The next time you get bored while travelling in an autorickshaw,you can pick up a copy of Meter Down magazine from a shelf behind the drivers seat for time pass. Meter Down is being brought out by three college friends Mulchand Dedhia,Ishan Mehta and Simi Sailopal. The trio after venturing into separate careers came together almost a year ago to brainstorm that led to the idea of an in-rickshaw magazine. Its the countrys first autorickshaw magazine, the trio says. We hired an agency to conduct a survey of 500 people between a particular age group and found that most people spend time talking on cell phones or listening to music in the average 20-minute ride. The survey said around 37 per cent people read books or newspapers and therefore it can be an effective branding medium, said Mehta,the editor of the 24-page magazine. It would be a monthly and is expected to be launched this week. We are launching the magazine in 500 autorickshaws. The target areas at this point are Bandra,Khar,Santacruz,Vile Parle,Lokhandwala,Oshiwara and Goregaon (West),while the target audiences are college students and working professionals between age group of 23 to 30 years, said Dedhia,who handles the magazines advertising section. It would have some light but interesting content for people to enjoy during the ride,the trio says. We do not want to give gyaan to the passengers. It would have stuff like weekend getaways - though not the usual places like Lonavala,Khandala,etc. It will be from people who have been to some new places. There would be stuff like a makeover for certain occasions,something on technology,entertainment,etc. We would also feature one entrepreneur every month, said Dedhia. The magazine would be kept in a custom-made acrylic shelf behind the backrest of the drivers seat. Apart from the magazine itself,the trio plans to exploit the shelf as a platform for advertisements. The trio has roped in three autorickshaw unions in the scheme to install the shelf and keep the magazine in the vehicle which will be tied nylon string so that passengers do not walk away with it. We would also be sharing the earnings with the drivers as we are using their property. They would be given additional copies as we expect some percentage of pilferage so they can replace it, said Mehta,who was a copywriter with an advertising firm. Following its the launch this week,the young entrepreneurs plan to expand the coverage area up to Borivali with increased number of autorickshaws in their venture.
