ITV

Category: TV Channels

  • Disney targets five local productions; to kick off with ‘Vicky Aur Vetaal’

    MUMBAI: Walt Disney is stepping up its localisation drive in India. One major push in this: have five locally produced live-action Hindi shows tailored for Disney Channel in a year‘s time.


    “Local live-action programming is the way to pump up Disney Channel. We plan to have five original shows within a year and are in talks with various production houses,” Walt Disney Television International (India) executive director, programming and production, Nachiket Pantvaidya tells Indiantelevision.com.


    Disney will have 130 hours of locally produced content over the next one-year period. “India is the first market in the TV business outside the US where Disney has gone in for original local production,” adds Pantvaidya.


    The plan is to increase local content on Disney Channel from 20 to 40 per cent in a year‘s time. The move falls in line with Disney‘s step-wise localisation strategy. This involved languaging the content, creating local environments through interstitials, acquiring local content like Karishma Ka Karishma and lastly, original local production.


    Disney Channel is all set to premiere its first original live action Indian production Vicky Aur Vetaal, a contemporary version of ancient Indian folklore, on 8 October.


    Disney is also actively considering the option of producing a local movie for TV aimed at the Indian audiences, Pantvaidya says.


    So is Disney also looking at producing animation content in India? “We have nothing planned at this stage. The problem with animation is that the costs do not justify a product just for local TV. It has to spread across markets,” says Pantvaidya.


    Disney has commissioned production house Cinevistaas Ltd. for making Vicky Aur Vetaal. Disney has joined hands with other prominent names in the industry like programming director Suraj Rao, music duo Shantanu Moitra and Swanand Kirkire (composer and lyricist) and singer Babul Supriyo.


    The series will air every Sunday at 10:30 am on the Disney Channel. Speaking on the developments of the new show, Cinevistaas vice chairman and managing director Sunil Mehta said, “We started production in August last year, with six episodes complete. We have signed on for 26 episodes which can be extended.”


    The story pans out with Vetaal trapped upside down from a banyan tree for three hundred years and is rescued by an eleven year old brat Vicky. Vetaal‘s magical powers have also become rusty landing the pair into trouble, thus the chosen theme “Vetaal ka magic gadbad ghotala.” To undo the mess, Vetaal uses an eccentric ‘spell book‘ which has a life and attitude of its own. Inspite of the havoc the pair bring to the show, it also promises to subtly bring out certain moral undertones of responsibility for ones actions.



    “Disney Channel‘s commitment to localisation has been a well planned endeavor and we are extremely happy to be delivering on it. We believe in the strength of Indian stories. Our creative idiom with Vicky Aur Vetaal was to contemporize and keep it relevant to today‘s generation. In the process of narration, we are able to involve kids in the storyline by addressing their day to day issues in a fun way,” says Pantvaidya.


    With its entry into India, Disney sought pioneer live action programming in a cartoon driven kids market and, according to Pantvaidya, within a span of two years the market has tripled its size.


    Says Walt Disney Television International (Asia Pacific) senior vice president and managing director Nicky Parkinson, “We seek to strengthen connections with kids and their families by developing creative, quality local content that reflects the lives of the local audiences. This major initiative is a strong step forward in establishing Disney Channel further as a committed local player in this country, and also a reflection of the Walt Disney Company‘s commitment to seeking great creative from the global marketplace.”


    For the promotional activity around Vicky Aur Vetaal, Disney Channel has launched a theme-driven marketing campaign involving TV, Radio, Internet, and outdoor apart from an off-air promotion which includes touch-points at McDonalds and other outlets frequented by kids.


    In the week preceeding the launch, an on-ground teaser campaign was unveiled whereby ‘authentic duplicates‘ of certificates were issued announcing a change of name of the person in question. This, along with marriage proposals from strangers and even inanimate objects like trees got people really curious about what was going on, creating the much desired buzz around the campaign. Besides, Disney has used out of home initiatives in malls across 22 odd markets in the country to create optical illusions. The revealer campaign will be unveiled in 2-3 days.

  • Star Plus Lightens the mood as soap opera Fatigue Sets in

    Star Plus Lightens the mood as soap opera Fatigue Sets in

    Come Monday and Star Plus will tickle the funny bone with Krishna Sharma – C.A. Yesterday producers Cinevistaas Ltd. and Contiloe Films Pvt. Ltd. announced the launch of the weekly comedy series. The show airs from 8-8:30pm.

