SCMS SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT

ALUVA, COCHIN, KERALA - 683106

AN ORGANISATIONAL STUDY ON

AMAR UJALA PUBLICATIONS LTD.

NOIDA, UTTAR PRADESH

By

AKASH JAYAN

Reg. No. 52526

Submitted to the

MAHATMA GANDHI UNIVERSITY

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Under the guidance of

Dr. MARY FATIMA CROSS

Associate Professor

SCMS SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT

ALUVA, COCHIN, KERALA – 683106

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the report entitled, An Organizational study on Amar

Ujala Publication Ltd., Noida, Uttar Pradesh, is a bonafiderecord

submittedby Mr. Akash Jayan, RegNo.52526, in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the award of the Degree of Master of Business

Administration during the academic years 2013-2015.

Date: Dr. RADHA P.THEVANNOOR

DIRECTOR

SCMS SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT

ALUVA, COCHIN, KERALA – 683106

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the report entitled, An Organizational study on Amar

Ujala Publication Ltd., Noida, Uttar Pradesh, is a bonafiderecord

submitted by Mr. Akash Jayan, RegNo.52526, in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the award of the Degree of Master of Business

Administration during the academic years 2013-2015

.

Date: Dr. MARY FATIMA CROSS

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

DECLARATION

I, Mr. Akash Jayan, hereby declare that the report entitled, An

Organizational study on Amar Ujala Publication Ltd., Noida, Uttar

Pradesh, is my original work. I further declare that this report on the study

is based on the information collected by me and has not previously been

submitted to any other university or academic body.

Date: AKASH JAYAN

Reg. No. 52526

CERTIFICATE

vi

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Fulfillment of a good project will include the help of some prominent persons. For their

helping hands I must express my gratitude. First of all I would like to thank our Director

Dr. Radha Thevannoor for giving me this opportunity to perform the study. I express

my sincere thanks to my faculty guide Dr. Mary Fatima Cross who assisted me to take

initiative and assume responsibility in bringing out the final piece of my work. I would

also like to thank other faculty members for their guidance and support.

My sincere thanks to Mr. Vainhav Vashistha (HEAD-HR, Amar Ujala Publication Ltd)

who had given me the opportunity to conduct the organizational study of Amar Ujala

Private Ltd which was required for the completion of my degree.

I heartily thank Mr. Pankaj M Jha (Sr. Manager –HR, Amar Ujala Publication Ltd) who

guided me properly throughout my project which helped me to study. I would also like to

thank Mr. Tariq Tajdar (DM – HR, Amar Ujala Publication Ltd) who had taken his time

out of a busy schedule and cooperated with me to get the required information. I would

also like to thank all the employees at Amar Ujala Publications Ltd. who have helped me

to complete this report.

Last but not the least I thank my parents and my friends without whom the study would

never have been a success.

AKASH JAYAN

Reg. No. 52526

vii

Executive Summary

The organizational study was conducted at Amar Ujala Publications Ltd., Noida from 2nd

May, 2014 to 2nd

June 2014. Amar Ujala is one of the leading Hindi dailies in India.

According to IRS (Indian Readership Survey) Q4 2012, it is the fourth largest Hindi

Daily by readership. A understanding of the state of affairs of the print industry was

attained. During the organizational study the organizational structure including the

organizational structure and the departmental structure were studied. An insight as to how

a newspaper organization works was learned. It was a fruitful experience.

The organization follows a tall structure with multiple levels. This structure supports the

organizational process. Amar Ujala has 11 departments which cater to the need of the

organization. The 11 departments include human resource department, finance

department, marketing department, editorial department, materials department,

production department, IT and systems department, print shop department, touch point,

books and magazine division and internal audit.

The major product of Amar Ujala Publication is the newspaper Amar Ujala. Other

products include its website - amarujala.com, a result portal - My result Plus, its mobile

apps, a tabloid size newspaper - compact, a weekly magazine - Yuvaan, magazine –

Safalta and SafaltaSamiyki and books on preparation of civil service and other

competitive examinations.

The major reason for the success of Amar Ujala is because it thrives upon delivering

unbiased, truthful and authentic news to its readers. Another reason for the success of the

organization is its low attrition rate. It shows the organization caters to the needs of the

employee. An area where the newspaper can improve is with respect to its representation

in south India where it has an insignificant number of readership. One of the major

weakness of Amar Ujala is that it has no adequate representation in South India. Tight

competition from the cheap and readily available online media s a major threat.

viii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter

No.

Title Page

No.

Acknowledgement vi

Executive Summary vii

List of Tables and Figures x

One Introduction 1

An introduction to the study 2

Scope of the Study 2

Objectives of the Study 3

Methodology of the Study 3

Limitations of the Study 3

Two Analysis of External Environment of Business 4

Industry Analysis 5

Indian Newspaper Society 10

Registrar of Newspaper for India 11

Audit Bureau of Circulation 12

Indian Readership Survey 12

Competitors 13

Three Organizational Analysis 17

ix

Organizational Profile 18

History 18

Form of Ownership 20

Products 21

Corporate Structure 26

Functional Analysis 33

Social Activities 55

SWOT Analysis 58

Four Observations and Conclusions 60

BIBLIOGRAPHY

x

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

Tables Page No.

Table 1 Advertising revenue by language over the years 7

Table 2 Most circulated publications 16

Table 3 State-wise readership of Amar Ujala 19

Table 4 List of Supplementary/Features of Amar Ujala 22

Table 5 Number of employees in each unit 31

Figures

Figure 1 Timeline of launch of various editions of Amar Ujala 20

Figure 2 Corporate structure at Amar Ujala 27

Figure 3 Structure of task force 30

Figure 4 Career path (Non-Editorial) 36

Figure 5 Organogram of Human Resource Department 37

Figure 6 Organogram of Finance Department 43

Figure 7 Amar Ujala’s Typical Distribution Channel 46

Figure 8 Organogram of Marketing Department 47

Figure 9 Organogram of Editorial Department 49

Figure 10 Editorial Career Path 50

Figure 11 Organogram of Productions Department 52

Figure 12 Organogram of Materials Department 53

Figure 13 SWOT Analysis 59

Chapter One

Introduction

2

An introduction to the Study

An organization is a social arrangement which pursues collective goals which

controls its own performance, and which has a boundary separating it from its

environment. An Organization is an association formed by a group of people who see that

there are benefits available to working towards a common goal.

Organizational studies are the studies of individual and group dynamics in an

organization setting, as well as the nature and of organization itself. Whenever people

interact in an organization, many factors come into play. Organizational studies attempt

to understand and model these factors.

Organizational study refers to the study of organization as a whole to get adequate

knowledge with various departments in an organization. The study was carried out at

Amar Ujala Publication Ltd., Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The study was conducted to gain an

insight on the different dimensions and aspects of various departments and their functions

in the organization.

Scope of the Study

The study throws light on the organizational study at Amar Ujala Publications Ltd

which was done from 2nd

May, 2014 to 2nd

June 2014. Both primary and secondary data

was used in the data collection process.The study was conducted at the corporate unit of

Amar Ujala which is located in Noida. The study focused mainly on the major

departments of the organization such as human resource department, editorial

department, finance department , materials department, marketing department, production

department and Touch Point. Other departments include IT and systems departments,

Print shop, Digital Business Department, Internal Audit Department, Books and

Magazine Department and Compact Department.

3

Objectives of the study

The main objective is to identify the functions, duties, responsibilities and

maintenance of each department. During this process how far the organization structure

was successful in accomplishing the objectives of the company was also verified. The

dependence of the success of an organization with relation to its organizational structure

was also measured. Other objectives were to perform an analysis on newspaper industry

with respect to the international, Indian and regional scenario. The various policies,

procedures and programme were also studied. A SWOT analysis was conducted based on

the finding of the study. An in depth analysis of the recruitment process at Amar Ujala

Publication Ltd. was also performed. The study was conducted so that maximum

exposure of how a organization functions is attained.

Methodology of the Study

The Organizational study at Amar Ujala Publications Ltd is descriptive in nature.

For the purpose of the study data were collected from the primary and secondary sources.

Both primary and secondary data was used in the data collection process.Primary

data are those data collected dierctly. Primary Data was mainly from observations and

interview with the employees of various departments.. Secondary data was mainly

colleted from the company’s website, journals and other material from the library.

Limitations of the Study

The major constraint was the duration of the study. With more time more

departments could have been studied. The employees were busy due to this the interview

was usually short. Since Amar Ujala is a private limited company, access to information

was restricted. The financial data could not be accessed. Since most of the data was

primary, the data may be subject to personal bias of the employees.

