Category: People

  • The ‘Wonder Women’ in marketing

    The ‘Wonder Women’ in marketing

    Mumbai: Women across various corporate circles have always waded through the additional challenges life threw at them. Being professional leaders, mothers, homemakers, they played a pivotal role in achieving their all roles and responsibilities. These are the women who truly inspire millions of other women and have broken the glass ceiling.

    Like the popular character from American comic books published by DC Comics – ‘Wonder Woman,’ their role was no less when it came to ensuring the organisations sail through the difficult times while keeping their workforce motivated.

    The real-life powerhouse women leaders are very similar to a modern-day ‘Wonder Women’, and their inspiring stories instil a sense of empowerment and self-belief that one can take on the world.

    DBS Bank India executive director and head-group strategic marketing and communications Shoma Narayanan says her ‘Wonder Woman’ moment was when Harlequin’s first book was released globally. “I was more excited than I can say. But I feel my mother has been my number one ‘Wonder Woman’. Growing up, I have always admired how she balanced her work as a teacher, with responsibilities at home and her passion for music,” says Narayanan, who has carved a niche for herself in the industry with her exceptional work.

    Bisleri International director-marketing and business development Anjana Ghosh is another such multi-faceted women leader who has made a mark for herself through her work. Reminiscing about her journey, Ghosh says, “I remember the moment when I first walked into a crowd of workers who were raising slogans against the management. It was the first time I ever addressed a gathering. The workers heard me out of respect for a woman and believed that I could address their problem. They eventually called off the strike, but that moment gave me a sense of power as a woman.”

    Ghosh’s inspiration comes from several women who have struggled against odds to rise to fulfil their dreams. “I especially admire women who achieved a status in life against all odds. Indian gymnasts Dipa Karmarkar and Avani Sabade are a few among many who inspire me,” she adds.

    However, the achievements were not easy to come by for either of them and like all women, they persisted. But if they were ever given an opportunity to bring a change like a ‘Wonder Woman’, they wouldn’t hesitate to ensure the path gets easier for others. “That would be the day! I would remove the many barriers, both actual and self-imposed, that women face,” says Narayanan.

    However, Ghosh adds one more wish to the list. “If I were a ‘Wonder Woman,’ I would ensure that our country becomes ‘Swachh Bharat’ in the true sense,” she says.

    The Indian television premiere of “Wonder Woman 1984” is set to take place on Movies Now, MNX, and MN+ on 31 October at 1 p.m. and 9 p.m.

  • Anil Jhingan elevated to Discovery APAC president & MD

    Anil Jhingan elevated to Discovery APAC president & MD

    Mumbai: Discovery has named Anil Jhingan as president and MD for the Asia Pacific region. He will be based in London and report directly to Discovery president and CEO of streaming and international activities JB Perrette, said the media company in a statement.

    Jhingan joined Discovery in 2019 as executive VP of corporate development, EMEA and APAC. He was earlier associated with Sky as group director of mergers and acquisitions. His previous stints include companies like 21st Century Fox and News Corp.

    “APAC remains a key growth driver for Discovery, and Anil’s deep industry experience, impressive international track record, and strong leadership qualities, working with our expert local teams, will be central in building continued scale and differentiation in this critical region,” said Perette, as quoted by Variety.

    Discovery currently has twelve office hubs in Asia covering 52 markets, 25 channel brands in 18 languages, and streaming service Discovery+.

    “Asia Pacific offers immense opportunity for Discovery, with our focus on great local storytelling and ever-broadening distribution of our content to audiences across the region,” said Jhingan on his new role.

  • TV9 Network appoints Anshuman Tiwari as editor, Money9

    TV9 Network appoints Anshuman Tiwari as editor, Money9

    Mumbai: TV9 Network has strengthened the leadership of TV9 Digital and appointed Anshuman Tiwari as editor of Money9. Veteran journalist Rakesh Khar will assume a larger role as business and economy editor of the network.