    With game show Kamzor Kadii Kaun and the Balaji Soaps Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki showing a gradual drop in ratings. Star Plus needed to do something different to maintain its leadership status by ensuring viewer loyalty.

    Also Star Plus lags behind in the comedy genre where rivals like Sabe TV and Sony Entertainment Television have scored points with shows like Office Office and Hubahu.

    Krishna Sharma C.A. represents the second venture between between Cinevistaas Ltd. and Contiloe Films Pvt. Ltd.The first venture Shhh… Koi Hai is a suspense drama that airs in the night on the channel.

    On Star Plus Cinevistaas also has the religious show Dharam Aur Hum. The show hosted by Anup Jalota airs every Sunday morning. Cinevistaas also has the mythological Draupadi running on Sahara TV.

    The director of Krishna Sharma C.A. Vijay Krishna Acharya said that the aim was to strike a delicate balance between serious and comic elements without sounding preachy. The show has a slapstick element to it. The show is also aiming to hit a nerve by dealing with basic issues that affect everyday lives like eve teasing, dowry, the controversial issue of child marriage.

    The focus is on the clever manner in which the lead protagonist gets out of tricky situations. Each episode deals with the intensity of a different issue.

    He also said that though Krishna Sharma is a cartoon artist the word C.A. could lead to people thinking of a chartered accountant. Through the title the director said that he wanted to put across the point that the nature of people can be both dual and deceptive.

    Regarding his background he mentioned that he aided Kundan Shah for three years on Kabhie Na Kabhie.

    He also mentioned that he had earlier worked on a pilot for Cinevistaas. He also pointed out the difference between working for national broadcaster Doordarshan and private channels. With DD one has to take care of advertising in addition to conceptualising the story. However one has the rights to the show.

    With a private channel things work in a reverse fashion. Finding advertisers is the channels headache but the rights remain with them. It is somewhat similar to writing an article for a newspaper he said.

    The channel also pitches the idea to the show producers and the show is monitored by an executive producer for the channel. Abrupt changes in future episodes are not uncommon if ratings are not upto scratch.

    About the choice of Shradhha Nigam for the title role he said that he found that she was able to tackle subtlety and difficulties of different situations in a natural fashion. He also found her quick on the uptake.

    Anjan Srivastava plays Krishna Sharma’s father. He said, ” This concept is about true spirit and what television is all about i.e. a programme about ethical values with a message for the common man’. Other cast members include Ravi Baswani, Neelu Kohli, Sandeep Mehta.

  • Almeida made Sony business head; Rajani takes over at Max

    Almeida made Sony business head; Rajani takes over at Max

    MUMBAI: In a top level executive reshuffle, Max Channel business head Albert Almeida has been handed over the responsibility of the flagship channel Sony Entertainment India business head.

    At Max, Almeida will be replaced by Sneha Rajani, who is presently heading Max Programming & Acquisitions.

    Albert and Sneha will report to Set India COO NP Singh. The new appointments have been made with immediate effect.

    On the new leadership team, Set India CEO Kunal Dasgupta says, “As an organisation our efforts have always been focused on creating a combined powerhouse of channels where each of our channels are led by strong professionals who are able to provide sound and effective leadership. In order to further strengthen this leadership these movements have been made where Albert and Sneha can take their teams to greater heights”.

    Commenting on this new announcement, Set India COO NP Singh said, “Both Albert and Sneha have contributed immensely to the growth of the network and now leading SET and Max respectively will give them an opportunity to further grow these brands. Albert will however continue to oversee ICC Champions Trophy till the end of the tournament.”

    Almeida has been with Set for over three years and has provided leadership as marketing head of Set Channel as well. Rajani has been with the company for over seven years and has been involved in areas such as programming, acquisitions & cricket.

  • Discovery channel launches ‘Discovery Marquee’, ‘Discovery Week’

    Discovery channel launches ‘Discovery Marquee’, ‘Discovery Week’

    BANGALORE: Over the next 13 Mondays starting 2 October, the primetime 8 pm slot on Discovery will deal with historical epics as the channel plans to bring history and virtual history to viewers’ homes in a new series – Discovery Marquee.

