ITV

Category: Media and Advertising

  • MJ Akbar joins BJP as spokesperson

    MJ Akbar joins BJP as spokesperson

    MUMBAI: A line of journalists have begun showing their political stances of late. First Shazi Ilmi and Manish Sisodia quit their respective jobs to join upcoming Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Now one of India’s top notch journalists MJ Akbar has joined another party- the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as its official spokesperson.

     

    The PTI quotes him as saying “I have come back to politics because of policy. The crisis in front of the country is known to all. This is an opportunity to do whatever little we can do for our country.”

     

    Akbar is renowned for starting The Telegraph, The Asian Age and The Sunday Guardian. The latter is now a part of Information TV Group managed by Kartikeya Sharma that runs NewsX and India News channels.

     

    Additionally, Akbar is also currently hosting a show on NewsX called ‘Decode India with MJ Akbar’.

     

    He is currently the editorial director of The Sunday Guardian. Earlier he was associated with the TV Today group.

  • Neeraj Sanan moves on from MCCS

    Neeraj Sanan moves on from MCCS

    MUMBAI: It’s not yet the seven year itch. But after working with Media Content and Communication Services (MCCS) for nearly six years, chief marketing officer (CMO) Neeraj Sanan has decided to move on from the company that holds three big news channels under the brand name ABP- ABP News, ABP Majha and ABP Bangla.

     

    Sanan confirmed the news to indiantelevision.com but added that he would be serving as the CMO till early April.  Undecided about his next move, Sanan is sure of continuing in the marketing field even in the future.

     

    He is currently serving his notice period at MCCS where he was additionally handling the global distribution of the ABP channels.

     

    Sanan has nearly 18 years of experience in the industry. Prior to this he was the CMO at Web18, the mobile and internet arm of Network18.  

  • Den Networks appoints Sheetal Garg as VP – finance

    Den Networks appoints Sheetal Garg as VP – finance

    MUMBAI: Multi system operator (MSO), DEN Networks, today announced the appointment of Sheetal Garg as the vice president finance for its broadband division. The announcement has come at a time when the MSO is gearing at launching its broadband services, soon.

    Garg, prior to joining DEN Networks was working as Ernst & Young vice president transaction advisory services. In his four years stint with Ernst & Young, Garg has been involved with advising clients on nuances of the sectors through an in-depth analysis of the financial and operating metrics.  He has also  executed over 100 due diligence assignments including strategic buy outs, PE investments and carve outs in diverse sectors including IT/ITes, media & entertainment, education, real estate, infrastructure projects (Power & Road), equity and commodity brokerage, telecommunication, telecom towers, airlines and automobiles.

    Earlier, he was associated with Deloitte for over two years. His major clients included Hero Honda Motors, Godfrey Phillips India, Goodyear India, Idea Mobile Communications, Titan and ITC (Hotels Division).

  • Samsonite International SA appoints Ramesh Tainwala as Global COO

    Samsonite International SA appoints Ramesh Tainwala as Global COO

    MUMBAI: Samsonite International S.A., world’s largest manufacturer and leading luggage brand for more than 100 years, today announced the appointment of Mr. Ramesh Tainwala as Chief Operating Officer with immediate effect. In his new role, Mr. Tainwala will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the business of the company globally and continue to be directly involved in the management of the company’s business in China, Philippines and Australia. Mr. Leo Boo Suk Suh will be taking over from Mr. Tainwala as President, Samsonite Asia and Middle East.

     

    Mr. Ramesh Tainwala, COO, Samsonite International S.A, said ““I am delighted to take on my new role at a time when increasing number of people are traveling and every market across the world presents interesting challenges. In this backdrop, I hope I will be able to strengthen Samsonite’s leadership position globally.”

     

    Mr.Tainwala served as Executive Director and President, Asia-Pacific and Middle East of Samsonite International SA since February 10, 2011. In his role as President, Mr. Tainwala’s principal responsibility was to manage and develop the Group’s business in Asia Pacific. The responsibilities of this role included the Group’s manufacturing operations in India as well as marketing and sales in the Middle East, West Asia and Australia. Mr. Tainwala has been the General Manager of the Group’s Middle Eastern Operation since January 2007 and has been the chief operating officer of the Group’s Indian operation since June 2000.