Chapter Two

Analysis of External Environment of

Business

5

Industry Analysis

In 1976, India’s population was 775 million, one copy of newspaper appeared for

every 80 people. A quarter century later, as the population crossed one billion, one

newspaper was available for every 20 Indians. Currently, India had 82237 newspapers

and more are expected to emerge. Unlike online, print does not require internet

infrastructure. The broadband penetration in India is a mere 3.87% and concentrated in

major cities. It is observed that rising literacy in India will mean an audience for printed

newspapers well into this century. In 1976, 35 % could read. By 2014, the figure was

74%. Rising youth literacy, at 84 percent in 2014, does suggest the rise of the number of

potential readers.

Global Scenario

In the past decade and more, the international media has been flooded with

a gloomy prognosis about where print was heading. And quite rightly so, because

advertising revenue in print in the US has declined precipitously since 2000. The fact that

online is growing confirms that all other media is dying, especially print.

Indian Scenario

Since Indians are clued into Western trends because of the English

connection, it has naturally been assumed by many that the same fate applies here. The

most influenced by this has been the young adults from the metros, many of whom do

indeed get their news online. But, in India all media is growing, including print which is,

in fact, doing extremely well barring the odd blip. Over the last five years, advertising

inprint has been growing at a compounded annual growth rate of about 9 per cent.

According to KPMG, an international consultancy, this is the rate that will be maintained

for the next five years as well. One of the reasons why the online bias exists is simply

because of language. The vast bulk of the print readers in India, about 90 per cent, in fact,

consume their content in Hindi and regional languages. And relatively few of them have

6

gone online for a variety of reasons. Some tech issues plus the relative lack of variety in

content compared to English, has inhibited the growth of online.

There are two other factors that protect Indian print against the much

anticipated digital onslaught. First, newspapers are priced low in India relative to most

other countries. This has been true for English dailies for years but less so for regional

and Hindi titles, which were priced higher for fewer pages. As the competition has

become fierce, non-English dailies havebeen keeping their prices down too, while it is

easy to think of online as ‘free’, that’s a misnomer. Content is free but access is not.

Certainly when it comes to accessing news and features, a newspaper for 100-150 per

month is still the most cost-effective way to consume news through the written word.

Also, a newspaper is shared in a way a screen can’t be. The other, equally unappreciated

aspect of newspaper logistics is that anewspaper is dropped at a reader’s home at the

crack of dawn. This is a privilege not available in many places in the West, because the

labour cost of delivering the title is prohibitive. In India, the abundance of hands allows

this, although the hawker gets a share of a cover price which is low.

Regional Scenario

Ten years ago, English was the only place to be in the Indian newspaper

business. There were large newspapers in other languages too but they lacked in pages,

confidence and profit. Nothing exemplified the promise of riches better than The Times

of India, Mumbai. Within the print business it wasn’t considered an edition: it was

viewed as a press that brought huge amount of profit for its owner, Bennett Coleman &

Co Ltd (BCCL). It was rated as unassailable, which is why, for years, nobody dared

challenge its monopoly in Mumbai.

Eight years later, The Times still makes more money from its Mumbai edition

than any other paper in India, but everything else has changed. The fascination with both

English and metros is past its peak and there are many who wonder if the best of the

English press is already behind it. English dailies tend to be hit harder in a slowdown, in

part, because they thrive in the metros which feel the effects of an economic reverse the

7

most. Last year, as the economy slowed down, dailies in other languages continued to

grow ad revenue by about 10 per cent – for English, though, the figure was down to3.5

per cent.

Way back in 1995, Dainik Bhaskar took the bold step of looking beyond its

home turf of Madhya Pradesh. The newspaper was the first Hindi daily to launch an

edition outside its home state, when it entered Jaipur, Rajasthan, and shook the

established order. Today, Hindi dailies moving out of their comfort zone and taking the

competition head-on elsewhere is an old story. It has forced innovation that was

unimaginable two decades ago and has opened up a business that was family-owned and

inward looking. Emerging rural markets are playing an important role in the growth of

Hindi print, where a newspaper is not only a source of information, but leads to a lot of

discussion as well.

In the past, growth in media consumption was driven by the metros where

English was predominantly the leader, but with the increase in spending power of the

population in smaller cities, the game is shifting. This has increased the demand for

regional content. As Hindi titles have increased their penetration of small town India,

their blanket presence has made them attractive to national advertisers who need reach.

Table 1

Advertising revenue by language over the years, in Rs billion

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013* 2014* 2015* 2016* 2017*

English 49 53 57 59 62 66 70 74 79

Hindi 31 37 41 45 49 56 64 73 83

Regional 30 36 42 46 51 57 66 75 85

Total 110 126 140 150 162 179 200 222 247

Note.*Estimated. Adapted from KPMG in India analysis, Industry discussions conducted

by KPMG in India.

8

Political factors

To understand media, we need to understand the political

environment in which they operate. The media industry may not want government

regulation in some matters, but in this case it certainly does want government

intervention. The government’s protection of copyright is crucial to the continued

functioning of the media industry. Without government enforcement of copyright laws, it

would not be possible for a newspaper to survive. Thus, the relationship between

government and media is more complex than a simple “freedom of the press” slogan

might suggest. To make sense of it, we must understand the constitutional notion of

“freedom of the press” in historical context.

Economic factors

During the 20th Century, newspapers were the primary source of information

for the public. Whether the subject was sports, finance, or politics, newspapers reigned

supreme. Just as important, their ads were the easiest way to find job opportunities or to

learn the price of groceries at ones town's supermarkets. The great majority of families

therefore felt the need for a newspaper every day, but didn't wish to pay for two.

Advertisers preferred the paper with the most circulation, and readers tended to want the

paper with the most ads and news pages. Thus, when two or more newspapers existed in

a major city (which was almost universally the case a century ago), the one that pulled

ahead usually emerged as the stand-alone winner. After competition disappeared, the

paper's pricing power in both advertising and circulation was unleashed. Typically, rates

for both advertisers and readers would be raised annually and the profits rolled in.

Social factors

Social factors influence people's choices and include the beliefs, values and

attitudes of society. Such changes can impact purchasing behavior. Consumer attitude is a

very important social factor.

9

Technological factors

Technology is increasingly competing with print media by opening access to

endless sources of news. It may now seem that the need of the reader to buy a newspaper

for news and the need of the advertiser to advertise in it is slowly receding. Thus it is for

the newspapers to look at emerging options and to rework their traditional sources of

revenue.

Environmental factors

Newspapers face significant challenges on the back of economic slowdown

and the consequent slowdown in advertising revenues, especially in the last quarter of

2008.Print media industry has to adapt to a fast-moving environment and players need to

draw upon new capabilities to survive in this environment.

Legal factors

As a measure of policy liberalization, Government has allowed Indian edition

of foreign news magazines for facilitating wider readership at affordable prices. Also,

Government has recently announced facsimile edition of international news papers to be

brought to India. Government has reviewed the print advertisement policy and brought

about changes to support small and medium newspapers. As per that policy,

advertisement support has been increased from 10% to 15% for Small newspapers and

from 30 to 35% for Medium newspapers, in money terms. Minimum publication period

requirement drastically reduced from 36 months to 6 months for regional languages

newspapers.

Threat of New Entrants

Threat of new entrants is extremely high. Online news providers and others

are new players in many media markets of all sizes. Moreover with many untapped

regional news, there is an increase in the number of newspapers.

10

Bargaining Power of Customers

Bargaining power of customers is high. Individual readers can choose to read

online content for free instead of paying for the newspapers. Another type of customers

are the Advertisers who have a say in the price of the advertisement.

Bargaining Power of Suppliers

Bargaining power of suppliers is fairly low. This is because of the wide

options the consumers have. Another reason is the inability of newspapers to do

something about the online challenge

Threat of Substitutes

Threat of substitute is very high. Most markets have multiple news sources.

Many people are content to seek news from Television stations or national publications.

Even those who want focused, local news from print publications have more than one

option in business journals, magazines, competing newspapers etc.

Competitive Rivalry

The competitive rivalry within the industry is very high. More than 82000

newspapers reflect large competition not just at the national level but at the regional level

as well. The firms cooperate when it comes to pricing of advertisement and the price at

which the newspaper is sold.

Indian Newspaper Society

The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) (formerly Indian and Eastern Newspaper

Society) acts as the central organization of the Press of India, an independent body

authenticating circulation figures of newspapers and periodicals in India. It is an

11

organization which plays a major role in protecting and promoting the freedom of press

in India. The society was founded in 1939. Its headquarters are at Rafi Marg, New Delhi.

INS membership comprises the owners, proprietors and publishers of print media

who discusses and suggest various measures to the government regarding the problems

related to the newspaper industry. It is a kind of pressure group which works to protect

the interest of newspaper industry in particular and print media in general.

Indian newspaper industry today faces problems ranging from rising cost and

paucity of newsprint to shrinking revenue from advertisement due to boom in electronic

media. The executive committee of INS represents the current 990 members from

newspapers, journals, periodicals and magazines.

