An Extrovert, extremely enthusiastic, full of energy and a wonderful human being.’ That’s what defines our alumni, Mr. Debojit Banerjee, who completed his MBA from IIPM in the year 2000. Mr. Banerjee is the perfect example of how adversity can be metamorphosed into opportunity. An extremely mature and versatile personality, Mr. Banerjee has created an indelible impression in all the organizations he served. From PICO to ENIL and Hindustan Times to PVR, Mr. Banerjee has been an epitome of work ethics and excellence. Not one to shy away from smiling, Mr. Banerjee symbolizes the wonderful blend of simplicity and controlled aggression. ‘A great Leader and an Inspiring mentor’ is how his colleagues describe him. CULT was fortunate to catch up with him for a coverage in the latest issue and we can assure that every minute was a revelation and the interaction left us completely mesmerised. We are proud to share with you the same experience…
Mr. Debojit Banerjee completed his Graduation from the University of Kolkata in 1997. He initially dreamt of making it into the civil services, however due to his dad’s ill health he had to rethink on his future career. This was when he decided to rather pursue his MBA from IIP M. He then moved to Delhi with a little aspiration and hope of his dad. Unfortunately his dad passed away in 1999 when he was doing his summer internship. But this did not deter Mr. Banerjee who soldiered on to pursue his dreams.
In 2000 when he passed out from IIPM, the job market was not as evolved as it is today. It is only by putting in a lot of hard work and a zillion late-nights and pain has he been able to reach these heights today. Mr. Banerjee started his career with an exhibition agency, PI CO International, based out of Singapore where he spent two years. These were the years that he got some great exposure to corporate working standards and some idea on marketing communications. He then moved to FICCI, a very renowned brand in the industry and spent close to three years with the organisation. “The journey with FICCI has been the most inspiring one, I learnt quite a lot during those three years” acknowledges Mr. Banerjee. He adds, “The profile allowed me to travel to a lot of places internationally as well. A lot of interactions happened with the trade as well as the civil servants as FICCI acts as a bridge between the industry and government.” This gave him immense confidence during his corporate journey. He was a part of a very big event at FICCI, ‘The Pravasi Bhartiya divas.’ The experience in this event was a game changer for Mr. Banerjee. FICCI used to conduct its own entertainment B2B conference called ‘Frames’ in Mumbai which he used to manage. While that was being held, he got the opportunity to shift from the Events and Entertainment profile to the Media Industry with Radio Mirchi in 2005. Here Mr. Banerjee was involved in media sales as a part of the just formed Mirchi activation. He later went on to join HT media which gave him the same excitement that he had when he was joining FICCI as there were individuals with a lot of aspirations and it was a challenge for him to establish himself amongst the big people in the industry. Finally in 2010 PVR happened and now it’s been more than 2 years since he’s been associated with them. Mr. Banerjee currently works for the North and East region and is responsible for the National Media Revenues as well.
It was very obvious for him to move to Cinemas after the media and print sectors. He laughs and says, ‘Only TV is left to touch down.” He further reveals, “The journey with PVR till now has been pretty exciting and the organization has provided me with a very relaxed environment. PVR as a Brand is amongst the oldest multiplex chains in India and also huge in terms of revenue they generate. All others follow PVR and it is No. 1 in this area.”
His wife Ms. Priyasha is also from IIPM and she works with an HR consulting firm. He has two daughters Udita and Ashmita. He loves singing and was even part of a rock-band in college. Mr. Banerjee fondly mentions “Whenever I catch up with my friends, we make it a point to sing and my Karaoke set is a must in such gatherings.” He played cricket with quite a distinction representing school, college and various clubs at under 16/19 levels.
He still catches on cricket and badminton whenever he gets time. He absolutely loves travelling. Mr. Debojit has never been into reading as he says he cannot sit down and read a book in one go; he always finishes it in bits and pieces. He however reiterates that he does finish a book if it is interesting.
Mr. Banerjee believes, “You might be at a high in your life but you need to take your lows as well to be successful. Whether you achieve monetary gains or not but in order to be successful you need to do that”. This one simple credo is what has allowed Mr. Banerjee to see the best with the worst and to carry on focusing on the job at hand!
He is a complete extrovert and does not keep things to his heart. Music is also something that keeps him going. And he feels that it is because of his tendency to keep his spirits high at all time that his exbosses still fondly remember him.
Talking about his leadership style, he shares that he does not like to shout or scream much. He mixes up with them like buddies but holds them accountable and responsible for their actions. TEAM for him stands for “Together Everyone Achieves More”. There is cut throat competition among his team members but he instead tries to make it healthy. He gives them space to work as he strongly believes that ‘the more you interfere the lesser output you will get.’
For young guns of today, he confesses that there is no instant mantra to success. One has to take those baby steps, be much focused, take extra effort to understand current business areas and try and learn in the fast pace of business. He emphasizes that this should also involve hard work and that one must be smart and grasp as much as possible. He also wishes every IIPM student the best for their career! This was truly one great experience for Cult and we wish Mr. Debojit Banerjee all the best in his journey ahead and we are sure he will remain to be one of the many ‘Shining Lights’ for a long times to come in the future ahead!
