Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University-Hyderabad and Annapurna International School of Film + Media have announced the launch of a two-year Masters programme in Media Business Administration (MMBA).
An MoU to this effect was signed here on Friday by the varsity Vice-Chancellor Rameshwar Rao and actor Akkineni Nagarjuna as president of the Film School and managing director, Annapurna Studios.
Entrepreneurial outlook
On why JNTU-H had collaborated with AISFM, Prof. Rao said there was a need for people with an entrepreneurial outlook to access help so they could learn the professionalism required in the media industry, perceived as a ‘wealth-creating’ sector. “We are excited because this is a new type of collaboration. Working to help those with a creative bent of mind, together with AISFM and hands-on experience provided by the facilities at the Annapurna Studios is an interesting proposition,” he said.
“Since 18 months, when we collaborated with the JNAFAU Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University to offer a Bachelor’s programme, we have come a long way. The MMBA programme is designed to teach creative people become management professionals in one of the few industries - the media that is growing all over the world. Media planning, strategy and management are the core areas where this course will help students,” Mr. Nagarjuna said.
He said there were new areas that were being explored and that it did not end with film production and exhibition in traditional theatres. There were several more revenue streams that needed to be tapped. “How would you explain films-making over Rs.100 crore these days?” he asked, citing examples like ‘Three Idiots’ and ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Diwaani’.
Chris Higgins, vice-president of the school, said the course aimed to prepare aspiring managers for the media industry with a mixture of theoretical and hands-on training.