  • Khushwant Singh: The man with good-intentioned malice towards all, signs off

    Khushwant Singh: The man with good-intentioned malice towards all, signs off

    NEW DELHI: ‘With Malice towards one and all’ was a rare title for a weekly column. He had seen India grow from being a country ruled by the British to a freedom tainted by corrupt politicians and technocrats. Only he could have had the courage to speak out so bluntly.

     

    Renowned author and columnist Khushwant Singh, who is remembered not only for his weekly knife-edged columns but also his ability to laugh at himself, passed away Thursday morning, aged 99.

     

    He was married to Kawal Malik. He is survived by his son Rahul Singh and daughter Mala. Actress Amrita is the daughter of his brother Daljit Singh and Rukhsana Sultana.

     

    He stayed in “Sujan Singh Park” near Khan Market, New Delhi’s first apartment complex built by his father in 1945 and named after his grandfather.

     

    He founded the Planning Commission journal Yojana, and also served as the editor of the Illustrated Weekly of India, the National Herald, and the Hindustan Times.

     

    Apart from his columns and poems, he is remembered for one of the best novels based on the partition of the country –Train to Pakistan – which was converted into a very moving and poignant film years later. 

     

    Not surprisingly, he titled his autobiography as “Truth, Love, and a Little Malice” and this was published in 2002.

     

    Singh was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1974, an award he returned in 1984 to voice his protest against the siege of the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Later in 2007, he received the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour in the country.

     

    He also served as a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1980 to 1986 and

     

    Even though he could be very pungent and acidic in his criticism, he never gave up humour in his writings. His comparisons of social and behavioral characteristics of Westerners and Indians are laced with acid wit.

     

    Singh was born on 2 February 1915 in Hadali in District Khushab in the then undivided Punjab, which is now known as Sargodha district and is in Pakistan. His father Sir Sobha Singh was a prominent builder and is credited with the design of the present-day Connaught Place and many parts of Lutyens’ Delhi. His uncle Sardar Ujjal Singh (1895–1983) was Governor of Punjab and Tamil Nadu.

     

    He was educated at Modern School, New Delhi, Government College, Lahore, St. Stephen’s College in Delhi and King’s College London, before reading for the Bar at the Inner Temple.

     

    During his tenure, The Illustrated Weekly (now extinct) became India’s pre-eminent newsweekly with its circulation rising from 65,000 to 4,00,000 copies. Known for his penchant criticisms, he was asked to leave the journal on 25 July 1978, a week before his retirement, after working for nine years in the weekly. This led to a major drop in readership of the weekly.

     

    His works ranged from political commentary and contemporary satire to outstanding translations of Sikh religious texts and Urdu poetry. Despite the name, his column “With Malice Towards One and All” regularly contained secular exhortations and messages of peace. In addition, he is one of the last remaining writers to have personally known most of the stalwart writers and poets of Urdu and Punjabi and profiled his recently deceased contemporaries in his column.

     

    He had often been accused of favoring the ruling Congress and was known to be close to the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. His faith in the Indian political system had been shaken by events such as the anti-Sikh riots that followed Indira Gandhi’s assassination. But he has remained resolutely positive on the promise of Indian democracy and worked via Citizen’s Justice Committee floated by H. S. Phoolka who was a senior advocate of Delhi High Court.

     

    His many books include The Mark of Vishnu and Other Stories (1950), The History of Sikhs (1953 with a revised edition in the early sixties and a second edition in the late sixties),Train to Pakistan (1956), The Voice of God and Other Stories (1957), I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale (1959), The Sikhs Today (1959), The Fall of the Kingdom of the Punjab (1962), Ranjit Singh: The Maharajah of the Punjab (1963), Ghadar 1915: India’s first armed revolution (1966), A Bride for the Sahib and Other Stories (1967), Black Jasmine ( 1971), Tragedy of Punjab (1984) Women and Men in My Life (1995), Uncertain Liaisons; Sex, Strife and Togetherness in Urban India (1995), Why I Supported the Emergency: Essays and Profiles ( 2009) and Delhi: A Novel (1990). In addition, he had several anthologies of short stories, and wrote the television documentary Third World – Free Press for a British channel in 1982.

     

    Apart from the Rockfeller Grant, he had received the Honest Man of the Year award from Sulabh International, the Punjab Rattan award from the Punjab Government, and the Sahitya academy fellowship of the Sahitya Akademi.

     

    Often a butt of jokes for his attitude towards women and sex, Khushwant did not lose his sense of humour even after he had stopped actively writing or socialising. He will remain an icon for the modern Indian writers who often emulate his style to gain popularity.

