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Mumbai: Welcome to Kakkoii – where creativity meets clarity, and strategy shapes the cool. Inspired by Japanese slang, Kakkoii means ‘cool,’ ‘trendsetting,’ and ‘in tune with the times’ – a philosophy we live by in everything we create. Whether it’s building brands, crafting digital content, or producing standout films, we believe in making work that resonates, endures, and stays ahead of the curve.
At Kakkoii, we value clarity, simplicity, and smart ideas over trophies, though we welcome the fame if it comes. We’re always on the lookout for fresh collaborators who are ready to create the next big thing.
MadeInMedia’s Kalpana Ravi in an email conversation spoke to Yousuf Rangoonwala, founder of Kakkoii Entertainment Pvt. Ltd on the opportunities for freelancing, timely compensation and future trends in this sector.
Excerpts:
Have you noticed any recent shifts in the availability of freelancing opportunities within the media and entertainment sector?
We’ve seen some positive changes. For starters, the whole concept of being a “freelancer” is shifting. Over the past four years, people are more likely to call themselves consultants or collaborators rather than freelancers. This isn’t just a name change—it reflects a bigger shift in how the industry and individuals view what used to be called freelancing.
For instance, Till the pandemic began, freelancers were used in the media and entertainment sector, mostly for urgent initiatives, or as “temps” to work for a person on leave, or as extra resources when the quantity of work was high. Today, however, they are an integral element of advertising, design, PR, personal branding, media, and entertainment ventures, especially startups or small agencies, and they are hired for their skills and experience, instead of addressing organisational resource obstacles.
In terms of numbers, there’s been a big increase in people wanting to work as consultants and collaborators. A lot of this has to do with the rise of hybrid working and a new understanding that work doesn’t have to define your entire identity—a mindset that’s been pretty ingrained in India. The old narrative that ties your self-worth to your productivity or achievements has been strong here.
But then COVID-19 happened, and it changed things. People started realizing that what matters is family, friends, health, and just overall well-being. Traditional jobs often don’t support these priorities, especially in India, where maintaining a healthy work-life balance is still a challenge. After COVID, the idea of a healthy work culture and work-life balance in India took a hit and hasn’t fully recovered.
Now, people are figuring out that they don’t need to rely on a steady monthly salary to get by—they can work as consultants or collaborators instead. This gives them the freedom to work on their terms, choosing when and how they want to work. But the biggest benefit is that it allows them to focus on what’s important: themselves, their families, and their loved ones. And this shift isn’t just happening in metro areas—it’s spreading to Tier 1 cities too. It’s a big change, especially since a job used to mean stability. Now, people are prioritizing their lifestyle, family, and friends.
The rise of freelancers in media and entertainment is particularly interesting because these industries are known for being super demanding in terms of hours. Working as a freelancer, consultant, or collaborator in this space is often seen as more impressive than in other sectors, like banking, where the hours can be 9 to 5. Companies like ours at Kakkoii have embraced this model, and it’s working well for us.
We’ve also noticed that most people who choose to work as consultants or collaborators are between 30 and 40 years old. You don’t usually see this in people under 30, and that makes sense. A lot of people want to work as employees for a few years—say 3 to 5 years—to build up their skills before they jump into freelancing. It’s a smart move.
Can you provide a comparison between the compensation of permanent employees and freelancers in the media and entertainment industry, along with estimated salary ranges for entry-level, mid-level, and senior-level professionals? How do these figures stack up across different experience levels?
At Kakkoii, we’ve moved away from using the term “freelancer.” Instead, we refer to our team members as full-time employees, consultants, and collaborators. Generally, consultants and collaborators can earn more than full-time employees, but their pay isn’t as steady.
For full-time employees with up to four years of experience, salaries usually range from 30,000 to 75,000 INR per month. This depends on factors like the quality of their work, talent, mindset, educational background, internships, and brand exposure.
When it comes to those with mid-level experience (5 to 10 years), freelancing often starts in the later part of that period. Salaries for mid-level professionals tend to be between 75,000 and 1.25 lakhs per month. At the senior level (11 to 20 years of experience), salaries can range from 1.3 to 7.3 lakhs per month. These figures are before taxes. For top roles like Chief Strategy Officer or Creative Head at an agency or media channel, earnings can be anywhere between 1.6 to 2 crores annually.
