW: Correction kar dun (Shall I make the correction)? Niira: Haan, wapas bhej de usko (Yes, send it to him again).
MW: Haan. Niira: Add kar de yeh (Add this), Manoj: AUMs is a case in point (inaudible) and look at Talsani's interview in Mint. Uh, you know, everyday there is something that a journalist gets to engage with.
MW: Haan (Yes). Niira: And uh, you know, naturally the journalist is excited about that.
MW: Hmm. Niira: It's not about you know, a journalist profiteering all the time.
MW: Hmm. Niira: I mean you have to change that uh, little bit, yeah? Woh thoda demotivated wallah to maine already usko bol diya hoga na (I would already have told him the demotivated thing, no)?
MW: Haan, theek hai, woh nikal dunga (Okay, I will remove that). Niira: Usko...beginning mein usko sab shuru na kare. End mein bol do (Don't start all that in the beginning. Say it at the end) that Vir I'm being candid, you know, coz there's a element of demotivation and the thing can only be as good as you know, what we feed into it yeah? It cannot be...if it is dull and idle it will - (ends abruptly)