Registrar of Newspaper for India

Registrar of Newspapers for India, more popularly known as RNI, is a statutory

body of Government of India for newspapers in India. It was established on 1 July 1956,

on the recommendation of the First Press Commission in 1953 and by amending the Press

and Registration of Books Act 1867. The Office of the Registrar of Newspapers for India

is headquartered in New Delhi, and has three regional offices at Kolkata, Mumbai and

Chennai. RNI regulates and monitors printing and publication of newspapers based on

the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867 and the Registration of Newspapers

(Central) Rules, 1956. The registrar is designated as Press Registrar, and Mohan Chandak

is the current Press Registrar.

The Press and Registration of Books Act contains the duties and functions of the

RNI. On account of some more responsibilities entrusted upon RNI during all these

years, the office is performing both statutory as well as some non-statutory functions

12

Audit Bureau of Circulation

The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) of India is a non-profit circulation-

auditing organization. It certifies and audits the circulations of major publications,

including newspapers and magazines in India.

ABC is a voluntary organization initiated in 1948 that operates in different parts of

the world. Until 1948, the concept of circulation audit was yet to be made in India and the

publishers had no means to verify the actual circulation number of publications that they

used for advertising and had to depend more on their own judgment. Publishers also

found it difficult to convince advertisers of the relative values of their publication for the

purpose of advertising. It is with this background that eminent representatives of the

advertising profession and publishing industry came together to establish an organization

which could serve the common interest. Since then the benefit of ABC certificates of

circulation have been availed by advertisers, advertising agencies, publishers and

organizations connected with print media advertising.

Indian Readership Survey

The Indian Readership Survey (IRS) is the largest continuous readership research

study in the world with an annual sample size exceeding 2.56 lakh (256,000) respondents.

IRS collects a comprehensive range of demographic information and provides extensive

coverage of consumer and product categories, including cars, household appliances,

household durables, household care and personal care products, food and beverages,

finance and holidays. IRS is not restricted to survey of readership alone but is

synonymous with both readership & consumption across various FMCG (Fast-Moving

Consumer Goods) products throughout India. IRS covers information on over 100

product categories. IRS is conducted by MRUC (Media Research Users Council) and

RSCI (Readership Studies Council of India).

13

Competitors

Dainik Jagran

Dainik Jagran is a Hindi-language daily newspaper in India. According to the

Audit Bureau of Circulations (India) and the Indian Readership Survey 2013 (IRS 2013),

Dainik Jagran is the most read and circulated newspaper in India with an average Issue

Readership (AIR) of 15.526 million. Dainik Jagran has now been the most read daily

newspaper for the 26th consecutive time. It has also been declared by the World

Association of Newspapers (WAN) as one of the most read newspapers in the world. It

was also named as one of the most credible newspaper source in India in a survey

commissioned by BBC-Reuters. The newspaper is owned by Jagran Prakashan Limited, a

publishing house listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange

of India. Jagran Prakashan Limited also acquired Mid Day in 2010 and Naiduniya in

2012.

DainikBhaskhar

'D.B. Corp Ltd.' Is one of the largest Print Media Company of India with

19.8mn readership. It is a publisher of Indian Hindi-language daily newspaper Dainik

Bhaskar, (Gujarati-language daily newspaper Divya Bhaskar, Marathi-language daily

newspaper Divya Marathi, Saurashtra Samachar, DB Star & DNA). It was started in year

1958 from Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh. In 1983, it commenced its

ambitious journey of expansion with the launch of Dainik Bhaskar's Indore edition. It

expanded its presence to 14 states in 4 different languages namely Hindi, Gujarati,

Marathi and English. Currently, in Hindi markets under flagship newspaper "Dainik

Bhaskar" it is present in 12 states with 37 editions. Beside this it is also present in Gujarat

as "Divya Bhaskar"in Gujarati language with 7 editions and in Maharashtra as "Divya

Marathi" in Marathi language with 7 editions. As of 2014, its National Editor is Kalpesh

Yagnik who operates from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

14

Hindustan

Hindustan Dainik or ''Hindustan'' is published by Hindustan Media Ventures

Limited. Earlier it was part of HT Media Ltd group, which spun off its Hindi business

into a separate company named Hindustan Media Ventures Limited in December 2009. It

ranks as the third largest-read daily in the country. Hindustan has 19 editions across the

Hindi belt. They are spread across Delhi, Bihar (Patna, Muzaffarpur, Gaya and

Bhagalpur), Jharkhand (Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad), Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow,

Varanasi, Meerut, Agra, Allahabad, Gorakhpur, Bareilly, Moradabad, Aligarh, and

Kanpur) and Uttarakhand (Dehradun, Haridwar, Haldwani). Apart from these, the paper

is also available in key towns like Mathura, Saharanpur, Faizabad.

In Delhi plus NCR, Hindustan is an undisputed No. 2 and has a rapidly

growing even as the market is declining. Hindustan readership has grown to 120 L

readers in Q4 11. As per Total Readership, Hindustan is No 2 with 385 L readers.

Hindustan in addition to high-quality reportage also aspires to become an ally

to its readers in their quest for success. The ambition for the brand is to become the

partner of progress for the youth in the Hindi belt. Currently, the major editions of

Hindustan are available online in e-paper format.

The Times of India

The Times of India (TOI) is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. In

2008, the newspaper reported that with a circulation of over 3.14 million it had been

certified by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (India) as the world's largest selling

English-language daily, ranking it as the third largest selling newspaper in any language

in the world and the largest selling newspaper outside Japan. According to the Indian

Readership Survey (IRS) 2012, the Times of India is the most widely read English

newspaper in India with a readership of 7.643 million. This ranks the Times of India as

15

the top English daily in India by readership. It is owned and published by Bennett,

Coleman & Co. Ltd. which is owned by the Sahu Jain family.

MalayalaManorama

MalayalaManorama is a daily morning newspaper, in Malayalam language,

published from Kottayam in the state of Kerala, India by MalayalaManorama Company

Limited. It was first published as a weekly on 14 March 1890, and currently has a

readership of over 20 million (with a circulation base of over 2.1 million copies). The

Malayalam title "manorama" roughly translates to "entertainer".

According to World Association of Newspapers, as of 2011, it holds a

position as top 11th most circulating newspaper in the world. According to the Audit

Bureau of Circulations (ABC) 2013 figures, it is the fourth largest circulating newspapers

in India (behind Dainik Bhaskar, The Times of India and Dainik Jagran) and largest

circulating newspaper in Kerala.

16

Table 2

Most circulated publications

Sl. No. Title Language Average sales

(Jul-Dec 2013)

Average sales

(Jan-Jun 2013)

1 The Times of India English 3,321,702 2,997,675

2 Dainik Jagran Hindi 3,112,560 2,763,208

3 Dainik Bhaskar Hindi 2,963,407 3,450,945

4 Hindustan Hindi 2,237,243 1,958,957

5 Malayala Manorama Malayalam 2,232,585 2,148,012

6 Amar Ujala Hindi 2,018,028 2,149,012

7 Eenadu Telugu 1,801,218 1,767,148

8 Rajasthan Partrika Hindi 1,785,083 1,625,875

9 Daily Thanti Tamil 1,721,833 1,690,608

10 Lokmat Marathi 1,476,900 1,448,463

Note. Adapted from Audit Bureau of Circulation report as on May, 2014

From the above statistics we can see that the major competitors of Amar Ujala in

the Hindi newspaper dailies are Dainik Jagaran, Dainik Bhaskar and Hindustan. These

newspapers came into the market much before Amar Ujala and thus they have a early

mover advantage. Dainik Jagran and Hindustan show an increase in the circulation

comparing the two halves of the year. Whereas Dainik Bhaskar and Amar Ujala has

shown a decline in circulation.

Chapter Three

Organizational Analysis

18

Organizational Profile

Over the last 65 years Amar Ujala has become the voice of people across the Hindi

Heartland. Today Amar Ujala is the undisputed leader in Uttaranchal, Himachal, and

Jammu & Kashmir and is a strong force in UP, Delhi NCR, Haryana, Chandigarh and

Punjab.

Name : Amar Ujala Publications Ltd

Address : C-21/22,

Sector 59,

Noida – 201301

Website :www.amarujala.com

Vision : “To lead with Truth, Courage and

Commitment.”

Mission : “A leading media house empowering people

by providing unbiased news with Courage of

Conviction, Commitment, Team Work,

Transparency & Creativity.”

Market Status : 4th

largest Hindi daily

Managing Director

Director

No. of employees

: Mr. RajulMaheshwari

: Mr. TanmayMaheshwari

: 3,200 (approx)

History

The foundation of AMAR UJALA was laid down by Late Shri DoriLal Agarwal

and Late Shri MurariLalMaheswari on 18th

of April 1948 in Agra. Amar Ujala was

launched on the 18th of April 1948 from Agra, as a 4 page newspaper with a circulation

of 2576 copies with an objective of promoting social awakening and introducing a feeling

of responsibility among the citizens of a recently independent India. In keeping with

19

these objectives that the publishers had set for themselves, the kind of news published

was basically revolving around political and social issues and crime. Starting from that

modest beginning, 20 years later Amar Ujala achieved a circulation of 20,000 copies and

was servicing over 14 districts in Western Uttar Pradesh. Growing slowly, but steadily,

the turn of the century saw Amar Ujala as one of the top 3 dailies of India. Not only has

the newspaper shed the barriers of Western Uttar Pradesh and spread itself across the

entire state, but has also ventured into other neighboring states as well.