  • GoDaddy India unveils new camapign with Mithun Chakraborty

    GoDaddy India unveils new camapign with Mithun Chakraborty

    MUMBAI: GoDaddy, the world’s largest technology provider dedicated to small businesses, today launched its latest integrated marketing campaign featuring the three-time National Film Award winner – Mithun Chakraborty. The multi-channel campaign aims to educate small businesses in India about the real-world benefits of getting a Website, and comprisestwo television advertisements along with search, display, email and social media marketing.

    “We believe that small businesses and entrepreneurs are the driving force behind India’s economy and we are here to empower them with the right tools. Anincreasing number of small businesses in the country are turning to GoDaddy to help themeasily and affordably establish their online presence,” said GoDaddy India Managing Director and Vice President Rajiv Sodhi.  “Our creative approach for this campaign drives home the point, in a fun way, that having an online presence is essential to business success.This campaign is a reflection of our commitment to accelerate the adoption of websitesin India.”

    The two TV commercials showcase two different types of small business owners –a young bakery owner and a leather shop owner, both facing different challenges. While the bakery is devoid of customers, the leather shop owner wants to run his business 24/7.The TV commercials feature Mithun explaining to the business owner how a website can help them find more customers and operate 24/7 in his quintessential style. The commercials conclude with Mithun doing a signature GoDaddy dance move – symbolizing success and celebration – along with the shop owners whose businesses are now thriving.

    On GoDaddy’s choice of Mithun Chakraborty for the campaign, Rajiv Sodhi said, “Mithunda was the perfect choice for this commercial. He compliments our creative strategy by adding to the celebratory mood of the business owners in the ad when they taste success. His appeal spans generations and his name is synonymous with dance. He is someone who has made it solely on his own and is a role model for many – irrespective of the industry they are in.”

    Speaking ofhis work on the campaign, Mithun Chakraborty said, “When GoDaddy approached me for the commercial, I was very excited. I was enthused at the opportunity to educatepeople on what the Internet can truly do. A website offers businesses amazing possibilities toget noticed and operate around the clock.I truly believe GoDaddy can help businesses in India go to the next level of growth quickly.”

    GoDaddy enables small businesses in building a professional identity online by offering an easy to use and end-to-end suite of products ranging from domain name, web hosting, email and marketing tools. The company also offers Indian businesses its world-class, local 24/7 customer care.

    GoDaddy is based in Scottsdale, Ariz. USA. Along with offices in India and Canada, GoDaddy operates data center facilities in Europe and Asia and serves 12 million paying customers globally.

    To find out more about how to get online easily and affordably, visit: in.GoDaddy.com Connect with GoDaddy on Facebook &Twitter.    

     

  • Keshet UK hires Sammy Nourmand as COO

    Keshet UK hires Sammy Nourmand as COO

    MUMBAI: Keshet UK, part of Keshet International, has appointed Sammy Nourmand to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer, as it steps up the pace of its UK production business and underlines its commitment to the UK market. Nourmand’s appointment is effective immediately giving him oversight of ITV’s version of Keshet’s interactive talent show RISING STAR and several more projects in the development pipeline with UK broadcasters.

    Based in London, Nourmand will report to Alon Shtruzman, CEO of Keshet International which also has local production offices in Canada, Australia, Keshet/DCP in the US in addition to the company’s distribution arm.

    Sammy brings over 20 years’ experience in the UK’s independent TV sector, having worked on a large number of shows including big budget productions for broadcasters in both the UK and US. He was most recently CEO of DCD Media before leaving in late 2012 to take up various consultancy roles with UK and US-based production companies, includingKeshet.

    Keshet International, CEO, Alon Shtruzman said “As our UK office goes from strength to strength I’m delighted to have Sammy on board to navigate our journey during this significant growth period. The experience he has built over many years in the industry will be a great asset to us.”

    Sammy Nourmand added “The lure of Keshet’s impressive track record in creating successful shows and Alon’s irrepressible enthusiasm were hard to resist. I’m pleased to be joining Keshet at this exciting time.”

    Nourmand began his career at Michael Hurll Television, working on the British Comedy Awards. He joined September Films in 1998 and went on to become CEO in 2005. Under his stewardship, the company enjoyed its longest period of sustained growth and stability, more than trebling its turnover and establishing a US office. It was acquired by DCD Media in August 2007.

