Take Percept Advertising into the Top Ten in the next five years. That is the brief that former Sony Entertainment No: 2 and new CEO Rajesh Pant, who took charge yesterday, has set for himself.

Pant, who was one of the high-profile departures from the SET stable in last year's reorganisation, says he has been given a total free hand by Percept Advertising's promoters Harindra and Shailendra Singh. Pant's initial concentration will be on building and developing internal resources and that means expanding the team that is in place at Percept. With capitalised billings of Rs 1000 million currently, he aims to take it to Rs 5000 million in the next five years.

As for former CEO Navroze Dhondy's equation in the new dispensation, Pant has been quoted as saying Dhondy would assume a more marketing related function.

Pant, who joined SET from Citicorp in Dubai, was last year moved to take charge of the freshly formed SET Pictures division after the company decided to enter the field of film production and distribution. Pant's initial projects included international distribution of the film Mission Kashmir and Lagaan.

One place where Pant's experience at SET will in all likelihood be utilised is in the aggressive plans that Sahara TV has for 2002. Parent company Sahara India is one of Percept's key clients.

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