Today, Amar Ujala has a staggering circulation of over 2.2 million copies and a

readership of over 30 million. Additionally Amar Ujala is now also a leading newspaper

in Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. Amar Ujala

has 117 Editions including 18 Main Edition.

Table 3

State-wise readership of Amar Ujala

Region Total Readership (lakhs)

Jammu Kashmir 2.42

Himachal Pradesh 14.39

Uttarakhand 21.87

Chandigarh 1.46

Note. Adapted from IRS 2012 Q4

Not ever deviating from the objectives with which the newspaper was originally

started, even today Amar Ujala continues to be a completely unbiased newspaper with a

thrust on political and current events and developments in all fields across the nation and

beyond .Over the years, a lot has changed in Amar Ujala. Using the latest state of the art

technology and equipment, Amar Ujala is now being printed from 18 editions. Also in

keeping with today's fast paced life, all printing centers are connected by latest

technology to enhance speed of news dissemination. Also in keeping with today's fast

paced life, all printing centers are connected by V-sat technology to enhance the speed of

20

news dissemination. To ensure quality of material and content, Amar Ujala has a regular

membership with AFP (Agence France-Presse) and AP(Associated Press). The latest

photographs are therefore part of every edition.

Amar Ujala has grown dramatically and has evolved with the changing times. The

newspaper is known for some ground breaking journalism and even in today's cut throat

competition; Amar Ujala is still selling Authenticity, Honesty and Trust

Figure 1

Timeline of launch of various editions of Amar Ujala

Form of Ownership

Amar Ujala Publications is a private limited. A limited company is a company in

which the liability of members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have

invested or guaranteed to the company. Who may become a member of a private limited

company is restricted by law and by the company's rules. The registration of companies

in India is handled by the Ministry of Company Affairs, which is charged with

administering the Companies Act 2013 and other acts related to Indian private sector.

21

Products

Amar Ujala Newspaper

India's fourth largest Hindi daily with 18 editions in 7 states and 1 union

territory covering 167 districts, has a staggering readership of over 3 crore& circulation

of approximately 22 lakhs making it the leading newspaper daily in Uttarakhand,

Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & very strong No. 2 in Uttar Pradesh.

Amar Ujala started its journey from Agra on 18th April 1948. 65 years later

today Amar Ujala is the fourth largest read Hindi daily. Amar Ujala was initially

launched in Agra as a 4 page newspaper with a circulation of 2576 copies. From a modest

beginning, 20 years later Amar Ujala achieved a circulation of 20,000 copies and was

servicing over 14 districts in Western Uttar Pradesh. Growing slowly, but steadily, the

turn of the century saw Amar Ujala as one of the top 10 dailies of India. Not only has the

newspaper shed the barriers of Western Uttar Pradesh and spread itself across the entire

state, but has also ventured into other neighboring states.

Currently, Amar Ujala publishes a 16 to 18 page daily issue with colorful,

vibrant pages in every edition. In addition to the main issue Amar Ujala also offers

special supplements focusing on Career, Entertainment, Women and many more.

22

Table 4

List of Supplementary/Features of Amar Ujala

Supplement /

Feature

Frequency Positioning Page type

Manoranjan Every Sunday Amusement/ Film/

TV/ Fashion

Broadsheet

Udan Every Wednesday Careers/ Jobs/

Admissions

A4 Magazine

Roopayan Every Friday Women A4 Magazine

Safalta Monthly Career/

Competition

A4 Magazine

Purwai Monday

Fortnightly

Local

Entertainment

&Literature

Broadsheet

Duniya 360 Wednesday General &

Contemporary

Broadsheet

Shraddha Friday Religion

&Spirituality

Broadsheet

NaiZameen Every Sunday Literature Broadsheet

KachiDhoop Every Saturday Children Broadsheet

Parinay Every Sunday Matrimonial Sheets

Yuvaan Every Saturday Youth education,

guidelines and

entertainment

24 page Tabloid

Compact Daily Paper Tabloid

Compact/

KhulaPanna

Daily Good life

/Religion

Broadsheet

Focus Every Monday Issues Broadsheet

23

Amarujala.com

Amarujala.com is one of the fastest growing Hindi news portals of the

country, commanding great credibility in its genre. The website was first launched in

March 2010. Ever since amarujala.com has offered rich and informative content that

provides its readers in-depth compelling local, national and international news. It abides

by the motto “Saar se vistaartak”, a philosophy that focuses on both comprehensiveness

and expansive content, be it in terms of news, information or entertainment.

Amarujala.com is favorite amongst people who want to know and read local

news. Though we are covering news from more than 12 states and 250 regions in India,

we are updating local news from 118 city centers across seven states of North India

regularly. To cover the cities more efficiently, amarujala.com has launched hyper local

news sites, the beginning of which has been made with the cities of Delhi

(www.delhincr.amarujala.com) and Chandigarh (www.chandigarh.amarujala.com) and

Lucknow (www.lucknow.amarujala.com), Dehradun (www.dehradun.amarujala.com).

Apart from this amarujala.com covers entertainment news and features

elaborately. It captures all the industry news, quirky gossips and reviews of new movie

launches. In-depth information on sports, astrology, faith, business, technology and auto

world leaves the readers engrossed to their screens. The lifestyle section compiles the

latest trends of the fashion and the best practices of staying healthy.

One of the most read property “Zara IddharBhi” features the wild and weird

news across the world.Amarujala.com also brings exciting contests from time to time and

lets its readers to play games online.

Recent launch also includes a platform for the Hindi bloggers that has gained

immense popularity and traction in a short span of time.

24

MyResultPlus

MyResultPlus, the fastest result portal is also owned and managed by Amar

Ujala Publications ltd. MyResultPlus is recognized as the web portal which uploads

results from various boards and universities as soon as they are out. It also keeps its

readers updated on career counseling, scholarship, personality development, education

loan and more.

Amar Ujala Apps & Deals

Amarujala.com extends its self to the mobiles of its readers in form of Mobile

Applications. Amar Ujala News App, Amar Ujala Best Deals, Amar Ujala Movie

Review, Pinky ki Diary and Course finder are quite popular amongst youngsters

Amar Ujala Compact

Amar Ujala Compact is a tabloid sized complete newspaper with international

design and great mix of content from news (national and international), sports and

technology to entertainment etc. Compact, now is the largest read tabloid newspaper in

Uttar Pradesh with the total readership of 25, 90,000 (source: IRS 12 Q4 TR). Compact

started its journey from Kanpur on 20th Oct 2007 and made its ways to become the

Number 1 tabloid in Kanpur. The next milestone was Agra on 29 November 2007 and

there was no looking back post Agra. In 2008, four editions of Compact were launched.

Allahabad and Varanasi were twin launches on 17 January followed by Meerut on 21

January and Dehradun on 24 January. 2010 witnessed launch of Compact in Gorakhpur

on 2 April and Bareilly on 12 April. Compact reigns supreme in Agra with 92,000

readers, in Allahabad with 2, 94,000 readers, in Gorakhpur & Bareilly with 82,000 and

21, 0000 readers respectively. Kanpur also crowned Compact its Number 1 tabloid with

4, 07,000 readers.

25

Amar UjalaYuvaan

Amar UjalaYuvaan is a weekly newspaper published every Saturday with

footprint in 8 states and 1 Union Territory (UP, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi,

Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Chandigarh) and circulation of 40,000 (as per

internal PO). Yuvaan is targeted at students with an objective of inculcating reading

habits in adolescents. Yuvaan has a perfect mix of both English and Hindi articles.

Yuvaan is a 24 page tabloid with diversified content and plethora of

interesting reads. Yuvaan encapsulates inspiring success stories of the young for the

young, shares updates in the field of science and technology, language, literature, health,

sports along with the happenings in the country and the world and many more. With info

on various career options Yuvaan gives a new horizon to the students. Yuvaan also

interacts with its readers through social media “Yuvaanamarujala” and publishes their

thoughts and opinions.

In short Yuvaan is “infotainment ka download” and works towards shaping

the persona of the adolescents by giving them a 360 degree horizon for themselves and

towards the world as a whole.

Magazines

‘Safalta’, a niche monthly magazine, was launched in August 2011, for

students aspiring for Civil Services and all ‘A’ grade competitive exams, at a cover price

of Rs.60. It has a unique combination of study material required to successfully clear

examination. It is a complete solution to prepare from written examinations to interviews.