    Tiwari is a recipient of the Ramnath Goenka Award, the WAN-INFRA international award for investigative journalism, and, most recently, the ENBA award for the best economic show on digital platforms. He is a Chevening fellow and has had brief stints with global media brands like Financial Times, London, Dayton News Chronicle, Ohio, USA.

    He is known for his innovative and simple style of explaining complex issues of personal finance, public finance economy, and capital market.

    “While language audiences have always been under-served in terms of personal finance, that need gap has only widened with rapid financialisation and digitisation of semi-urban and rural India,” said TV9 Network chief executive officer Barun Das. “Money9 will serve the finest personal finance content in simple, easy-to-consume formats, accessible in multiple languages. I am confident we will deliver on this promise with Anshuman leading the Money9 editorial team.”

    Money9 is a multilingual personal finance platform. The platform is currently available in Hindi and English and will soon be available in five other languages – Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, and Bengali.

    “After seven fantastic years at India Today, I am excited at the prospect of creating something new in the area of personal finance which has always been a matter of passion for me,” said Tiwari. “I am delighted that I will be able to pursue my profession and passion at the TV9 Network which is a leading platform in the industry.’’

  • Network18 Digital appoints new leadership team for general news, branded content business

    Network18 Digital appoints new leadership team for general news, branded content business

    Mumbai: Network18 has announced key appointments for its digital arm – Network18 Digital. According to a statement, the media company is putting in place an experienced team for branded content vertical with strategic additions at both national and regional levels.

    Shobit Bhargava has joined Network18 Digital as national sales head for general news cluster. Bhargava has earlier worked with prominent brands including Times Group, Vodafone, ICICI Bank, Sify, and ITC. At Times Group, he was instrumental in turning around the technology vertical, making it the fastest-growing vertical fuelled by ‘branded content.’

    He will report to Network18 Digital chief operating officer for branded content, revenue management S Shivakumar.

    Sonali Melmane has been appointed as the regional head (West). With over 13 years of experience, she has worked with companies like Star Sports, Times of India, and Standard Chartered Bank. In her previous role with Star Sports, she was responsible for sales and brand solutions across various sporting events like cricket, domestic leagues, and international sports.

    Gunjan Mann has been roped in as the regional head (North). She has been a media marketing professional with over 16 years of experience spread across publishers and agencies. She started her career with experiential marketing and over the years has transitioned into selling space and IPs. She has worked in organisations like Times of India, GroupM, DDB Mudra, and exchange4media.

    Sasi Venkatesh has joined as the regional head (South). With over two decades of experience, Venkatesh is an accomplished sales and marketing professional. Till recently, he was leading the ad solutions business for The Times of India, Bangalore managing key business verticals such as e-business, retail, automobiles, and interior decor. Prior to his stint with ToI, he had worked with organizations like Flipkart Ads, UFO Digital Cinema, and Radio Mirchi.

    All the regional heads will report to Bhargava, said the company in a statement.

    Aneesha Ranjan, who has been leading the North region has been moved to a central strategy role, wherein she will directly work with Shivakumar.

    “Branded content has emerged as a strong focus area for us. In the last few months, we have seen this vertical grow rapidly,” said S Shivakumar. “Keeping the future potential in mind, we are putting in place an experienced leadership team across regions. This vertical will continue to expand as Network18 Digital strives to produce path-breaking and innovative work for its clients to drive unparalleled RoI.”

  • Nikunj Garg appointed as editor of Mirror Now

    Nikunj Garg appointed as editor of Mirror Now

    Mumbai: Times Network on Thursday announced the appointment of Nikunj Garg as editor of Mirror Now. He will report to Times Network managing director and chief executive officer MK Anand.  

    Garg will lead the editorial mandate for Mirror Now and closely work with the channel’s business and leadership teams to drive the channel’s growth agenda, besides continuing his role as overall head of input and news-gathering at Times Network, said the statement.

    With a broadcast journalism career spanning two decades, “Nikunj brings sharp insights, political intelligence, judgement, and accuracy in his reportage,” it added.

