Anurag Batra is an Indian Entrepreneur living in New Delhi. He is an entrepreneur, journalist, internet evangelist and media expert all rolled into one. Anurag Batra is a first-generation entrepreneur who acquired the iconic business media and magazine brand BW Businessworld, one of the most respected business publications in the country. He is the Chairman & Editor-in-Chief of BW Businessworld Group and also serves as the Founder & Editor-in-Chief of Exchange4media Group.
Anurag Batra is an entrepreneur of a different flavour. Unpretentious and sincere, this dynamic entrepreneur is a name many will find instantly recognizable. He was born on August 27, 1972 and grew up in a middle-class family in Gurgaon. His wife, Niti Batra is a second-generation entrepreneur and leads her family business of travel services established 40 years back successfully. She is currently the director of Joy Travels Pvt Ltd. Anurag Batra’s daughter Prarthna Batra is a student at Vasant Valley School, New Delhi and also an entrepreneur in her own forte.
Anurag Batra BW completed his schooling at Our Lady of Fatima Convent High School, Gurgaon. Later he attended Maharshi Dayanand University in Rohtak, Haryana to complete his B. Tech in Computer Sciences (1990-1994). For his post-graduation, Dr. Anurag Batra attended the Management Development Institute, Gurgaon, one of India’s Top 10 business schools from where he completed MBA in Marketing management and General management (1994-1996).
While he was doing his business studies, he had very limited ambition. During that period, his ambition was to join an IT services company in marketing. Just like his wish, he got placement through campus selection. But just before he joined the firm, came the turning point of his life. Through his friend, Anurag Batra met the people who were setting up Colliers Jardine in India. Batra’s mind changed and he joined Colliers Jardine. It was a joint venture between HDFC and Ireland affairs and did property services.
Anurag Batra was a person who is a lot interested in books. As a kid he would always read magazine. He used to read a lot of newspapers and books. He used to think in contrast to the traditional mindset of land broking and his thoughts led him to start the company called exchange for media, with the help of two of his friends. It was started to build a B-to-B exchange for buying and selling of media time and space. It was a failure for the first 3 years and then it evolved into a daily newsletter for the media advertising communication industry.
Anurag Batra is the man behind the expansion of BW Businessworld Media Group into one of the most respected business publications in the country. He serves as the Chairman and Editor-in-chief of the group since September 2013. Since taking over BW Businessworld, Anurag Batra has expanded the media organization into digital, events and BW communities and has taken into its fold www.digitalmarket.asia, a leading website on digital marketing, www.everythingexperiential.com - India’s leading experiential marketing website and launched BW Hotelier in partnership with hotelier international.
At present, Mr. Anurag Batra is building the BW Businessworld group into new fields and taking it to new heights. Launched more than three decades ago, BW Businessworld is among India's largest and most respected business magazines. Anurag Batra has launched several other communities, which cater to niche audiences in different sectors, under the BW Umbrella including BW Smart Cities, an editorial platform in a 360-degree format launched in mid-February 2015. BW Businessworld also includes BW Accelerate – a structured platform for mentorship and growth of entrepreneurs.
Mr. Batra also founded the exchange4media group and from March 2000 to 2008, he was the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of the Group. He currently serves as the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of the group since June 2000. Exchange4media group is India’s leading media industry company which houses several brands under its fold. The brands include - PITCH – India’s only Advertising, Marketing and Media Magazine; IMPACT – The Marketing Weekly; Franchisee Plus – Business Opportunity Magazine; Realty Plus – India’s leading monthly real estate magazine and samachar4media.com – leading media industry website in Hindi. Besides Mentoring leaders within the institution of E4M and within the eco system of media and digital, he is creating intrapreneurs.
In his past career, Dr. Anurag Batra was the Head of Portland Delhi and Media Planner, JWT from May 1999 till Aug 2000. JWT, previously known as J. Walter Thompson is a global advertising and marketing agency headquartered in New York City. He also served as the Principal Advisor of Stylekandy.com, one of India's premier fashion & lifestyle online magazines in Mumbai from Jan 2009 till Oct 2013. Anurag Batra also holds board and advisor roles including Board member at Management Development Institute, Gurgaon (MDI) and Director at Trilogic Digital Media.
Mr. Anurag Batra is also appointed by Government of India as the Chairman of an industry committee formed to come up with a vocational training framework for the media, communication and entertainment industry. He mentors many budding entrepreneurs and enjoys the process of reverse mentoring as in what he learns from these young entrepreneurs. At BW Businessworld BW Accelerate is an initiative to provide a structured platform to entrepreneurs for mentorship and growth.
Anurag Batra is also a regular speaker on National and International Conferences on Media, Internet, Television, Media policy and Entrepreneurship. As a member of the Sales & Marketing committee of the Delhi Management Association, he has a vital role to play in the decision-making processes of the industry circles. He is also the former President of the Franchising Association of India, Northern chapter. Anurag Batra is passionate about Magazines and is on the Executive Committee of the Association of Indian Magazines (AIM).
Dr. Anurag Batra also wants to give back to the industry, the benefit of his experiences and his love for teaching comes into play in his position as the Chairman of the Advisory Board of FMCC (Futuristic Media Communication Centre), a leading Media and Communication School in India. Annurag is also on the core group of TIE’s (The Indus Entrepreneurs), a special internet group focused on Education and Training. He is also advising the government through his white papers on Internet, Media and Television and their impact on society. He also writes a monthly column on Entrepreneurship, in India’s only Entrepreneurship magazine, Dare.
Anurag Batra thinks that the notion of helping other seems perfect. He also believes in the law of karma. He thinks what matters is sincerity and dedication. In his view, helping doesn’t mean that it may come in the form of money or in some material way, it may come in a way that is even more valuable than money. Even in his busy schedule, Anurag Batra spends time introducing people to people. Some of them ask for introduction, but he also does it even for people who don’t ask for introduction. It is something in which he invests his energy, time and mind. Anurag Batra believes that it is his duty to help people in some way.
In 2006, the prestigious Management Development Institute (MDI) and Mr. Batra’s Alma mater awarded him the “Most Distinguished Alumni of the Decade Award”. Dr. Anurag Batra believes that, if you make your hobby your profession, you don’t have to work and life is a blessing.
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