    The episodes have been created using archival footage with recreated images produced using computer generated imagery (CGI) on personalities and events that affected history in a major way, along with a couple of episodes on earth, informs an official release.

    From Hannibal-Rome’s worst nightmare to Krakatoa to the Deep Ocean as seen by the eyes of the sperm whale, to Genghis Khan, Pompeii’s last day to Flight 913, to the failed plot to kill Hitler, Supervolcano, Dinosaur Planet and more is what one can expect. India also figures in the series by way of Jim Corbett and the Man Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag, a cat that slaughtered 126 people over an eight year period.

    Also starting 30 September, in a bid to facilitate Indian viewers navigate the channel better, a new half hour series hosted by actor and one time VJ Rahul Khanna called Discovery Week will be aired every Saturday 10 pm with a repeat at 11:30 am the following Sunday, adds the release.

  • Disney targets five local productions; to kick off with ‘Vicky Aur Vetaal’

    Disney targets five local productions; to kick off with ‘Vicky Aur Vetaal’

    MUMBAI: Walt Disney is stepping up its localisation drive in India. One major push in this: have five locally produced live-action Hindi shows tailored for Disney Channel in a year’s time.

    “Local live-action programming is the way to pump up Disney Channel. We plan to have five original shows within a year and are in talks with various production houses,” Walt Disney Television International (India) executive director, programming and production, Nachiket Pantvaidya tells Indiantelevision.com.

    Disney will have 130 hours of locally produced content over the next one-year period. “India is the first market in the TV business outside the US where Disney has gone in for original local production,” adds Pantvaidya.

    The plan is to increase local content on Disney Channel from 20 to 40 per cent in a year’s time. The move falls in line with Disney’s step-wise localisation strategy. This involved languaging the content, creating local environments through interstitials, acquiring local content like Karishma Ka Karishma and lastly, original local production.

    Disney Channel is all set to premiere its first original live action Indian production Vicky Aur Vetaal, a contemporary version of ancient Indian folklore, on 8 October.

    Disney is also actively considering the option of producing a local movie for TV aimed at the Indian audiences, Pantvaidya says.

    So is Disney also looking at producing animation content in India? “We have nothing planned at this stage. The problem with animation is that the costs do not justify a product just for local TV. It has to spread across markets,” says Pantvaidya.

    Disney has commissioned production house Cinevistaas Ltd. for making Vicky Aur Vetaal. Disney has joined hands with other prominent names in the industry like programming director Suraj Rao, music duo Shantanu Moitra and Swanand Kirkire (composer and lyricist) and singer Babul Supriyo.

    The series will air every Sunday at 10:30 am on the Disney Channel. Speaking on the developments of the new show, Cinevistaas vice chairman and managing director Sunil Mehta said, “We started production in August last year, with six episodes complete. We have signed on for 26 episodes which can be extended.”

    The story pans out with Vetaal trapped upside down from a banyan tree for three hundred years and is rescued by an eleven year old brat Vicky. Vetaal’s magical powers have also become rusty landing the pair into trouble, thus the chosen theme “Vetaal ka magic gadbad ghotala.” To undo the mess, Vetaal uses an eccentric ‘spell book’ which has a life and attitude of its own. Inspite of the havoc the pair bring to the show, it also promises to subtly bring out certain moral undertones of responsibility for ones actions.

    “Disney Channel’s commitment to localisation has been a well planned endeavor and we are extremely happy to be delivering on it. We believe in the strength of Indian stories. Our creative idiom with Vicky Aur Vetaal was to contemporize and keep it relevant to today’s generation. In the process of narration, we are able to involve kids in the storyline by addressing their day to day issues in a fun way,” says Pantvaidya.

    With its entry into India, Disney sought pioneer live action programming in a cartoon driven kids market and, according to Pantvaidya, within a span of two years the market has tripled its size.

    Says Walt Disney Television International (Asia Pacific) senior vice president and managing director Nicky Parkinson, “We seek to strengthen connections with kids and their families by developing creative, quality local content that reflects the lives of the local audiences. This major initiative is a strong step forward in establishing Disney Channel further as a committed local player in this country, and also a reflection of the Walt Disney Company’s commitment to seeking great creative from the global marketplace.”

