In Assam: Why 'Asomiya Pratidin' is not excited about investing in its web operations

Promo for a local news website in Guwahati

I am taking a morning flight from Hyderabad to Guwahati. And there is a long queue leading to the aircraft on the tarmac. Most are young people.

"Going home?" I ask the man in front of me.

He nods.

"Do you work here in Hyderabad?," I prod.

"Yes"

I want to ask him more questions but he doesn't seem keen and turns away.

The local office of the Congress party

Later, I get to know that the Guwahati planes are fairly packed because hundreds and hundreds of young people seek employment in the cities of Hyderabad and Bengaluru - in construction, hospitality and in the service sectors.

"If they get paid some 250 rupees here they earn at least 600 in cities outside," says the Ola taxi driver who takes me to the city centre inching his way on a busy road that runs alongside the giant Brahmaputra river.

There is little evidence that the Lok Sabha election in on save for a stray van fitted with Congress party flags that races past us.

I have an appointment with Partha Goswami, the young, experienced News Editor of Asomiya Pratidin.

The newspaper, whose office is located off the busy G. S. Road now has four editions - in Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Bongaigaon and in Lakhimpur and claims to be the largest circulated Assamese daily.

 Goswami tells me that it has been a tradition in the News Room to send senior journalists to any big news event that breaks out anywhere in India.

"We sent our man to your Chennai when Jayalalithaa ( Tamil Nadu's iconic chief minister passed away," he says.

 Asomiya was started as a weekly, then became a daily and thence, the desk posted the E-paper online. A TV channel, 'Pratidin Time' was started later and finally, a portal was launched.

The daily has a bunch of reporters across Assam as well as stringers who relay the news from the outbacks.

All the reporters have the language software loaded on their smartphones which allows them to sign into WhatsApp to send snappy reports and photos.

Recent investments has been on the TV channel. That is a given since like in many Indian states, viewership of TV is high and the advertising bucks go there.

Goswami gives me the impression that 'Asomiya' has still not invested resources and money in its website. His reasoning is that the uneven economic development in Assam keeps people engaged in looking for employment and making ends meet. 

"In such  scenario, people really don't spend lots of time online to be updated on news on Assam," says Goswami.

But just metres away from his office, on the busy G. S. Road a few bus stands flaunt recent ad promos of a private news website, which promises wide coverage of the Lok Sabha elections.
Clearly, independent news entrepreneurs are clicking where the media gaps are in this state. 

A BJP campaign office comes up outside a new shopping complex on Guwahati's main road