| MUMBAI:
Lachlan Murdoch, the estranged heir of Rupert Murdoch, is eyeing the media business
in India. Taking
the first step, he has entered into a 50:50 joint venture with Percept Holdings
to launch a new initiative in the business of talent management. The
entity, with Lachlan's Illyria Pty Ltd. (Australia) as partner, will be called
Percept Talent Management (PTM). PTM
aims to represent notable creative and technical talent in the fields of motion
pictures, television, fashion, music, sports and branded entertainment.
The company foresees
an estimated top-line of Rs one billion in the first year and is confident of
growing to Rs three billion within two years of operations. Signifying
a paradigm shift in the business of talent management in the Indian sub-continent,
PTM aims to create a 360-degree model for a confluence between creating, inculcating
and promoting talent. The
joint-venture will focus on areas like legal, financial, tax, wealth, health,
diet, image and social responsibility needs. It will also look after their professional
contracts, digital domain, publishing, merchandising, media tie-ups, BTL events,
PR and grooming, relationship management and endorsements. "The
media industry here and around the world is driven by its creative talent and
I am pleased to leverage
that talent through this partnership.This is my company's first Indian
investment," Lachlan said while addressing the press. Percept Holdings
joint MD Shailendra Singh pointed out the importance of creating brands and being
able to monetize them successfully from all possible revenue streams. Added
Percept Holdings vice-chairman and MD Harindra Singh in a release, “PTM will
address the huge demand and supply gap in the industry, by providing effective
and efficient turnkey solutions. We will fully back this venture with all our
expertise and resources from across the globe to ensure its success.” According
to PTM COO Vinita Bangard, the main objective of the company is to identify and
acquire raw talent, and give them the professional edge needed to catapult their
career. PTM
has been influential for creating brand-celebrity associations of film celebrities
like Priyanka Chopra, Shreyas Talpade, sportsmen Kapil Dev, Sourav Ganguly and
Yuvraj Singh and even Pakistan-based musicians Strings. | 
