“Right during my internship with Business of Ideas, the firm got acquired by Reliance Jio. As an Assistant Manager handling the launch of Reliance Jio, we went straight to scrapping and revamping ideas before presenting them to Mr. Mukesh Ambani himself. It had its ups and downs, but all the diverse subjects and practical skills I picked up at FLAME helped me not feel the pressure of being a part of something as big as the Jio launch,” says Manan.
Manan Gala, Lead – Creative Producer, Kinnect and Account Director, Hashtag Zariya, looks back on his journey that has brought him stupendous success in the world of Digital Marketing. Manan says for him; it meant expanding his academic knowledge and getting another degree. But he had his expectations from the institution he would pick. “It had to promote holistic development and enable me to build a strong personal and professional support system. I got all that and more at FLAME - an amazing set of professors, practical training that took my basic skills, advanced platforms to pursue my varied extracurricular interests. I also received the guidance to pick the Major that was aligned with the niche I was interested in,” he adds.
Not only did Manan major in Communication and Media Studies, but he was also the Gold Medalist of the 2015 batch. Meanwhile, he was a part of the Student Council and the team that launched FirstCut - National Festival of Student Films. He asserts that the extracurricular activities offered him platforms to become a better version of himself. “My time as a class representative brought out the people’s person in me. College clubs and activities, like GOMC, Kurukshetra, FLAME Media Club taught me the importance of being a team player and street smart, which are qualities that have brought me here. I’d say, do not hesitate to explore new ideas because who knows, you might make a career out of them,” he says with a smile.
Manan remembers his time at FLAME as a treasure pot of learning and growth on the academic front. He mentions the Brand Planning and Digital Marketing course in particular as it gave him the chance to be the client, agency, and creator at once. It cemented his interests in the world of Marketing and enhanced his skills, which he got to test during his internship. “My internship with Business of Ideas has led to where I am today. I worked on marketing strategies and intellectual properties for films like Mardaani, Daawat-E-Ishq, Detective Byomkesh Bakshi, etc. In fact, my internship never ended with Reliance Jio coming into the picture. I became a bigger part of Film Marketing where we created path-breaking intellectual properties,” he says proudly.
Manan has every reason to be filled with pride as his stint with Reliance Jio included the launch of Jio Diaries that would be used on apps like Jio Cinema and Jio TV. He also pushed hard for Project Jio Fencing, which virtually took theatres to the rural areas to give them access to entertainment. Now an established name in brand films and digital marketing, he sheds light on the evolving nature of the field. “Digital is no more the future; it is here and now! In this ‘Digital First’ world, you need to be up to date with the trends, flexible at execution, spontaneous with ideas, and creative in presentation. You need to imbibe the spirit of growth and progress,” he says. It’s something Manan has done throughout his career, successfully and in style.