After stupendous success of Safalta, ‘SafaltaSamiyki’ was launched; a monthly magazine

at a very reasonable cover price of Rs.20. ‘SafaltaSamyiki’ provides information and

material in the segment of General knowledge and Current affairs focusing and catering

to government jobs aspirants.

26

Books

Amar Ujala offers education books for the preparation of Civil Services,

UGC -NET/JRF and various other competitive examinations (Bank PO, TET,

PGT/TGT/POLICE/RAILWAY/CRPF/NDA/CDS/PCS etc.). Amar Ujala has multiple

patterns in the segment, comprising of complete guides / previous years solved papers /

practice sets and others. Amar Ujala is building title banks, for all competitive exams

related to national and state level and plans to have approximately 500 plus titles.

Organizational Structure

Amar Ujala follows a tall organizational structure. The reason to call it a tall

structure is because it has multiple levels. In a tall structure, managers form many ranks

and each has a small area of control. The advantage of tall structures lie in clarity and

managerial control. The narrow span of control allows for close supervision of

employees’ work. Tall structures provide clear and distinct layers with obvious lines of

responsibility and control and a clear promotion structure. Challenges begin when a

structure gets too tall. Communication begins to take too long to travel through all the

levels. These communication problems hamper decision-making and hinder progress. But

in Amar Ujala despite having a tall organizational structure, all communication goes from

top to bottom very quickly and the structure supports the organizational process.

27

Figure 2

Organisational structure at Amar Ujala

Managing Director

(Owner)

Vice President

Assistant Vice

President

General

Manager

Deputy General

Manager

Assistant

General Manager

Chief

Functional

Head

Unit Heads

Chief

Manager

Sr.

Manager

Manager

Assistant

Manager

Senior

Officer

Officer

Executive

Trainee

A

A

28

Functions of Managing Director

The business of the company is managed by the Managing Director who pays

for all the expenses incurred in setting up and registering the company. The Managing

Director is duly complied by the provision of the Indian Companies Act 1913. It is his

duty to send to the registrar the annual list of members, notice of any consolidation or

increase of share capital or conversion of shares into stock and copies of special

resolution. Other functions are

To purchase or otherwise acquire for the company any property, right or

privileges which the company is authorized to acquire.

To secure the fulfillment of any contract or engagements entered into the

company.

To appoint and at their discretion remove or suspend such managers, secretaries,

officers, clerks, agents and servants for permanent, temporary or special services

as they may from time to time think fit based on the performance.

To appoint any person to accept and hold in trust for the company any property

belonging to the company

To draw, accept, endorse and negotiate all such cheques, bills of exchange,

drafts, promissory note and government and other securities in connection with

the business.

From time to time to make, vary and repeal bye–laws for the regulation of the

business of the company, its offices and its servants.

To commence and carry on or defend, abandon or compromise any legal

proceedings whatsoever including proceedings in insolvency on behalf of the

company or to refer any claims or demands by or against the company to

arbitration and to observe and perform the awards and to accept compositions

from or give time to any debtor or contributory owing money or alleged to owe

money to the company.

To give receipts, releases and discharges on behalf of the company.

To invest and deal with any money of the company not immediately required for

the purpose of its business and in such a manner as they think fit.

29

Functions of a General Manager

He is directly accountable to the Managing Director

Create better inter departmental and inter unit coordination to facilitate

smooth and efficient functioning.

Streamline and monitor the activities of the circulation and marketing

department.

Formulate a financial budget an planning in tune with the growth and

stability of the organization

Taking into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of the

organization, conceive innovative and creative strategies to cope with the

highly competitive market conditions prevailing now.

Advise the Managing Director on appropriate steps to be taken to make

this a better organization so that each and every employee feels he is a

valuable member in the organization and develop team concept for

enabling him to contribute his/her best.

Unit Head

There are 18 units in the Amar Ujala newspaper division which helps the

coverage of its newspaper in Allahabad, Varanasi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Gorakhpur,

Moradabad, Bareilly, Jhansi, Meerut, Aligarh, Agra, Noida, Dehradun, Rohtak,

Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Jammu and Haldwani. Unit chief is responsible for

administration of their respective unit.

Functions of a Unit Head

1. Head of unit task force

2. Formulates the task force decision

3. Coordinates the activities of each unit

30

Figure 3

Structure of task force

Amar Ujala has 18 units spread across northern part of India. Each unit had a Unit

Head who is also the head of editorial in the unit. Under the unit head we have Unit

SPDM Head, Unit Financial Controller, Unit Production Head, Unit Materials Head, Unit

HR and Admin Head and Unit IT Head. These Heads lead their respective departments.

Unit Head & Editorial

Head

Unit SPDM Head

Unit Financial Controller

Unit Production

Head

Unit Materials

Head

Unit HR and Admin

Head

Unit IT Head

31

Table 5

Number of employees in each unit location

Sl No. Unit Location No. of employees

1 Agra 165

2 Aligarh 76

3 Allahabad 123

4 Bareilly 141

5 Chandigarh 279

6 Corporate Office, Noida 344

7 Dehradun 152

8 Dharamshala 71

9 Gorakhpur 130

10 Jhansi 74

11 Jammu 83

12 Kanpur 74

13 Lucknow 231

14 Meerut 215

15 Moradabad 175

16 Nainital 95

17 Noida 103

18 Rohtak 259

19 Varanasi 123

Activities of a Task Force

1. It is a body that comprises heads of all departments in each unit

2. It is for analyzing individual unit performance

3. Task force is for monitoring the activities of each department

32

Company Secretary

Company secretary is an officer of the company who has certain

responsibilities under the law and under and under any duties passed to him by the

directors. The role of the company secretary is administrative rather than managerial. The

secretary is an officer of the company as such has the duty of ensuring that the affairs of

the company are conducted in accordance with

1. The Companies Act

2. The Companies Articles

3. Generally in accordance with the law

Functions of company secretary

1. The company secretary performs all duties that he is required to perform under the

Companies Act

2. He supplies the required data to the company’s advocates in connection with legal

matters

3. He is directly accountable to the managing director

Powers of the company secretary

The company secretary could be described as the Chief Administrative

Officer and as such has the authority to enter into contracts on behalf of the Company

concerning administrative matters

Duties of the company secretary

1. To attend all meetings and write up minutes of such meetings

2. To ensure proper filling of documents with the Registrar or the court

3. Issue notices to the shareholders and others

4. Deal with the shareholders’ queries regarding transfers and other matter relating the

registrar of members

33

5. Be responsible for the books of the company such as registrar for members and

directors and for all necessary returns to the company house.

Functional Analysis

Human Resource Department

Of all the factors of production, man is by far the most important factor. In

fact the success of every business enterprise is dependent on its human element. The

Human Resource department is concerned with the managerial and operative function i.e.

a view to attain the organizational goals effectively , efficiently and economically and

meeting the social and individual goals .At Amar Ujala, this department performs all

those activities which helps the management in getting and consolidating the work done

in best possible manner from the persons at different hierarchical levels and from

different departments to make sure that all the work done separately by them should be

for the organization’s benefit .Thus it considers all the problems of people at work i.e.

economic ,social, psychological and political problems.

Functions of Human Resource Department

Recruitment and maintenance of the employees, training arrangement,

job analysis and job description, grievance handling, disciplinary action and employees’

welfare are the major functions performed by this department.

“A square is best fit in a square pack only not in a circle”

that is the right person at right place to do right work with right energy in a right manner

and in minimum time.

It is the best possible way of an organization to grow and develop and

to ensure that all the inputs are optimally utilized .This department conducts the

following welfare schemes for Amar Ujala employees

34

Employee Provident Fund

Employee Family Pension Scheme

Employee Group Insurance Scheme

Payment of Gratuity

Loan Schemes

Medical Facilities (Mediclaim )

Leave Allowance

Group Term Life Scheme

Group Personal Accident Scheme

Along with this , department also holds responsibility to see that the

efficiency is maintained in the organization and each department understands the close

relationship it has with all the other departments and also each department performs their

work individually as well as work in coordination with other departments for the best

results.

Mediclaim Policy

Objective is to provide financial assistance in case of Medical treatment

of an Employee/ dependents. It is applicable to employee whose Monthly Gross Salary is

more than Rs. 15,000.

Sum Assured Amount Limit:

• Upto 30,000 (Gross Salary) – Rs. 1 Lac

• Upto 50,000 (Gross Salary) – Rs. 1.5 Lac

• More than 50,000 (Gross Salary)-Rs. 2 Lac

Amount = 3.121% of Sum Assured

35

Group Personal Accident Policy

Objective is to provide financial security to the family of deceased

(Accidental). It is applicable to all employees in case of death. Sum Assured Amount

Limit starts from Rs. 2 Lac goes up to Rs. 7 Lac

Group Term Life Insurance Policy

Objective is to provide financial security to the family of deceased

(Accidental or Natural). Applicable to all employees in case of death. Sum Assured

Amount Limit is 36 times of the Monthly Gross Salary.

