TÊTE-À-TÊTE WITH ABHA BAKAYA, ANCHOR AND EDITOR AT BLOOMBERG TV, INDIA

Its rare to have women, esp. in India, talk about numbers and fashion with equal ease. But the woman we’re referring to does not only talk about International news but also anchors both stock market shows and lifestyle shows like ‘Aspire’; and she does all this with panache.

Anchor and Editor with Bloomberg TV, India and the lady behind lifestyle & luxury shows ‘The Date’ featuring young achievers and entrepreneurs and  ‘Aspire’ that features best designers and latest trends, Abha Bakaya with over 12 years’ experience in the news industry, tells us all about her work and gives us some style tips too. Read on…

How did ‘The Date’ start? From where did u get the idea of featuring young achievers and entrepreneurs?

The concept behind the Date is to get to know the next generation of India’s business families and find out what they bring to the table, how they are taking the business forward. We’ve had some fantastic personalities from Sanjay Reddy, GVK to Adar Poonawalla, Serum and Neeraj Kanwar.

This year however I’ve been focusing on first generation entrepreneurs in the e-commerce space with my new show E-INC. Startups are the flavor of the moment but hype apart, some of these are going to be the leaders of tomorrow. We’ve featured Bhavish Aggarwal, Vijay Shekhar and watch out for my upcoming episode with Pranay chulet, Quikr.

Of all the entrepreneurs you have interviewed till date, who did you enjoy the most interacting with and why?

They are all so much fun it’s unfair to pick but a few years ago we did a beautiful shoot with Rajeev Samant of Sula wines which turns 15 this year. He was one of the first new age entrepreneurs, someone who turned a dead end into an opportunity. We shot in the vineyards, among the fermentation tanks, filmed the entire wine making process and even met his gorgeous pet dogs!

Its rare to find women like yourself who can talk about numbers/business and fashion with equal ease. How does it work for you?

I think doing just one thing would be boring. I like the diversity of my role and being able to meet interesting people from different walks of life. Everyone likes to hear a good story and that story could be anywhere.

As a woman, what kind of challenges do you face in the industry?

There are certain stereotypes you do face as a woman but I think it’s important to learn how to make it work for you. People are willing to respect you if you speak your mind. No one can take that away from you.

Whats your usual day like?

I currently anchor market opening and closing so my day starts pretty early and I’m LIVE at 8am. During the hours that I’m not on air am usually lining up guests, tracking markets or in meetings and of course shooting for E-INC.

Since you also talk about fashion in your show ASPIRE, we would love to know who are your favorite designers/brands and why?

I think affordable luxury is the way to go. We love variety and fun and I love the pop colors at Kate Spade, sleek clutches at Tory Burch and even Furla.

What is your idea of ‘style’? How do you define it?

Your style needs to be something that you’re comfortable with. If you try and be something you’re not you won’t be able to carry it off.

What do you keep in mind while dressing up as an anchor for your shows?

As an anchor I need to dress neat and sharp; simple, straight cuts, no prints and checks, bold colors and statement accessories… nothing too distracting.

Any advice you have for people looking to break into your field?

Be prepared to work hard!