    “Nikunj has been one of our key assets and has significantly contributed to Times Now’s leadership through his action-oriented news reportage,” said MK Anand. “I am confident that Nikunj’s in-depth knowledge, expertise, and experience will help the channel’s growth plans in serving its mission, ‘You First’.”

    Garg has been associated with Times Network for over a decade, covering national political and international high-profile stories for Times Now. He is known for investigating and breaking powerful stories including Bofors’s alleged middleman, Ottavio Quatorocchi’s arrest in Argentina, arrest of an Indian diplomat in Pakistan for spying charges in 2010, revealing the identity of lone surviving terrorist of Mumbai 26/11 as Ajmal Kasab and confirming his arrest, IPL match-fixing scandal in 2013, breaking important government decisions on Covid-19 pandemic and government’s action on former CBI director Alok Verma amongst others.

    “I am honored and thrilled to take over this new responsibility,” said Garg. “With a strategic segmented approach, Mirror Now has successfully created a whole new genre of content, centered around the viewer’s preference for impact. I look forward to harnessing my best efforts to fuel the brand’s purpose of focusing on issues that impact the lives of Indians.”

  • Gayathiri Guliani named VP of licensing & content partnerships, Lionsgate South Asia

    Gayathiri Guliani named VP of licensing & content partnerships, Lionsgate South Asia

    Mumbai: Global media company Lionsgate India has named Gayathiri Guliani as vice president of licensing and content partnerships, Lionsgate South Asia.

    A media specialist with experience of over two decades in the creative and business side of the entertainment industry, Guliani will be closely working with Lionsgate South Asia and networks-emerging markets Asia managing director Rohit Jain, said the company in a statement.

    “We at Lionsgate are thrilled to have Gayathiri as the newest member in the team. Her rich knowledge of the media and entertainment landscape in India & South Asia will help our rapid growth and pace immensely,” said Jain on the new appointment.

    With over 23 years of experience in planning, strategising, content development, green lighting process of the local content films, Guliani has in-depth knowledge and understanding of the licensing markets in India and globally. She has marketed and distributed content to over 70 territories worldwide.

    She has worked with well-known entertainment brands like Star TV, Channel V, Viacom 18, Reliance Entertainment Group, and Sahara One Motion Pictures to name a few. Prior to joining Lionsgate India, she was with Sony Pictures India as director of international business and revenues. She is a key opinion leader in various forums like FICCI and a recipient of the youngest achiever award for international distribution.

    “It is a privilege to be a part of a company that holds a strong brand legacy that’s iconic. Excited about taking the vision ahead and building new partnerships. I’m looking forward to establishing path-breaking milestones with the help of the Lionsgate India team,” stated Guliani.

  • News18 India digital onboards Gunjan Arora Mann as regional head

    News18 India digital onboards Gunjan Arora Mann as regional head

    Mumbai: Gunjan Arora Mann has joined News18 India digital as regional head for the North and East region, according to her LinkedIn profile. She will be based out of Gurugram.

    In this new role, Gunjan will oversee branded content in the general news category for the websites.

    A media marketing professional with over 16 years of experience, Gunjan was last associated with Bennett Coleman and Co Ltd, where she held various leadership roles within the media conglomerate, for close to six years. Her previous stints include companies like Mindshare, DDB Mudra, and Digital Market Asia.

  • Viacom18 appoints Jyoti Deshpande as CEO

    Viacom18 appoints Jyoti Deshpande as CEO

    Mumbai: Viacom18 on Thursday appointed Jyoti Deshpande as chief executive officer with immediate effect. She serves on the boards of Network18 and investee companies Balaji Telefilms and Saavn Media.

    In her new assignment, Deshpande will help bring synergies across all of Reliance’s media interests and investments and further equip the company to drive significant growth opportunities as the industry embraces digital transformation, said the statement.

    “Viacom18 is poised to grow as a truly integrated media company across broadcast, OTT and content studio business spanning general entertainment, movies and sports across languages,” said Network18 chairman Adil Zainulbhai. “Given Jyoti’s rich experience in the media sector around content, distribution and monetisation across traditional and emerging platforms, we believe she is best placed to lead the company and its operations.” 