Leave Policy

Leave can be granted to attend personal affairs, recover from sickness

and rejuvenate, to handle emergencies or to enjoy the vacations and stay away from the

work for a while. It is applicable to all employees of Amar Ujala.

Every employee from Non- Editorial is entitled for Casual Leave (7

days a year), Earned Leaves (15 days a year) and Medical Leave (10 days a year). Every

employee from Editorial is entitled for Casual Leave (15 days a year), Earned Leaves (27

days a year) and Medical Leave (10 days a year). Apart from these 11 holidays are

granted to the employees.

1 Week advance notice along with approval of your Reporting Officer

needs to be given before taking planned leave. Intimate over the phone to your Reporting

Officer, but leave application form needs to be submitted on the next day.

36

Career path

Figure 4

Career path (Non-Editorial)

VICE-PRESIDENT

ASSITANT VICE-

PRESIDENT

GENERAL MANAGER

DEPUTY GENERAL

MANAGER

ASSISTANT GENERAL

MANAGER

CHIEF MANAGER

SENIOR MANAGER

MANAGER

MANAGEMENT TRAINEE

EXECUTIVE

OFFICER

SENIOR OFFICER

ASSISSTANT MANAGER

DEPUTY MANAGER

PRESIDENT

A

A

37

Figure 5

Organogram of Human Resource Department

Head HR

Chief Manager

Deputy Manager Operation

Seniior Officer

Senior Officer

Officer

Sr. Manager -

Talent Acquision

Asst. Manager -

Talent Acquision

Deputy Manager - HR Edit

Manager - Compliance

Unit HR - Admin

Asst Manager -

Admin Allied

Executive

Sr. Manage Admin

Assit Manager

Officer

Officer

Asst manager

38

Recruitment

Recruitment is the process of finding and attracting capable applicants

for employment. The process begins when new recruits are sought and ends when their

applications are submitted. The result is a pool of applicants from which new employees

are selected.

The various steps in the recruitment process at Amar Ujala are

Manpower Planning

Estimating or projecting the number of personnel with different skills required over

time or for a project, and detailing how and when they will be acquired. In the process of

manpower planning analysis of the current manpower inventory, making future

manpower forecasts, developing employment programmes and designing of training

programmes are done. It aims at putting right number of people, right kind of people at

the right place, right time, doing the right things for which they are suited for the

achievement of goals of the organization. It is a systems approach and is carried out in a

set procedure. It involves determination of future needs of manpower in the light of

organizational planning and structure. It indicates what actions can be taken to make

existing manpower suitable for future organizational positions and the gap between

needed and available manpower can be fulfilled. In this process a certain no of manpower

is sanction for each department.

Identification of shortage of manpower

Using the process of manpower planning the shortage in manpower is identified in

each unit and further in each department. With respect to the urgency of manpower in the

particular vacant post a report is created and sent to the Unit Head.

Manpower Requisition

The Unit Head/Department Head then sends a manpower requisition form to

Corporate HR. The form contains columns for brief job description, profile specification

and justification for hiring. Based on various factors the report is either accepted or

39

rejected by the Corporate functional head. The acceptance is based on the sanctioned

manpower for each year. Then the form is sent to corporate HR.

Searching of the right employee

At Amar Ujala both internal and external sources are used for recruitment.

Searching of the right employee is done by placing ads in naukri.com, by reference of

existing or past employees, manpower recruitment consultant and through advertisement

in newspaper.

Personal initial screening by Human Resource Department

The candidate is requested to submit a copy of the resume and certificate along

with the employment form. The employment form contains personal details, academic

qualification and work experience. Human Resource department is responsible for the

verification of the certificates and other relevant data such as work experience, reference

etc.

Functional interview by the Concerned Department

A direct interview is conducted by the concerned department. For evaluation a

rating scale method is used. The candidate is assessed on his personality (dress,

appearance, confidence, manners etiquette etc), leadership (initiative, interpersonal

relations, decision making, analytical ability etc) communication (oral communication,

clarity, written communication etc) and functional competence (job knowledge, relevant

Experience etc.). Any other observations and limitations are also written in the interview

rating and recommendation sheet.

Short listing job role vs skill fulfillment analysis by Thomas profiling

Thomas Personal Profile Analysis (PPA) is a forced choice instrument used as a

means to describe an individual in a self-referential way. It provides information of

importance and value to employers making personnel decisions.Thomas PPA is a self-

administered forced choice adjective checklist consisting of 24 tetrads of descriptive

40

words, from each of which applicants are asked to select which they believe describes

those most and which least.

Psychometric and Personality Test

A Psychometric test is used for measuring sensitivity, memory, intelligence and

aptitude of the candidate. A personality test is used to judge the personality traits such as

level of confidence, etiquette etc. Candidates at Amar Ujala go through these tests at the

clinic of Dr. K.M Broota. The candidates of editorial, sales promotion and Market

Development, HR and Admin and candidates of senior position go through these tests.

Computer Test

All candidates up to the post of the manager undergo a computer test. This test is

both written and practical. In this test the candidates’ skills on word, excel and

PowerPoint are accessed.

Salary Negotiation

Salary Negotiation is done to came to an understanding regarding the salary of the

employee. This will also include the benefits provided by the company. Salary

negotiation in the case of experienced candidate is done based on the basis of his

previous salary.

Release of Offer Letter

After the approval of the candidate letter a of intent (LOI), is send to him/her by the

corporate HR. In the LOI joining date of candidate is mentioned. The candidate conforms

he date of joining and brings all required documents on that day.

Performance Appraisal

Performance Appraisal is a method by which the job performance of an

employee is documented and evaluated. Performance appraisals are a part of career

development and consist of regular reviews of employee performance within

41

organizations. The steps involved in the process of performance appraisal at Amar Ujala

are given below

1. Corporate HR to decide on periodicity, parameters, guidelines & timelines for

performance appraisal

2. Corporate HR to propose & take MD's Approval for Budget

3. Corporate HR to prepare self-rating form which shall be distributed to the

employees eligible for appraisal- Online Activity at Official Intranet

4. Employee to rate himself on given parameters and submit the form to HR & to his

reporting authority- Online Activity at Official Intranet

5. Reporting authority to evaluate & review the form and will rate the employee

performance on given parameters- Online Activity at Official Intranet

6. Reviewing Authority to review & submit his remarks/ratings- Online Activity at

Official Intranet

7. Corporate HR to collate the data & put for approval of MD/Director with

observations

8. MD/Director to approve the appraisal after review & verifying the details

9. Corporate HR to prepare individual letters for the employees

10. Corporate HR & Unit HR to distribute the letters

11. Corporate HR to effect necessary changes in Payroll

Finance Department

Accounts Department is the core of any business organization. This

department presents systematic, classified and summarized facts for the information

about organizational financial status and current position. Its main responsibility is to

provide facts for the organization’s management body on timely basis so that they can

take timely decisions. In Amar Ujala this department collects financial records, classify

them, calculate them, summarize them and present them in a required form to the

management on timely and regular basis so as to make the decisions of management

more effective and efficient.

42

Functions of Finance Department

Recording of transactions, regularly.

Determining of actual cost of the assets of the organization.

Classification of data, transformation of data into valuable information.

Making information more reliable, more precise, accurate and timely as brief as

needed.

Budgeting and forecasting.

At Amar Ujala, this department keeps records of following details:

Profit and Loss Account and Balance Sheet

Office and Administrative Department Expenses

Building Maintenance and service Expenses

Additional Expenses

General Expenses

Advertising Expenses

Advertising revenue and Circulation Expenses

Payrolls and Salaries

43

Figure 6

Organogram of Finance Department

Marketing Department

The marketing department at Amar Ujala is split into two divisions. They are

Media solutions division (AD sales department) and Sales Promotion and Market

Division (circulations department).

CFO

GM- Operations

Senior Manager – A/c

Senior Manager – News

Print

Company Secretary

DGM - ERP

44

Media Solutions (Ad-Sales Department)

This department is the life blood of any newspaper like AMAR

UJALA. At present when tempo of our thinking , way of our life in general,

technological, economic and social values are changing, the advertising department of

Amar Ujala is serving the society as well as the organization by providing more effective

services and increasing the advertising volume .The cost of one copy of Amar Ujala

newspaper starting from collecting of news, then editing, after that printing, transporting

to the agencies to hawker and then to final customer i.e. reader comes to be

approximately Rs. 10/- .But due to tough competition any newspaper cannot charge that

much from its customers and without profit any organization cannot run for long. So all

the differences between charged money and cost price plus profit of share holders plus

salary of employees all comes from these advertisements. This department has smoothly

organized sales because it has to maintain contacts with local merchants, dealers,

business firms and service institution as their perspective customers. To accomplish the

above objectives, a team effort is being done under the very effective supervision,

energetic and result oriented sales force has been continuously working to maintain

contacts with different types of perspective and potential advertiser. Equal importance is

given to a big as well as small advertiser. Functions Performed by the Department are

• Receiving advertisement from local, nationals and international advertisers either

directly or through some representatives, agencies.

