MAM

Women’s Power: Sudha Natrajan

Published

13 years ago

March 9, 2013

Sudha Natrajan gave up her 18-year-old job at Lintas Media Group to become an entrepreneur last year with colleague Raghav Subramanian.

Today founder-director of The Media Café, Natrajan feels that marriage does not really bring upon demands, though motherhood does. A good support system at home, however, helps.

The doting mother of an 11-year-old, Natrajan prefers to catch up on music concerts or plays over mall browsing. She confesses that even though she is from the business of media, she does get influenced by ads like an average media consumer.

One of the leading ladies of the industry, Natrajan, believes in the strength and conviction of women. She also feels that women are hardwired to multitask better than men and firmly holds the belief that sky is the limit for any individual, man or woman.

What has your experience as a woman in the media industry been?
I‘m a bad example to ask these questions as I have always been gender neutral in my professional dealings, and have always expected the same from my team and colleagues. Having said that, it has been my experience that women thrive in the media business. We do have a healthy ratio of women to men in our industry, at every level.

How conducive is the environment for women to thrive in the media business today?
The environment has always been extremely conducive. Women have to just think of themselves as professionals. They need to be as good as or better than their colleagues for them to shine. Opportunities are equal for both genders. Our industry has not been biased.

What according to you are the major challenges women in the industry face today?
I really don’t think there are any specific challenges women face in the media business, other than the ones regularly faced while pursuing a career seriously. Marriage does not really bring upon demands, but motherhood does. It is up to the woman‘s mental strength to go through these first few years of motherhood that separates the weak ones who succumb, to the strong ones who make it. It is my opinion that women are hardwired to handle multiple challenges at the same time, far more than men can. So they can face this one too, and come out of it stronger. A good support system at home does help. I was one of the fortunate ones who had this support system, so I could get back to work 2 and a half months after my son was born. If I had to go home in the evening to tend to him, I would come back to office after tucking him into bed, continue working and then go home late. Yes, I did burn some midnight oil, but it was well worth it.

Organisations do have to be a little more flexible with working new mothers. I converted an unused cabin in my office into a nursery, and had a couple of my team women to bring in their kids to work with their nannies, on days when they could not manage it otherwise. A little bit of support given to them during this period goes a long way in ensuring that we do not lose our best talent to motherhood.

Which are the TV shows that you like watching more on television? Does this influence your buying and planning decisions positively?
With the nature of my job and my upbringing, my TV viewing habits are more like working males because of the hours of viewing, and the interests I have, rather than like the masses of women watching TV in India. I watch sports, news, reality TV (of the genres that appeal to me), and movies primarily. Content that does not require loyalty as a pre-requisite to watch. Even during the hey days of the K serials in India, I am perhaps the only Indian who hasn’t ever watched even one episode (even partly) of Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi or Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki.

Being a marketing, then advertising and then a media person, yes, my interest in advertising is high. But I also behave like a lay consumer and do get influenced by advertising. I feel Television plays an extremely critical role in making a consumer aware, and in some cases drawn to be associated with a brand.

What kind of movies are you fond of?
War, sporty, comedy, and movies showing societal changes and insights in a bold and insightful manner. I watch English and Hindi movies.

What do you do in your spare time?
I spend most of my spare time with my son, who is 11 years old. I guess I will not have too much of his attention and time as he grows up. It has already been decreasing off late. I don’t shop, or go mall browsing. I do not have the time to while away in that manner. I like to catch music concerts, and the odd play, when I can make it. I listen to Indian classical, a lot of fusion and international music too. I like to indulge in some form of physical activity every day, be it cycling, or working out in the gym, or jogging in the park.

Please cite some situations where you think being a women has helped and where things have not been in your favour because of being a woman?
I have been brought up not to think of myself as a woman, but as a self respecting and contributing individual. There‘s nothing I could not do or aim for, that my brother couldn’t. So, it’s difficult for me to even think of occasions when being a woman has helped me. I think it really depends on the confidence an individual has, his or her competence and professionalism. There also haven’t been any instances of it going against my favour. Guess, I have been lucky in that manner.

What traits of you as a woman have lent well in terms of media buying and planning?
I guess the ability to multi-task, handle crisis situations frequently, as media is the last process that happens before the campaign is released. Delays happen right from the brand brief coming into the creative agency from the advertiser, and at every single stage. But more often than not, the launch date of the campaign is pre-decided. So the time media gets to plan and execute a campaign gets compressed time and again. I‘m not too sure, but perhaps I don’t have much of an ego, because I’m a woman. Even when I was the CEO of Lintas Media Group, I wouldn’t find it beneath my dignity to help my team out in getting an important ad to be scheduled urgently, and in situations when space is not available.