    For the promotional activity around Vicky Aur Vetaal, Disney Channel has launched a theme-driven marketing campaign involving TV, Radio, Internet, and outdoor apart from an off-air promotion which includes touch-points at McDonalds and other outlets frequented by kids.

    In the week preceeding the launch, an on-ground teaser campaign was unveiled whereby ‘authentic duplicates’ of certificates were issued announcing a change of name of the person in question. This, along with marriage proposals from strangers and even inanimate objects like trees got people really curious about what was going on, creating the much desired buzz around the campaign. Besides, Disney has used out of home initiatives in malls across 22 odd markets in the country to create optical illusions. The revealer campaign will be unveiled in 2-3 days.

  • Harvard Business School, India Today Group to launch South Asian edition of HBR

    Harvard Business School, India Today Group to launch South Asian edition of HBR

    NEW DELHI: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation and The India Today Group today announced a partnership to publish Harvard Business Review South Asia, an English-language edition of the world’s most influential business management magazine.

    Harvard Business Review South Asia will run the same editorial content as the flagship U.S. edition and will include regional advertising. This will mark the 12th edition of the magazine. Collectively, Harvard Business Review’s English-language and translated editions reach nearly half a million readers worldwide.

    Thomas A. Stewart, editor and managing director of Harvard Business Review, was quoted in an official statement as saying, “India is the world’s second’s fastest growing economy and boasts one of the world’s most dynamic and innovative business communities.”

    He added that his company was “delighted by this partnership” as it is important for HBR to be on the ground in India as her contributions to “world business and management thinking increase.”

    Aroon Purie, editor-in-chief of the India Today Group, said: “India has an enormous appetite for the kind of authoritative business content that HBR uniquely delivers. To keep pace with the competitive demands of an increasingly complex global economy, South Asian business leaders are looking for cutting-edge insights and tools to take their companies and their careers to new levels of performance.”

    The premier issue of HBR South Asia will be launched at a special event in Mumbai on 16 October 2006, featuring a panel discussion with HBR editor Thomas Stewart and CEOs of India’s leading companies.

    Harvard Business Review (www.hbr.org) is a leading monthly magazine of management thought and practice.

    The magazine has a worldwide circulation of 242,000. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Harvard Business Review is a business unit of Harvard Business School Publishing, a wholly owned, not-for-profit subsidiary of Harvard University.

    In addition to HBR, HBSP’s offerings include books from Harvard Business School Press, newsletters like Harvard Management Update and the Balanced Scorecard Report, conferences, management development programs and services, and case studies from Harvard Business School and other leading academic institutions around the world.

    Raymond Carvey, executive vice president and Chief Operating Officer of Harvard Business School Publishing, said: “Reaching the business leaders of India and greater South Asia is an important objective for Harvard Business School Publishing as we strive to bring our content to new markets and audiences around the world.”

    He added that partnering with the India Today Group would help them in understand better and serve the needs and interests of those who are driving the rapid growth of this “vital (Indian) economy.”

    Since its founding in 1922, Harvard Business Review has bridged the worlds of academia and business by publishing groundbreaking ideas from experts at the forward edge of management and leadership practice, in a format that businesspeople can apply in their own careers and companies.

    The ideas published in HBR have wide-ranging impact, influencing strategy at leading corporations, setting the terms of management debate and discussion, and inspiring business leaders.

    The India Today Group is India’s leading, diversified media group with interests in magazine, newspaper, television, radio, Internet and book publishing. It is India’s largest magazine publisher with print titles in the current affairs, general interest, lifestyle and business segments.

    Speaking on this new partnership, Ashish Bagga, CEO of the India Today Group, said: “As the country’s largest magazine publisher, identifying niche segments and launching leading international media brands is an integral part of the growth strategy of the India Today Group.”

    The India Today Group has successful licensing partnerships to publish other leading global media brands such as Reader’s Digest, Cosmopolitan, Golf Digest, Men’s Health, Good Housekeeping and Scientific American in India. In addition, the Group also represents the leading magazines Time and Fortune.

    The November issue line up will include Harvard Business School professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter on innovation, Wharton School professor Michael Useem on governance, and HBS professor Andrew McAfee on information technology.

