There is more. Here is the Day Three coverage of Frames 2006 by Prashant Sethi.
Is India young? Well, just to put things into perspective, 65% of the total Indian population categorizes as young and even in the next 20 years India will still remain a young country with an average age of about 30-31 years. Out of this about nine million people or consumers are in the age group of 12-25 years. If we try and see the change in identities of these new young Indians we’ll notice that the old identities were based on cast and community, socio-economic group, religion, occupation and on local and regional divide. These have been replaced by - me and my dreams, Indian, westernized and global.
Me and my dreams represents that these young Indians have a lot of confidence and optimism about themselves. They have the aspiration and the desire to achieve success. The role models of these young Indians are also different; the role models these days are Mukesh Ambani, Rahul Dravid and even Bunty Aur Bubbly. These young Indians want to achieve their dreams at any cost and at times for them the end justifies the means. They also hold pride in being an Indian. They are comfortable with Armani as well as FabIndia, Mc Donald’s as well as Haldiram, Harry Potter as well as Hanuman.
The young Indians are more American/ European than they are Asian, they get excited with the freedom to think, speak and do. They talk about Manchester United and Formula 1 and comprehend billion dollars better than billion rupees. George Bush and the Iraq issue work them up.
The next question that comes to our mind is - What is the young Indian up to? They have new job opportunities and avenues like adventure tourism and DJing, have a high disposable income and the most important—a large number of working women. They are of course network and media savvy which provides them with a high level of interaction and a very open lifestyle.
What are these young Indian’s doing? The top three entertainments for the young Indian’s are gaming, films and hanging out. (It is not surprising then that Café Coffee Day has opened up in 61 towns) Also Gym and saloon are an integral part of their lives.
Finally, what is the message to succeed with this ‘generation me’. It is important to accept the changing India and adapt to them rather than impose. We have to think young and think contemporary. There has to be a change in the mind set.
Rakeysh Mehra, Director, Bollywood flick Rang De Basanti
We have 500 million people below the age group of 20 years and India will remain young for quite some time to come. As a trader of content we need to take a few decision about whether we want to make a fast buck or we want to make a deep foundation as we have just started walking. 
To provide entertainment to this youth there has to be a certain responsibility. I am in the business of selling emotions. On a more positive note, the young Indian’s are also identifying with the global young. We have to understand the global aspiration and we need to participate and learn from others mistakes
We also have to Indianise entertainment. It is a journey and we have to find answers. For me, it means that my content has to be accepted globally this will only result with participation and joining hands with the best in the world. We have as much to give as much they can take and vice versa. (pic source: Planetbollywood.com)
Invent for India to Re-Invent India
Ajay Vidyasagar, Executive vice president, Marketing and Communication, Star India Pvt Ltd
Locally made content is most important. We have to dig into the youth power. We have to make content for the young India. The youth have their own language and they have to be addressed in the same.
The business opportunity is immense; nearly 2/3 of India’s one billion populations are under 35 years. India’s medium age is 24 years as compared to the US and China, where the medium age is 35 and 30 years respectively. There are keys that have to be kept in mind while making for the youth. These are the things that appeal to the youth.
--> Perfection Vs Imperfection: The art of imperfect advertisement has taken over where the set-up is not the traditional perfect and calm but wildly imperfect. (e.g. Ad’s of naukri.com)
--> Modern Vs Traditional: The Indian consumer is a modern-traditionalist. They are deeply routed to India but also want to look outside. (E.g. the hamara Bajaj Ad)
--> Playing it safe or pushing the limits: Old school thinking is no longer accepted, they don’t want to follow the formula of study, work, build a house and die. The youth today wants to live every moment.
--> Made in USA or Made in India: The youth today is very aware of how powerful India is and is very patriotic. (E.g. Nokia phones talking in Hindi)
They are like this only!!!
Ashutosh Srivastava, CEO, GroupM, South Asia
We are the most influential youth market with disposable income. This technology savvy young will have a far reaching impact on the way entertainment is produced and consumed. This is also the most socially network generation, they much wider social group which results in exchange of a lot of information and limited span of attention.
The concept of what is ‘in’ changes quickly.
How to navigate this consumer? They are far more flexible in terms of music and movies. What matters to them is the behavior. The great divide lies between the internet and mobile enabled generation and the other. While the older generation looked at the internet as a cloud, the younger generation looks at it as oxygen to support their digital life.
Mobile has become a necessity. Sms has become a language of the youth. The recent revenues generated across the globe from the movie industry was $ 30 billion, that for the video industry was $ 35 billion and that of the SMS industry was $70 billion.
Entertainment industry has to create content that is accessible to the youth, grabs short span of attention and is appealing. The big opportunity lies in drawing the most influential kids of this generation to reach out to the entire generation. Entertainment is not limited to music and movies but has become more personal, social circle centric and active or passive. Gaming is another big phenomenon. It has reached levels where people have created a virtual world for themselves.
We are forced to rethink our business model as the consumer pays too little and have access to a lot of info…