In comparison, mid-level consultants usually make between 45,000 to 60,000 INR per month. Senior consultants, with 11 to 20 years of experience, can earn between 75,000 to 2 lakhs per month, typically on a per-project or per-brand basis.
Collaborators have similar compensation but are paid differently. They get paid in stages: an upfront payment, another in the middle of the project, and the final payment once the project is completed.
What are your forecasts for the rise or fall of freelancing opportunities in the media and entertainment sector over the next five years? How do you see the landscape evolving in terms of demand and stability for freelancers?
I think consultant and collaborator roles in India won’t grow as rapidly over the next five years as they did in the past four. While they’ll still grow, the pace will depend a lot on how the country’s economy does, and right now, things aren’t looking too promising. For instance, this year’s elections suggest that India’s economy isn’t in the best shape.
Even though India has a population of 1.4 billion, the audience that brands can target for fresh narratives, media, and entertainment is only around 200 million. These are the people willing to pay for more than just necessities. While 200 million sounds like a lot, it’s a small number for a country like India, which means many brands will be competing for a relatively small audience. For other segments of the other 800 million population, there’s more of a wholesale business approach; of course, the additional 400 million people below the poverty line aren’t included in any business planning.
Given the current economic situation, I don’t see a huge growth in these roles. When the economy is weak, people usually look for more secure jobs, which makes them lean towards traditional employment. The rise of consultants and collaborators in the last four years wasn’t driven by economic factors—it was more about people rethinking their lives after a major event like the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s unlikely we’ll see a similar event shortly. But if something like COVID-19 happens again, or another global crisis like a major war, then the demand for consultants and collaborators might increase.
What are the key advantages and challenges of freelancing in the media, advertising, and entertainment industry? How do the benefits compare to the potential drawbacks for professionals in these fields?
For Kakkoii, our mix of full-time employees with consultants and collaborators has been a real game-changer, and we’re sticking with it. We’ve engaged nearly 10 consultants and another 25 collaborators across strategy, creative (writing and art or design), project management, and PR, in the past 4yrs. There are a few reasons why this works so well for us.
First off, it gives us access to a wide range of talent, so we’re not stuck with the same team all the time. In the media, advertising, and entertainment industries, storytelling and fresh ideas are everything. Bringing in new perspectives from consultants and collaborators helps us avoid getting stuck in a rut with repetitive ideas. This approach lets us handpick the right person with the right ideas for each project.
For example, if we’re working on an aviation project, we can bring in someone who knows that field. If it’s an education project, we can hire someone with experience in educational brands. For design, we’re not limited to just one in-house designer—we can call in a specialist. And if we need PR help, we can collaborate with a journalist or PR expert rather than just hiring a traditional PR agency.
The first big advantage here is the diversity of skills. When an OTT app works with an “employee-led” production house for a web series or an ad agency is hired for a retainer partnership, the relationship can sometimes feel too transactional—like there’s no real partnership or ownership of the brand’s work. But with our model, we get expert guidance and a real sense of partnership.
The second advantage is specialization. We can match specific skills to specific needs, which helps us build strong partnerships. This is especially helpful for smaller companies, where larger agencies might struggle to deliver the same level of tailored expertise.
The third advantage is reduced liability. We don’t have to offer a full benefits package, like health insurance or provident funds, which we would for full-time employees. It also lowers the burden of a large annual payroll, for a startup like ours.
Consultants and collaborators get more cash in hand, with only a 10% TDS deduction, so they have the flexibility to manage their earnings as they like, giving them more freedom and satisfaction.
Another perk of consultants and collaborators we’ve hired is that they often want to do more than just complete a project—they’re interested in the growth of the agency or team as well because they get to grow as well, without being tired to senseless HR policies. While full-time employees typically show more commitment and loyalty, consultants and collaborators bring a similar dedication, along with the freedom to work with whoever they want, whenever they want, focusing on their growth.
The only downside is that some consultants and collaborators might see the work as purely transactional, which can make it tough to include them in the office culture. They might prefer not to hang out, come to the office, or fully engage with the team, often prioritizing their own time over the team’s. So, that’s the one disadvantage.
Freelancing is evolving—people now prefer titles like consultant or collaborator. This shift brings fresh perspectives and specialized skills, which is great for media and entertainment where new ideas are crucial. It gives people flexibility to work on their terms and focus on what matters to them, like family.
