Smartmoney

Kids’ workshops on painting, pottery, music and dance, which have been around, are still by far the most sought-after—and also the most widely offered. But the money to be made from these is nothing to sneeze at—Seema Sareen of Delhi nets about Rs 30,000 for just 30 hours worth of her time (spread over two months), teaching toddlers to sway and shake a leg.

Management workshops for corporate clients have also caught on, and that’s where the big bucks are. Radhika Narayanan takes home Rs 20,000 for a two-day workshop on cross-cultural skills and office etiquette for executives going abroad. Such is the potential that many who took to workshops to make some money on the side are now on it full-time.

Bottomline: if you have a skill, there’s an opportunity. Grab it!

What it does do. You no longer pay a lump sum for 60 channels, of which you probably watch eight. You pay for the ones you want and for a basic service charge of about Rs 150, you get the free channels. Also, market dynamics will determine a channel’s worth and broadcasters can’t get away with lousy soaps.

Net-net. You could be looking at an era of affordable choice and better programming. How this will work without a regulatory body in place is the big question.

For more details on these articles, read Intelligent Investor or log on to www.iinvestor.com and also get personalised information and analysis from our experts who answer queries on small savings, insurance, loans, taxation, mutual funds and shares.