Oh boy! He is the youngest editor in India

The Delhi boy has made it to the Limca Book of Records for being the youngest founder and editor-in-chief of India’s first art magazine Inkspire. His thoughts are innovative, and so are his rules.

To the highly observant student of Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, the idea to start a magazine occurred while he was walking down the city street. He saw a magazine on a newsstand and a man working with a thin wire and pliers to create showpieces. Inspired by the artwork, the word Inkspire came to his mind. Within no time he had the title registered and began recruiting youngsters for the concept. Excerpts from the interview:

KT: How’s the experience of employing people at the age of 16?

SAHIL BANSAL: It has both positive and negative aspects attached to it. The positives are that I can practice my authority, which was one of the Top 10 things I wanted to do before turning 18 and reaching adulthood.

I want to live life on my terms and not being dictated to. Honestly, I have that ego and am not the kind of person who can work under someone. The negative aspects are that I have to pay salaries to the employees and their problems are now mine! They are those who turned down jobs and opportunities and came to work with Inkspire. So, it is up to me to see that the future of the magazine is secure.

With what purpose was the magazine launched?

The art magazine, targeted at young people around the world aims to fuel the creative fire of budding artists. It provides them a platform to showcase their talent and refine their individual self. People may come to us from different backgrounds, but the belief that art holds the answer to all the unanswered idiosyncrasies of life is firm in everyone’s mind.

The organisation run by creative youth includes graphic designers, photographers, columnists, Web designers, writers and musicians. People who work with Inkspire are not here for monetary benefits, but to be happy and content.

How did you raise the initial capital to print it?

Some of the clients on our portfolio are people like TV presenter and cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle. We raised funds by our branding activity, and video promos for Thecricketlounge.com, which became the major source of our finances. We made over Rs100,000 and printed 500 copies of Inkspire. We are making money and need to give ourselves at least a year to be on a strong footing financially.

Does the success of the magazine surprise you?

I know I wanted to bring about a revolution, but didn’t know things would happen so fast. I knew my destination, but not the journey. But now I know the journey.

Any ground rules you have underlined for yourself?

I’m not here for profits. My aim is much higher. I desire to earn out of royalty. I want to live a good life and after all the hard work that I do, whether the royalty comes from an organisation or the country, will be seen.

Do you intend helping the country in terms of economic development and technology?

Very much so. The 500 copies of the bi-monthly magazine that we print won’t just be put into some corner of a house or an office. They will go places and give recognition to those we feature. For instance: we have featured an artist, who does 3D paintings and a photographer whose images will be frozen in minds. Many such artists are bound to gain. The much larger picture that I foresee, both — Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) will play a major role in all this.

Inkspire will hire the best talent and provide the finest graphic services in the world. More along the lines of digital graphics, it will include branding and logos, as we believe these are a crucial part of any venture. For that I’m giving myself nine to 10 years. Down the line, I would like to partner with Anubhav Gupta, who’s currently the editor-in-chief of Inkspire.

Through our work, we have already penetrated Paris and China. Featuring artists from these places, I am able to seek multiple objectives from one project and hope to turn the magazine venture into a Fortune 500 company.

How are you coping with all this along with studies?

I am in Class 11 and sacrificing in many ways! I don’t socialise much and sleep for just about 4 to 5 hours a day. Listening to music for half-an-hour during the day recharges my batteries. Having come this far, I have to be punctual about work and cannot take it easy, so the laptop is my partner 20 hours a day.

My parents have now begun to understand that I need to work at this pace, because competition is tough and there could be many other of my ilk. If I am not able to deliver in time, it would be a matter of ‘had been’, despite being given the privileges.

What kind of privileges?

Academically, I get many. Though I would like to add that there’s no such pressure on me from either my parents or my teachers to do what I’m pursuing. I’m here because I love to work. In school, I’m allowed to give re-re-re tests and all the teachers cut me some slack. On the homework front, I’m allowed to submit assignments later then other students. Sometimes, I’m allowed to go late to school by an hour or so. And for corporate events, though the prescribed age is 18 plus, they let me in.

How has been your parents’ reaction to your work?

Inkspire started in February with a Facebook page. Once I got the title registered and other formalities done, mom and dad came to know after four months. They knew I was working on the project, but that’s it. I used to go out at 9am and return by 9pm, without informing them what I was up to, because I wanted to give them a pleasant surprise. On their part, I understand they were worried, as I wasn’t doing my holiday homework. So, on return, every night I was counselled for over an hour, even though I would be feeling extremely tired and sleepy.

My father is a businessman and runs a shop in Kamla Nagar, where we live and mother is a housewife. I am their only child and wanted them to read about my work in the newspapers first. But when my school held a Press conference, they were invited and realised what I was up to all those months. It was a very big occasion for them and I made them proud. I think it all got compensated.

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