Triton, Grey & 5 others on Income-Tax panel

Some six weeks ago, the Department of Income-Tax (IT) had invited over 20 agencies to make presentations.

The agencies were required to address the strategic aspects of communication on two subjects - Voluntary Compliance of Taxes and Penalty for failure to furnish return on income on time.

Subsequent to two rounds of screening of credentials and the deciding round - strategy and creative presentation, seven agencies have been empanelled by the Department of Income-Tax. These include Triton Communications, Grey Worldwide, Crayons Advertising, Akshara, ImageAd, Span and Mode.

For those not in the know, of the seven agencies, Grey Worldwide has been empanelled by the Department of Income-Tax for the second time in a row. The budgetary allocations unofficially have been pegged between Rs 10-15 crore and would cover a multi-media effort in a planned manner.

Triton executives, when contacted for comments, said its strategic insight on the issues obstructing the collection of tax swung the decision in its favour. "The tax paying base in India is just 2 per cent of the population, which is 20 million. The reason for this small base is issues such as inertia, lack of education, and fear. With this background, the proposed communication strategy attempted to tackle these inhibitors by looking at the positives of the system. Thus the approach was to make the system more approachable and friendly," explains Vivek Srivastava, executive director, Triton Communications.

Now with conveniences such as e-enabled platforms for taxation launched, the IT department is in the midst of overhauling its apparatus and image to impart a friendlier outlook. To that end, Triton has invested in a specific and dedicated infrastructure to service the communication needs.

"A team of five people are dedicated to this task and carry with themselves a keen understanding of communication methodology," concludes Srivastava.

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