Times Internet, the digital product company owned by media conglomerate BCCL, is looking to be a billion dollar firm in the next five years, riding on the back of greater reach and high growth of internet penetration.
As part of the strategy, Times Internet will adopt an “aggressive” approach and pursue organic as well as inorganic growth and try to enhance and monetize its reach. “Times Internet would cross Rs 1,000 crore in terms of net revenue during this fiscal and is aiming to become a billion dollar company (revenues) by 2021,” Times Internet CEO Gautam Sinha told Pixr8.
“Times Internet has a current compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 46 per cent and expects to increase it to 51 per cent, going forward.” Times Internet, according to him, has evolved itself as the biggest player in the Indian consumer Internet space with its properties such as Cricbuzz, Gaana, MagicBricks and the like, which are market leaders in their respective domains.
“Times Internet is aiming at securing the dominant market share in verticals that it operates in,” Sinha added.
With 190 million monthly users, more than those of popular social platform Facebook, Times Internet has a reach of more than 50 per cent of India’s Internet population.
“Times Internet is the largest Internet company in India and the ambition is to take a lead position by a margin which is invincible in years to come,” Sinha said. He added that Times Internet, which has made acquisitions in the past, will be aggressive in both organic and inorganic space as the intent is to enhance and monetise the reach as much as possible.
“Times Internet would look into strategic investments or acquisitions, going forward. In the next 4-5 years, the company would look at seed investments, Series A and B investments and acquisitions,” he said.
Currently, Times Internet’s 47 per cent revenue comes from advertisements, 17 per cent from classifieds and up to 24 per cent from transactions, with subscriptions contributing up to 15 per cent. “However, by 2021, ad revenue would come down to 44 per cent from 47 per cent and that from classifieds will shrink a little while revenue from subscriptions would increase to 20-23 per cent and that of transactions would also rise significantly,” Sinha said.
In the last three years, Times Internet has invested in and developed Ad-Tech platform Colombia, which allows the company to get into performance marketing through identification of interest and online behaviour of consumers and classifying them under 25 parameters.
“Colombia has the ability to acquire and mobilise customers across Times Internet’s 37 properties, minimising customer acquisition cost (CAC) and optimising average revenue per user (ARPU), which is a win-win situation for marketers,” he said. Asked whether the company would consider raising funds for expansion, he said: “The company would look at raising funds only if competition comes with acquired or infused funding. Else, we operate in a manner to ensure profitability with an aim of 30 per cent profit EBIDTA at a steady rate.”