  • Sony to launch ‘Kaajjal’ on 9 Oct; ‘Bigg Boss’ coming mid-November

    Sony to launch ‘Kaajjal’ on 9 Oct; ‘Bigg Boss’ coming mid-November

    MUMBAI: The channel may have dropped out of the ratings reckoning, but Sony Entertainment India is now making its best efforts to make a comeback.

    Sony will unleash its big ticket soap Kaajjal, produced by K Sera Sera’s Twenty Twenty TV, on 9 October, whereas the much-awaited Bigg Boss, the Indianised version of Big Brother, is targeting a mid-November launch.

    “We are planning to launch Kaajjal, a daily soap, on 9 October. The schedule and slot details for this soap are yet to be finalised,” Sony COO NP Singh tells indiantelevision.com, while not revealing his plans for Bigg Boss.

    However, market sources inform that Bigg Boss will hit the airwaves by mid-November – immediately after the Champions Trophy gets over. “Bigg Boss will be a prime time show, running Monday through Friday. The show will feature about 15 celebrities and the participants will include Bollywood stars, cricketers and politicians. Bigg Boss will get over by January 2007,” says a source.

    According to Singh, Sony will kick off the Bigg Boss promotions by the second week of October. “The on-air promotions are already on. Now we will be looking at outdoors and the other media platforms in a big way for the second phase of the campaign,” he says.

    The Indian version of Bigg Brother will be Sony’s fourth Endemol acquisition after Indian Idol, Fame Gurukul and Fear Factor India. Reportedly, Big Brother contributes to over 25 per cent of the format owner Endemol’s revenues internationally.

    The Big Brother (Bigg Boss) format requires 10 – 15 contestants living in a house rigged with cameras recording every moment of their lives. The contestants are deprived of contact with the outside world except those allowed by the editorial team. Every week there are tasks to perform, which test their community spirit and team-work. Throughout the series, the contestants are required to nominate two of their number to be voted out of the house.

    Bigg Boss acquires a crucial place in Sony’s gameplan for the coming days as nearest rivals Star and Zee have also unveiled big projects to sustain their performance. To boost is daily 8 pm slot, Star Plus has opted for a sci-fi series, Antariksh. Zee has launched its mega soap project Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann for the crucial 10 pm slot and has Antakshari and Cine Star Ki Khoj coming up next in the pipeline.

    Star One is gunning for huge jump in channel shares with Nach Baliye 2, the celebrity dance show that propelled the channel’s performance in 2005, and a brand new soap Betiyaan apni yaa…Paraaya Dhan. Countering the Star property on the reality front is Sony’s Jhalak Dikhla Ja, the Indian adaptation of the ABC reality show Dancing with the Stars.

    For the time being, Sony’s gameplan has a lot to do with these well acclaimed international formats. It remains to be seen, whether these international properties will be able to drive Sony to a position of strength in the coming days.

  • Hungamathon 2007 to kick off in January; Kolkata also to host

    Hungamathon 2007 to kick off in January; Kolkata also to host

    MUMBAI: Hungama TV is back with the second season of its unique property Hungamathon, which is slated to be held in January 2007. The mini marathon will be adding Kolkata to Mumbai and Delhi, where the event was held last year.

    “Over 20000 kids ran in the Mumbai and Delhi Hungamathon last year and our expectations have risen even higher for the hunt this year! We plan to make Hungamathon 2007 one of the most fun-filled events of the year – one that kids will look forward to,” says UTV Sr. Vice President – marketing and corporate communications Siddharth Roy Kapur.

    Hungamathon 2005 witnessed the participation of close to 20,000 kids across Mumbai and Delhi with eight brands that sponsored the event. This year the race is open to kids between 8-15 yrs. There are two categories, the ‘Masters’ for age group 8 – 12 years that would run 2.5 km and the ‘Blasters’ for the age group 13 – 15 years who would run 4 kms.

    In its second season, an intensive school contact program covering 100 schools will be rolled out in the month of November in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata to ensure maximum participation. Application forms will also be available online on www.hungamatv.com.

    Hungama TV has tied-up with sports association, Athletic Federation of India for Hungamathon 2007 to ensure appropriate adjudication for the entire event.

    In addition, the channel has another reason to cheer as it completes two years this week, as per the latest tam data (TAM Period: 10 – 16 September 2006), Hungama TV has emerged as the number 1 channel in the kids space by a GRP of 153 and highest TVR growth of 28 per cent amongst all its competitors in the kids’ space, informs an official release.

