Knowledge and News Network (KNN)

Background

In spite of huge contribution towards employment, industrial production and exports, the MSME sector continues to operate at a sub-optimal level and performs below its potential due to its low traction with media and policy makers on the one hand, and,its weak or negligible linkages with knowledge sources on the other. One of the prime reasons for the current situation is absence of appropriate structure and capacity among MSMEs to organize and distribute knowledge on both demand and supply side.Media is ears and eyes of governance and administration in democracies. Because of scant media presence, MSMEs' disconnect with the government and the knowledge institutions has only widened. It has had serious consequences.
Govt.-MSME chasm results into Poor policy formulation, delayed and ineffective response and reduced competitiveness of the sector. Secondly, the lack of interaction between MSMEs and knowledge resources constricts their abilities to innovate and compete.

The initiative: Knowledge and News Network (KNN)

To address MSMEs' long standing problems arising of gaps in information and knowledge flows, GIZ- German Agency for International Cooperation and FISME- India's largest MSME body, have joined hands to create a nation-wide IT based 'Knowledge and News Network' (KNN).

KNN is a new age online media platform (www.knnindia.co.in ) which will deliver news, views and analysis both in the forms of text, graphic and video fed through a national network of over 150 member industry associations and 110 institutions.

Its back-end is based on a unique architecture with:

   ---  Central hub: KNN Bureau and KNN Studio in New Delhi and Regional hubs at Bangalore and Hyderabad connected through VC facilities.
   ---  Run by a team of professional journalists from a fully equipped facility having a news Bureau and Studio in New Delhi.
   ---  The KNN team was trained by Shri Prakash Chawla, former Chief News Coordinator, PTI who also headed the KNN’s editorial team as Chief Consulting Editor during 2013-14.
   ---  260 nodes at the ground comprising of MSME associations (both geographic and sectoral) and institutions (MSME and R&D institutions, engineering colleges, Management institutes ) are to feed Text Reports and video from ground and will be uploaded after thorough validation.

To guide the KNN team, there is a Board of Advisors comprising of reputed economists and media personalities:

   ---  Prof. Bibek Debroy (Eminent Economist; Formerly Director, RGICS )
   ---  Shri Rahul Dev (Reputed Journalist; ex. Editor of Jansatta; Aaj Tak, Zee etc)
   ---  Shri T.K. Arun (Editor Delhi, The Economic Times)
   ---  Shri M.K.Venu (Executive Editor, The Hindu)
   ---  Shri Rakesh Khar (Consulting Editor, Zee News)
   ---  Shri Maroof Raza (Expert Strategic and Defence Affairs, Times Now )
   ---  Dr. Laveesh Bhandari (Noted Economist and Director, Indicus Analytics)
   ---  Shri Nikhil Nehru (Advertising & Media Expert, ex. Executive VP, J.Walter Thomson & President, McCann Erickson World Group

Though FISME has incubated the project and GIZ supported it, KNN is to evolve as an independent media entity which will continue to focus the MSME sector.

Further information and suggestions, please contact:

KNOWLEDGE & NEWS NETWORK (KNN)
B - 4 / 161, Safdarjung Enclave,
New Delhi -110029
Tel.: +91-11- 26187948, 26712064, 46023157, 46018592
Fax: +91-11-26109470

Email address: newsdesk@knnindia.co.in
Web: www.knnindia.co.in