• Scheduling of advertisements at different specified space in the newspaper on due

dates.

• Issuing bill to the advertisers either directly or through the advertising agencies.

• Calculation of commissions and discounts at the time of actual receiving of

payments.

• Maintaining the full records of revenue received publication of advertisement and

issuing reminder in case of delays.

45

From the above description we can conclude that this department of Amar

Ujala performs its job inside as well as outside the organization in the market.

Sales Promotion and Marketing Development

Circulation is the backbone of any newspaper industry. Without it the

newspaper will not get advertisements and without advertisements it would be difficult

for any newspaper to survive. To perform its main functions like selling, delivering and

collecting duties effectively, the circulation division is spread across the organizational

units.

Amar Ujala has a strong Sales Planning and Market Development Team

comprising around 300 employees which are present in all main cities/ towns and in

almost all important districts covered by Amar Ujala’s editions to ensure timely

deliveries of its newspapers. The circulation is supported by an unparalleled distribution

network of around 4,000 agents, with approximately 30% being exclusive agents.

In some areas, Amar Ujala’s Circulation Team directly appoints

salesmen to pass on the Newspapers to Vendors, Hawkers, Book Stalls, etc. Amar Ujala

has an Extensive Transportation Network of contracted private carriers covering more

than 3,500 locations. Commission paid by Amar Ujala to its Channel Partners varies

across from 25%- 35% depending upon the competitive scenario in the region.

Different functions performed by this department are:

Dispatching of newspaper deciding about mode of distribution and transportation.

Finding the cheapest and fastest mode of transportation but must be a reliable and

daily service provider.

Deciding about commission of hawkers and agents.

Evaluation of working of newspaper’s circulation agencies etc.

This department also has a field force to help in touch with the change

in subscriber’s habit, taste and requirements.

46

Figure 7

Amar Ujala’s Typical Distribution Channel

Amar Ujala’s Circulation

Team

Agents

Salesmen appointed by Amar

Ujala team/ Amar Ujala’s

Circulation Team

Cash Sales Points/ Book Stalls Vendors/ Hawkers

Reader

47

Figure 8

Orgnogram of Marketing Department

Editorial Department

All reading material (i.e. news) is assembled in the editorial department.

Approx 900 member strong Editorial Team is supported by a news gathering network

that has more than 250 Districts / Tehsils and Block Offices spanning entire northern

India to enable unsurpassed news reporting and has more than 2,000 affiliated News

stringers churning ground breaking News Stories every day.

For a wider News coverage Amar Ujala is well represented in International

Events of significance by its special correspondents. Editors/Reporters also accompany

National and International delegations for first hand News reporting. It also receives

Managing Director

AVP- SPMD

AVP- SPMD

VP- MEDIA SOLUTIONS

COMMERCIAL

AGM- MIS

AVP- MEDIA SOLUTIONS

(GOVT.)

AVPMS -NATIONAL

(Head of Touch Point as

well)

48

contents from various news bureaus and news wires/news service agencies such

asBhasha, PTI, AFP and Reuters.

Amar Ujala’s Editorial news department consists of five sub departments

which are as follows:

News Room

All general news are either prepared or processed in newsroom. It is a

place for writing news by reporters. The international, national and state news is brought

in by wire for editing either by hand or through electronic editing terminal e.g. Cathode

Ray Tube (CRT), Video Display Terminal (VDT), fax System and computers. This room

is a busy place from early in the day until press time, the intensity increases as the

deadline for copy approaches

Copy Desk

Located in the news room but almost a separate division is the copy

desk, where the stories turned in by reporters and checked by the city editor, are

examined by experienced copy editors. These experienced persons eliminate unnecessary

and inappropriate words and phrases, correct spellings and punctuations, check facts,

indicate paragraph and write headlines

Editorial department

It is the section where editor of the editorial pages and the editorial

writers handle the material that goes on the editorial page including feature stories, book

reviews and letters from readers. They write the editorial comments reflecting the

unbiased facts on important issues.

Photo department

Amar Ujala has a good members of photographers who either receive

assignments from the editor or use their own wisdom to take photographs of important

events. This section works closely with the news room.

49

Library Department

Amar Ujala has a very rich library. It is full of old documents, cassettes,

floppies, encyclopedias of different fields, up to date dictionary, reference magazines and

trade journals. The library contains material that is considered ‘dead copy’ but may be

used again to “background” or fill out current stories. It also has file of other newspapers,

which are competitors. Besides these are different national and international news

agencies such as UNI, PTI, Bhasha and Varta which transmits news to Amar Ujala. Other

sources of news are local bureau and reporters.

Figure 9

Orgnogram of Editorial Department

Managing Director

Independent Consultant

Executive Editor

Executive Editor

Senior Associate Editor

Associate Editor

50

Editorial Career Path

Figure 10

Editorial Career Path

EDITOR

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

RESIDENT EDITOR

DEPUTY/ ASSOCIATE

EDITOR

SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

NEWS EDITOR/ SPRECIAL

CORRESPONDANCE

DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR/

PRINCIPLE CORESPONDANCE

CHIEF SUB EDITOR/ CHIEF

REPORTER

TRAINEEE

JUNIOR SUB EDITOR/

JUNIOR REPORTER

SUB EDITOR/ REPORTER

SENIOR SUB

EDITOR/SENIOR REPORTER

A

A

51

Production Department

If production is stopped then there will be no use of purchase, sales and other

departments. Production Department of Amar Ujala is concerned with the production of

newspaper. Amar Ujala’s Production Infrastructure consists of 33 Printing Machines

spread across 18 locations in North India.

Amar Ujala expanded its printing capacity, particularly colour capacity,

modernized and upgraded its existing printing centers by

Computer to plate (CTP) printing

Computer to plate (CTP) is an imaging technology used in modern

printing processes. In this technology, an image created in a Desktop Publishing (DTP)

application is output directly to a printing plate.

This compares with the older technology, Computer to film (CTF),

where the computer file is output onto a photographic film. This film is then used to

make a printing plate in a similar manner to a contact proof.

Forklifts and rewinding machines to reduce newsprint waste

A forklift truck (also called a lift truck, a fork truck, or a forklift) is a

powered industrial truck used to lift and move materials short distances. Rewinding

machine is used to wind waste in rolls. These machines help in the reduction and disposal

of newsprint waste.

Heatset machines for printing of glazed supplements and magazines

Heatset printing is the process by which ink is dried by running the

printed paper through an oven immediately after ink is applied by the printing

units.Coated (Glossy) paper such as the paper used in magazines and catalogs always has

to go through a heatset process because it does not absorb ink.

52

Quality Control

To ensure Quality Product to the readers, Amar Ujala has a

comprehensive quality testing lab with machines equipped to check the

GSM of Newsprint (Grammage Per Square Meter)

Brightness and Opacity

Tensile Strength

Fluff Contents

Oil Absorbency

Figure 11

Organogram of Productions Department

Materials Department

Materials department is the department that deals with purchase of raw

materials, shares, machines etc. Newsprints are the main raw material used at Amar

Ujala. Printing inks, plates and chemicals, film, uniforms for staffs, stationary items,

periodicals and books for editorial staff and executives etc. are other materials to be

purchased.

Assistant Vice- President

AGM - Production AGM - Electrical

53

Functions of Materials Department

Purchasing of raw materials

Maintaining record of raw materials purchased.

Receiving and checking the raw materials.

Dealing with the raw materials and purchase payments.

Maintaining appropriate inventory level throughout the process.

Taking appropriate steps in rectifying problems regarding materials.

Figure 12

Organogram of Materials Department

Asst. Vice President

CM – Inventories and

stores

Senior Manager -

Procurement

Sr. Manager –

Inventory/ stores

Senior Manager -

Procurement

CM – Projects and

Procurement

54

Touch Point

TouchPoint is brand activations arm of Amar Ujala. TouchPoint specializes

in conceiving all round and intelligent brand solutions in order to ensure maximum

visibility and penetration of a brand or product. TouchPoint aspires to be the first choice

for all leading brands and support them in maximizing their reach and help them building

& enhancing their brand image. TouchPoint is amongst one of the best media integration

solutions providing company. TouchPoint provides holistic 360degree approach and

solutions to help brand reach their Target Group, understand them & help them making

their brand relevant to the desired Target Group.

TouchPoint caters to Corporate, Regional and Rural marketing set up, with a

clear objective of maximum market reach, better accessibility and availability to

predefined set of Target Group. In over a small period of 2years of its operations,

TouchPoint has the merit of presence in prestigious Limca Book of Records for Amar

Ujala and Chandigarh Police. Amar UjaIa and Chandigarh Police had together organized

‘Gully Cricket League” which attracted highest teams participation, this led the event to

be penned down, in the renowned Limca Book of Records. It also has the privilege of

organizing back to back events with Governor of Punjab & Haryana, Chief Minister of

Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and more, since its inception.