    Deshpande brings over 27 years of experience in the media and entertainment business. Prior to this, she joined Reliance Industries in 2018 as president – media platform and content, after having successfully built a leading media company and pioneered its early disruptive entry into the OTT space. As a business leader in Reliance, Deshpande in the last three years, has leveraged her industry relationships to establish Jio Studios as a key player in the media value chain.

  • Rajat Sharma elected as president of NBDA

    Rajat Sharma elected as president of NBDA

    Mumbai: The News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDA) has elected Rajat Sharma as president at a meeting held on Monday. The board also elected ABP Network chief executive officer Avinash Pandey as vice president and Times Network managing director and chief executive officer MK Anand as honorary treasurer for the year 2021-22.

    The other members on the NBDA board include News24 Broadcast India chairperson-cum-managing director Anuradha Prasad Shukla; Mathrubhumi Printing and Publishing managing director MV Shreyams Kumar; TV18 broadcast managing director Rahul Joshi; Eenadu Television director I Venkat; TV Today Network vice-chairperson and managing director Kalli Purie; New Delhi Television editorial director Sonia Singh, and Zee Media chief executive officer – cluster 1 Sudhir Chaudhary.

    Formerly known as the News Broadcasters Association, the industry body had renamed itself after it decided to bring digital media news broadcasters within the membership of the association. The members at the EGM unanimously passed the modification in the name of the association and amendments to the memorandum and articles of association.

    “I am glad to inform the members that the ministry of corporate affairs, government of India have approved the new name and the amendments to the memorandum and articles of association,” said Rajat Sharma in a statement.

    The ministry of electronics and information technology notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT rules), thereby bringing digital media, including OTT platforms, digital news broadcasters, and news aggregators, for the first time, within the ambit of government supervision.

    The IT rules which have been framed to regulate digital media, not only lay down a code of ethics to be complied by digital news broadcasters but also establishes a three-tier grievance redressal mechanism to ensure observance of the same.

    Similarly, the ministry of information and broadcasting also notified the Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2021(Cable Amendment Rules) to establish a three-tier complaint redressal structure to ensure observance of the Programme Code and Advertisement Code under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.

    “NBDA has challenged the constitutionality of both the IT rules and cable amendment rules in the Kerala high court on various grounds including on the grounds that the rules give the government authorities excessive powers to unreasonably and impermissibly restrict the freedom of speech and expression of the media under Article 19 (1)(a) of the Constitution. Interim orders were granted in favour of NBDA in both matters,” observed Sharma. 

    Despite several months having passed, the Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) ratings have not been restored as yet. “The NBDA board and Barc have had several rounds of discussions to ensure that reliable, credible, tamper-free data is made available to the news broadcasters,” said Sharma. 

  • Rahul Gangwani named editor-in-chief of Lifestyle Asia India

    Rahul Gangwani named editor-in-chief of Lifestyle Asia India

    Mumbai: International media company Burda Media on Monday named Rahul Gangwani as editor-in-chief for Lifestyle Asia India.

    In this role, Gangwani will oversee the Lifestyle Asia’s editorial team, developing the brand’s editorial strategy and spearheading the rollout of new brand campaigns and events, said the company in a statement. 

    “With his creative vision and extensive experience in the media industry, Rahul’s appointment is a great opportunity for us to continue accelerating our growth in India and find new ways to engage with our most sought-after audiences across Asia,” said Burda Media India and Asia CEO Björn Rettig.

    A seasoned editor, Gangwani was last associated with Filmfare, a Worldwide Media company, where he served as group digital editor. During his time at Filmfare, Gangwani became a recognisable name in the media industry, tapping into the growing shift towards digital content and pop culture trends.

    “I am excited to be joining Lifestyle Asia and the Burda Media India team to bring a fresh take on lifestyle content in India,” said Gangwani on his new role. “As the brand approaches its third anniversary in India, this is a pivotal time for us to explore new content verticals that resonate with readers.”