    Nourmand served as DCD’s Interim COO in 2009 and became an Executive Director in 2011 before his appointment as CEO in February in 2012. During this timehe played a key role setting up joint ventures with UK production companies Matchlight, Rize Television USA and bringing Sequence Post Production into the Group.

     

  • Joy Das joins FCBUlka Interactive as Media Director

    Joy Das joins FCBUlka Interactive as Media Director

    MUMBAI: FCBUlka Interactive recently appointed Joy Das as Media Director – Digital. With the rapid growth that the FCBUlka Interactive arm has been clocking, it was only imperative to make a hire at this level to handle some of its key accounts.

     

    Joy has tremendous experience in the digital space with over 10 years of focused digital media specialization. Being a well-entrenched digital expert, Joy boasts of an enviable twitter following of over 17,000 tweeters and a unique and inspiring blogger network. He also brings with him deep knowledge of Digital Media Mix Modelling Tools which ensure high efficiency and measurable response.

     

    Prior to his stint at FCBUlka Interactive, Joy has worked on a gamut of brands like eBay, ITC, Tata Docomo, MTV,among many others.

     

    FCBUlka Interactive has a long and impressive client list and works with Amul, TCS, Tata Chemicals, Abbott Healthcare, Wipro, ITC, Bausch & Lomb, Nerolac, ICICI Bank, World Vision, FabIndia,  Tata Housing to name a few. Joy will provide leadership to the digital media duties of several of these accounts and will lead a team of over 10 digital media planning and buying professionals.

     

    Joy, commenting on his appointment said “FCBUlka Interactive has some great accounts and has been doing robust work. In fact, a lot of their campaigns have been awarded at the Indian Digital Media Awards, DMAi 2013 etc. I am delighted to join the digital arm of one of the most respected advertising agency groups in the country. I look forward to contributing to this spree of account and award wins.”

     

    Last year, FCBUlka Interactive had made a senior level hire with the recruitment of SudarshanSudevan aka Sudi as Creative Head -Digital. Sudi had an interesting career start as a cartoonist before venturing into the digital space and going on to become a digital specialist.

     

    Commenting on Joy Das’ appointment,Satish Ramachandran, Senior Vice President, FCBUlka Interactive, said, “We are growing at a scorching pace and digital is well poised to become a key medium for many of our Group’s clients. Our Interactive team’s strength is now over 50 members. We have been consistently investing in talent and technology to ensure we are ahead of the curve. Joy’s experience will be of immense value for us to maintain our growth rate”

  • Tata Technologies Motorsports sponsors a team in T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship

    Tata Technologies Motorsports sponsors a team in T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship

    NEW DELHI: Tata Technologies, a leading global provider of engineering services and manufacturing enterprise IT, today announced its participation in the country’s first ever T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship as a team sponsor. Tata Motors will host this pioneering racing event on 23rd. March, 2014 at the acclaimed Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida under the aegis of Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI).

    The Tata Technologies Motorsports team of two Prima trucks will be steered by David Jenkins (2011, BTRA Division 1 champion) and Brain Burt (2013, BTRA Division 2 second place).The championship will feature 12 Tata Prima trucks in a pack of six teams and will see participation from experienced international drivers drawn from the British Truck Racing Association (BTRA), UK and European Truck Racing Championship grids.

    Commenting on this historic development, Patrick McGoldrick, MD&CEO, Tata Technologies said; “Tata Motors trucks have seen extensive involvement from Tata Technologies over the years and it will be a matter of pride for all of us to see the Prima trucks perform on track.” He also added; “We are honored to support this exciting new development in the Indian motorsport arena. We welcome this opportunity to demonstrate Tata Technologies’ advanced automotive engineering & design capabilities and reinforce our long-standing commitment to superior product development for the commercial vehicles industry.”

    “Tata Motors values Tata Technologies’ commitment and the unique strengths that it’s engineers bring to our global product development programs,” said Ravi Pisharody, Executive Director, Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors Limited. “Tata Technologies has consistently served Tata Motors as the preferred partner for automotive engineering and IT and contributed significantly to all commercial vehicle platforms including the Prima range.”

    Tata Technologies with its deep domain experience in vehicle program management, end-to-end platform conceptualisation, design and engineering and manufacturing IT capabilities is an established global player in automotive product development and as such has contributed significantly towards the development of commercial vehicles including MHCVs and farm & construction equipment.