Jai Maharashtra poaches ABP veteran as it plots pan-India expansion

MUMBAI: Jai Maharashtra has landed a heavyweight. Shailesh Hegde, who spent nearly a decade and a half at ABP Network, has joined the Marathi news channel as business head, taking charge of editorial, marketing, distribution, operations, and the entire business machinery.

Hegde brings 25 years of media muscle, having worked his way through Indian Express, Zee Entertainment, Sony Pictures, and ABP Network, where he served as vice president for sales and channel head of ABP Majha and Asmita, whilst also running the western branch for the entire network.

“I am truly excited to join Jai Maharashtra at a leadership level,” Hegde said. “This organisation is known for its collaborative culture, and the company’s forward-thinking vision and commitment to innovation and adopting new technology align perfectly with my professional goals and values.”

The appointment signals ambition beyond Maharashtra. Sushil Shetty, president and promoter family representative, made it clear this is just the opening salvo. “I am delighted to welcome Shailesh Hegde as our business head,” Shetty said. “He has the vision, leadership, and deep industry knowledge to guide our channel into its next chapter of growth and success.”

The channel is plotting a pan-India Hindi news channel and a global English news service, with infrastructure already in place. “I strongly believe in attracting great talent, and in the coming few months I expect many big names from our industry to come on board, starting with the appointment of Shailesh,” Shetty added. “For me, great ideas are very important, and I will back the person who has the conviction to go all out.”

The poaching has only just begun. Jai Maharashtra is expanding its footprint, and Hegde’s appointment is the first domino in what promises to be an aggressive talent raid across Indian news media. The question now isn’t whether more big names will follow—it’s whose phone will ring next.