    “Innovative initiatives like ‘Hungamathon’, ‘Rasna Full Toss’, ‘Parle G Hungama Captains Hunt’, ‘Oral B John aur Kaun’ amongst others has helped us to successfully catapult Hungama TV to the number one spot amongst kids channels and hugely strengthen the channel’s brand equity in the last two years,” adds Kapur.

  • BBC Worldwide in content deal with Amazon.com

    BBC Worldwide in content deal with Amazon.com

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC’s commercial arm BBC Worldwide and BBC World are partnering with online retail giant Amazon.com in the US to provide nearly 400 hours of content for Amazon Unbox- a new digital video download service.

    BBC programming spanning genres including comedy, drama, science fiction, documentaries and news will be available to download to rent, with numerous titles making their US digital premiere.

    Customers will be easily directed to BBC content through various routes. In addition to being able to seek BBC content using the Amazon Unbox search engine on the home page, various BBC links will also be featured on the home page to take customers directly to dedicated BBC pages.

    BBC Worldwide VP, programme management and digital media, Americas Beth Clearfield, says, “We are confident that Amazon customers will enjoy discovering new BBC programs as well as finding their favorites via this new technology, and will be enthralled by the breadth of BBC programming now accessible to them on Amazon Unbox.

    “We continue to explore different avenues to share our content with an expanding audience, and are delighted to participate with Amazon.com in the launch of this exciting new platform.”

    BBC Worldwide director digital media, Simon Danker says, “We are thrilled to be part of this service and the growth of BBC Worldwide’s Digital Media business is a key part of the company’s overall strategy. Following this deal, we’ll be working with partners globally to maximise our presence in this arena.”

    Key titles from BBC Worldwide making a digital premiere in the US include shows like Little Britain, Keeping Up Appearances, League of Gentlemen and Yes, Minister. There wil also be Jane Austen period dramas Emma, Mansfield Park and Jane Eyre as well as documentary series Blue Planet, Life of Birds and Walking with Dinosaurs. There will also be drama series such as House of Cards and Miss Marple.

    Other titles include Ripping Yarns and Shakespeare with Macbeth, A Midsummer’s Night Dream and Romeo & Juliet plus BBC titles from Independents such as Coupling (Hartswood Films), Ballykissangel (BallyKea/World Productions)and In The Footsteps of Alexander The Great (Maya Vision).

  • Bharti Airtel initiates management restructuring

    Bharti Airtel initiates management restructuring

    MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel, mobile services provider has announced the appointment of Atul Bindal as joint president – Airtel Broadband and Telephone Services and has appointed Deepak Srivastava as chief operating officer, Airtel Broadband and Telephone Services, North region.

    Bindal will report to Bharti Airtel president Manoj Kohli and will be a member on the Airtel Management Board (AMB), and chair the Broadband and Telephone Services Management Board (BTMB). Srivastava will in turn report to Bindal.

    Bindal, in his new role will focus on taking Bharti Airtel’s Broadband and Telephone services division to new heights with increased town rollouts and introduction of new technologies. He will be supported by Rajiv Sharma (CEO-NCR), Deepak Srivastava (COO-North), Prem Pradeep (CEO-South Central), Deepak Khanna (CEO-West and MPCG), Randeep Narang (COO-MPCG), informs an official release.

    Prior to this, Bindal was the executive director – South for Mobile Services at Bharti Airtel. He has also had a stint as the Group chief marketing officer and director – Mobile Services at Bharti Airtel for over one and half years.

    Bharti Airtel president Manoj Kohli said, “I am delighted to
    announce the appointment of Atul as the Joint President of our Broadband and Telephone services. Atul, with his strategic business sense and people management skills will lead a set of highly talented and competent leaders to take Bharti Airtel’s Broadband and Telephone Services division to the next level of excellence in Broadband services in 92 towns.”
    Deepak Srivastava on the other hand, was the chief operating officer, Mobile Services, Bihar and Jharkhand. He joined Bharti Airtel in 2004.

    “Deepak Srivastava has successfully led the Bihar and Jharkhand market to leadership and I am confident that in his new assignment, he will continue to set new standards and scale new heights in North Airtel Broadband and Telephone Services,” added Kohli.