TouchPoint has also managed to setup a unique distinction of conceptualizing and

executing activities catering to almost all segments. 1. ‘Rupantaran’ is a platform that

connects with Housewives or young ladies and helps in women empowerment and

emancipation. 2. ‘Campus Konnect’ created a cord with the youth. 3. Schools Kids

through ‘MedhawiChattraSamman’ 4. Working professional or businessmen are tapped

with ‘Investors meet” 5. ‘Amar UjalaMahachaupal’ caters to rural masses.

TouchPoint caters to Brands ranging from HUL Pepsodent, Fair & Lovely,

Surf Excel, Ponds, Vaseline, Taaza Tea, Sunsilk, besides other key brands like INTEL,

Kotak Mahindra, Tech Mahindra, Hero MotoCorps, Usha, Everest, Karbonn mobiles,

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Idea Cellular, Eicher Tractors, JCB, HL Life care, DPS School Aligarh, State Bank of

India, Carrefour, Easy day and many more.

Other Departments

The other departments at Amar Ujala include IT and systems, print shop,

internal audit and books and magazine division. IT and systems department plays a

perfect role in the binding up of all the organization activities within and outside the

company. It creates a harmony of smooth work flow with the maximum speed and

technical perfection with negligible amount mistakes. It is responsible for maintain the

ERP. The vendor of the ERP is Oracle. Print shop is responsible for carrying out the

online shopping business. Internal Audit adds value and improves an organization's

operations. It helps the organization to accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic,

disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management,

control, and governance processes.Internal auditing is a catalyst for improving an

organization's governance, risk management and management controls by providing

insight and recommendations based on analyses and assessments of data and business

processes. Books and magazine division is for the day to day running of magazines and

books published by Amar Ujala Publications Ltd.

Social Activities

Amar Ujala rolls out reader’s engagement programme 'Plant a Tree and Save

the Earth'

With an objective to take the Amar Ujala brand closer to readers, Amar Ujala

initiated interaction with its readers. The initiative started with a corporate social

responsibility activity on World Earth Day. The activity was successfully planned and

executed across AU footprints wherein the company asked its readers to "Plant a Tree

and Save the Earth."

56

The initiative was flagged off by Amar Ujala by planting a tree in the name of

the respective city. Tree plantation was supported by a signature campaign wherein in

lakhs of people across AU footprints pledged to save the earth and plant a tree.

Initiative was graced by the presence of Chipko Movement leader & famous

environmentalist Padma Vibhushan Shri SundarlalBahuguna who also planted a tree with

and sang a poem on the occasion. State cabinet Minister Dr. Indira Hridayesh and Harish

Chandra Durgapal were among the other dignitaries.

Apart from tree plantation and signature campaign, readers were requested to

switch off their lights for an hour in the evening on World Earth Day - April 22 and

contribute their bit to Save Our Mother Earth.

Amar Ujala takes a gender equality stand with 'Beti hi Bachayegi'

Gender equality and women’s empowerment are two sides of the same coin.

Both have multiple dimensions that together yield a wide variety of indicators.

In order to build the same, Amar Ujala has taken an initiative for the first time

in Uttar Pradesh and in Uttaranchal, called ‘Beti hi Bachayegi’, which signifies the need

for recognizing the unlimited possibilities that girls and women bring to the society. The

project revolves around further educating the mass base on gender equality and women

empowerment by bringing together the various segments of the society through various

engagement platforms.

Amar Ujala Foundation – First to rehabilitate flood affected victims of

Uttrakhand

Amar Ujala Foundation has achieved a milestone by being the first one to

provide Mid Term Shelters to the flood affected victims of Uttarakhand. AUF has already

completed 55 Mid Term Shelters in its first and second phase, and is now on way to

create 130 more new shelters in the district of Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, and Chamoli.

57

In the disaster affected parts of Uttarakhand, 55 temporary housing shelters

have been created in the first and second phase by Amar Ujala Foundation. Now in the

third phase construction of 130 houses in Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts

are being built. That disaster came in June last year, during which the three districts were

most affected.

Rural Development Project

Amar Ujala Foundation has adopted 20 villages in Uttarakhand for the overall

upliftment primarily focusing on water, soil, environment, necessities, education, skill up

gradation and livelihood. Experts from Wadiya Institute for Himalayan Geology, USAC,

FRI and HESCO are also contributing their valuable inputs for the development of these

villages. As of now AUF has started its work in Rampur, Sarkhet, GhantuSera, Silla and

Tacchila village. AUF has started a stitching training for women of these villages and has

given 2-2 sewing machines in some of these villages. Also, good quality seeds for

farming and provision for other necessities is being taken care of by AUF.

Empowering Disability

In collaboration with ManavKalyan Foundation, AUF has been organizing

free artificial limb distribution camps, where physically handicapped patients are

distributed free of cost artificial limbs, along with consultation with the best Doctors of

the city. Not only this, under the same roof, another camp was organized where

government officials from various departments were available for facilitating them with

various concession passes, bank loans, medical certificates etc.

Blood Donation Camp

Amar Ujala Foundation organized a one of a kind blood donation camp at

Kanpur in collaboration with Red Cross Society, where more than 250 people

58

volunteered to donate blood. There were more than 200 people who were willing to, but

couldn’t donate their blood due to unexpected turn out of the crowd at the camp. Not only

blood, more than 325 people registered themselves for donating their eyes, organs and

body.

At the same time and venue a parallel health camp for full body health

checkup was also organized, with various on the spot lab facilities, where hundreds of

people were examined and given medications, prescribed by the top Doctors of the city.

SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis is a structured planning method used to evaluate the strengths,

weaknesses, opportunities, and threats involved in a project or in a business venture.

Strength

Amar Ujala is distributed across 8 states in India. This includes 17 unit

locations. Another reason for the success of the newspaper is its wide reader base of hindi

reading population. Amar Ujala is known for social awakening, introducing a feeling of

social responsibility, publicly speaking the truth and maintaining the value of the news.

In this regard it won the best election coverage in 2009. It shows that the newspaper is

not politically biased. Authenticity of the news is always maintained.

Weakness

One of the major weakness of Amar Ujala is that it has no adequate

representation in South India. News about information technology, International news,

career and business are limited. Lack of innovation is also linked with the newspaper.

Amar Ujala has been catering to following the same type of audience ever since its

inception. It's high time the newspaper starts to acknowledge the variety of readers.

59

Opportunities

Some methods by which the company can grow include adequate usage of

online e-paper to generate more revenue by promoting ads and other commercial.

Untapped markets in South India can be explored. Well utilization of the existing

resources could help reach more people.

Threat

Within the industry Amar Ujala faces competition from various newspaper

such as DainikJagran, DainikBhaskar, Hindustan and Rajasthan Patrika. These newspaper

have more readership than Amar Ujala. The increase in internet penetration is also a

threat as the readers get access to fast and cheap news. With Indian population switching

towards English as a major means communication they would eventually shift from Hindi

to English.

Figure 13

SWOT Analsis

Chapter Four

Observation and Conclusion

61

Observations

Through the organizational study conducted from 2nd

May, 2014 to 2nd

June, 2014

the reasons of the success of Amar Ujala Publications as one of the leading dailies in

India was found out. The major reason as to why the public looks towards Amar Ujala is

due to the value of the news they provide. Over the years the Amar Ujala has been able to

establish itself as the carrier of truth. The newspaper believes in providing authentic news

to the public. Each news item in Amar Ujala is verified properly and printed. Being

politically unbiased the newspaper was able to grab the award for best election coverage

by an Indian newspaper in the year 2009.

The structure of the organization has evolved over the years. It is a result of

structural changes experienced by the company due to various reasons. It is a tall

structure. It has a line and staff structure. It is this structure that has led to the rise of

Amar Ujala as One of the leading newspapers in India.

Another reason for the success of the organization is the attitude of the company

towards its employees. The employees of the company stay with the organization for a

long period of time due to the various benefits that they give their employees. It has

created a ‘we’ feeling among the employees.

A probable area for the development of the company could be towards the

untapped regions of South and East India where the presence of the company is lacking.

62

Suggestion

Amar Ujala should increase news about new marketing strategies. It should

increase news about Technological developments. The company could give gifts like T-

shirts, begs, caps etc. to thedaily Amar Ujala readers and subscribers to promote its sales.

The newspaper should increase international news so that customers won’t move towards

English newspaper. The newspaper can increase news about new scientific inventions. In

the Statutory Supplement i.e. of films a new column could be added that provide

information about top ten Hindi film songs and top ten films. As the modern age is the

age of competition the newspaper can release a new supplement in which the relevant

information regarding employment can be contained for e.g.carriers in Hindustan Times,

Ascent in Times of India.

63

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