StudioTalk, a front-running PR and Media Strategy company is the brainchild of two pioneering journalists
- Mahrukh Inayet and Vikram Sawant.
Between them, Vikram Sawant and Mahrukh Inayet have almost half a century of extensive experience in the Print, Radio and Television space not only in India but also the US. Both have helmed acclaim-winning news reports during the early years of Times Now and in 2012 envisioned StudioTalk to address the dire need of well-schooled television anchors. The two created offline training programmes to prepare broadcast journalists for the stern demands of TV newsrooms.
Their success in communications and training, led them to launch programs in Corporate and Political Communication - while the former were for corporate honchos, the latter were tailored for political leaders. Some of the most prominent names came knocking and StudioTalk's phones have not stopped ringing since then.
Subsequently, StudioTalk pivoted to an even more thrilling track - that of creating content and PR. Given Mahrukh and Vikram's unassailable standing in the business, clients came from near and far. From film icons to politicians to social outfits, musicians, CEOs, start-up whiz kids to those looking to promote an event, a product, a film or a book, everyone benefited from StudioTalk’s professionalism and instinct for note perfect, well-timed media campaigns.
With proficient teams and an avant-garde work culture backing them, StudioTalk’s protagonists tell demiurgic stories, in the process resuscitating the craft of communication in a unique way for every client. StudioTalk does not just weave dreams for its clients, it realises their aspirations and amplifies their achievements.
Mahrukh Inayet emerged as one of the most prominent faces of prime time reporting during the earliest days of the 24-hour news cycle in India. Be it her acclaimed 72-hour, non-stop, by- the- minute reportage of the 26/11 terror attack on Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai, her incisive interviews with Narendra Modi, Omar Abdullah, Sachin Tendulkar or Amitabh Bachchan or her extensive reporting on national politics with a special focus on the Kashmir imbroglio, she brought courageous truth telling and matchless integrity to broadcast journalism. She led the newsroom at Times Now as a senior Editor and at Headlines Today as Editor-At Large and then as Roving Editor.
She was also the last Indian journalist to interview former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto before the latter's assassination in 2007. Mahrukh did her Masters in Broadcast Journalism from American University, Washington DC. She then went on to complete her fellowship at the Georgetown Leadership Seminar at Georgetown University, Washington D.C. and attended a Leadership and Action Program at Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
For her exemplary journalism, she has won several awards including the coveted one in 2009 for Outstanding Achievement as a Media Personality, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, the 2013 eNBA 'Best Spot News Reporting' award for her reports on Hurricane Sandy and counting.
Mahrukh currently also consults as a Contributing Editor for senior journalist Shekhar Gupta’s start-up - The Print.
As the Managing Partner of StudioTalk, she strategises brand building campaigns, mentors young professionals to adapt to the mercurial world of PR and formulates effective communication blueprints for corporate leaders, celebrities and NGOs working hard to alleviate poverty and to create social and economic equity.
A global perspective on developing media trends, multiple content streams as well as evolving models of information are just some of the skills that StudioTalk Managing-Partner Vikram Sawant has honed during his long and diverse career. A former broadcast journalist with more than 23 years of extensive experience in print, radio and news television in India and the United States, Vikram understands the inner workings of a complex and layered industry.
He started his career as a journalist with Mid-Day Publications in 1989 and did path-breaking coverage of the Mumbai riots and the subsequent serial blasts. In 1993, he successfully set up one of Mumbai’s first FM radio stations - Radio Mid-Day. Vikram then moved to New York in 1995 where he enjoyed a rewarding career in News TV with Eye on Asia TV Network.
As a seasoned veteran, he was an intrinsic part of the TIMES NOW’s core team and was closely involved in day-to-day editorial responsibilities which included setting the news agenda for the day. During his six years at Times Now, Vikram was credited with several acclaimed news reports, documentaries and focused programming. He also worked in PR with Arthur Domingo Communications and steered network sales at ABC Radio International (Australia).
Today, Vikram is a multifaceted communication strategist, brand builder and promotion specialist, and for more than a decade, has been advising some of the biggest names in show business and corporate India about how to manage their brand equity. He is also busy training the next generation of media professionals and imparting to them, nuances of effective communication.
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