At the TiE-Entrepreneurial Summit yesterday, former Anand Bazaar Patrika (ABP) CEO Pramath Raj Sinha had to field an uncomfortable question: a member of the audience, apparently unaware of the acrimony around his exit from ABP, asked about his transition from being at the head of a big media company, to starting his own venture: Sinha said that the difference is that when you’re with a big group, you’re an employee and you have to consult with 15 different people; on your own, you’re an employer and you have to take the big decisions. “We all have the opportunity to shape the market. Everyone is talking about potential, of what can be. As a consultant (with McKinsey) and with a big media group, I understand how money can be made in this business. Now I don’t have the legacy of being a traditional media company, nor do I have the overhead of a large organization. It’s quite like a technology company: you’re in the position to shape an industry that isn’t yet mature, and you have the freedom to take a call and make a difference.”

Sinha has launched 9.9 Mediaworx, currently with five businesses: 9.9 Insights, 9.9 Digital, 9.9 Print, 9.9 Ventures and 9.9 Studio. Exchange4media adds that the company has alliances with NDTV Profit and Sao Paulo-based Jai Group. The company will launch digital publications and do content development, including offshoring services. They will also launch six to eight print magazines, organize conferences and expos, and enter the film entertainment business. 9.9 Mediaworks intends to invest in the newspaper space, and will announce the acquisition of a magazine soon. Three former ABP execs have joined the company - Vikas Gupta, Asheesh Gupta and Anuradha Das Mathur. More in Mint.