NEW DELHI: Essel Industries chairman Subhash Chandra on Friday defended his decision to acquire 51% stake in United News of India (UNI) saying he planned to pump in up to Rs 100 crore to convert it into a global news agency over the next two years.
Stating that there would not be any staff retrenchment, Chandra said the initial focus is on upgrading its technology and improving its content. "We want to make UNI a global agency which would give the Indian and Asian perspective of news.
After all it is a known fact that CNN gives news from the viewpoint of the US while BBC provides it from the empire's point of view," he said.
"We will also be using our connection with global media companies to get subscription for UNI from newspapers like Times, Guardian and other magazines. Besides, there could also be an opportunity for UNI doing the back office work for some of the global newspapers," Chandra added.
He said the initial review of UNI has identified at least two major gaps that need to be looked into urgently. "Technology is a major gap, besides which there is no person to look after human resources development," Chandra added.
PC Lahiri, a director of the UNI board, added there could be redeployment of forces, skill enhancement and some adjustment in the workforce.