I‘ve also always maintained extremely good relations with all media owners, irrespective of whether they are the top performing media vehicles at that point in time or not. I really believe in supporting the eco-system we all work in, and the fact that results have to be win-win for all concerned. I have never utilised my position or my chair for undue favours, or to bully people.

Your vision of media 5 and 10 years on and the role of women in it?
The media industry has bred a lot of successful women leaders. I see it continuing.

Your views on traditional media?
In India, the old lives with the new. It is critical for us to keep up with the times, and be ahead of it actually. We have to constantly keep learning and staying ahead of the curve. how much of traditional vs new media, what is the role they are performing, how is that role changing/evolving constantly, how should it impact strategies, are questions we need to be prepared to answer at all points in time. it is important to have a youthful and curious mind.

Your perception of emerging media such as the mobile screen, tablets, online, social media? And your perception of these being used as a targeted medium to communicate brand messages to consumers?
Well, every medium has a role to play today, with different audiences. These media vehicles have already emerged, they aren’t emerging any more.

What will the media buying agency look like in 10 years?
This is a trick question. My personal view is that the media agency the way it is structured today, would not exist in 10 years. Most of media planning and buying would happen online, it would be accessible to any individual/corporation, and strategic solutions are what would be sought for from strategy hot-shops who show directions and who are experts in understanding consumer behaviour and media.

What advice would you give to the young girls entering the business of media today?
Take your careers seriously. It is not a stop gap arrangement to keep yourself busy until you get married. It makes you a respected and contributing member of society, increases your self-pride and makes you become a more complete and better human being. You are also able to support your husbands and be more understanding towards professional situations. Sky is the limit for any individual, doesn’t matter if it is a man or a woman.

Brands

Netflix India names Rekha Rane director of films and series marketing

Streaming giant bets on a seasoned marketer who helped build Amazon and Netflix into household names

Published

2 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Netflix has put a proven brand builder at the helm of its films and series marketing in India, naming Rekha Rane as director in a move that signals sharper focus on audience growth and cultural cut-through in one of its most hotly contested markets.

Rane steps into the role after seven years at Netflix, where she has quietly shaped how the platform sells stories to India. Her latest promotion, effective February 2026, crowns a run that spans brand, slate and product marketing across originals, licensed content and new verticals such as games.

A strategic marketing and communications professional with roughly 15 years’ experience, Rane has spent much of her career building technology-led consumer businesses and new categories, notably e-commerce and subscription video on demand. She was part of the early push that introduced Amazon.in, Prime Video and Netflix to Indian homes, then helped turn them into everyday brands.

At Netflix, she most recently served as head of brand and slate marketing for India from March 2024 to February 2026, leading teams across media and marketing for global and local content portfolios. Before that, as manager for original films and series marketing, she led IP creation and go-to-market strategy for titles including Guns and Gulaabs, Kaala Paani, The Railway Men* and The Great Indian Kapil Show, spanning both binge and weekly-release formats.

Her earlier Netflix roles covered product discovery and promotion in India and integrated campaign strategy to drive conversations around the content slate, product awareness and brand-equity metrics.

Before Netflix, Rane logged more than three years at Amazon in brand marketing roles in Bengaluru. There she handled national and regional campaigns for Amazon.in, worked on customer assistance programmes in growth geographies and contributed to the go-to-market strategy for the launch of Prime Video India.

Her career began well away from streaming. At Reliance Brands in Mumbai, she worked on retail marketing for Diesel and Superdry. A stint at Leo Burnett saw her work on primary research for P&G Tide, mapping Indian shoppers’ paths to purchase. Earlier still, at Orange in the United Kingdom, she rose from sales assistant to store manager, running a team and owning monthly P&L for a retail outlet.

The arc is telling. As global streamers fight for attention in a crowded Indian market, executives who understand both mass retail behaviour and digital habit-building are prized. Rane’s career sits at that intersection.

For Netflix, the bet is simple: in a market spoilt for choice, sharp marketing can still tilt the screen. And with Rane now leading the charge, the streamer is signalling it wants not just viewers, but fandom.

Brands

Orient Beverages pops the fizz with steady Q3 gains and rising profits

Kolkata-based beverage maker reports stronger revenues and profits for December quarter.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: A fizzy quarter with a steady aftertaste that’s how Orient Beverages Limited, the company that manufactures and distributes packaged drinking water under the brand name Bisleri closed the December 2025 period, as the Kolkata-based drinks maker reported improved revenues and a healthy rise in profits, signalling operational stability in a competitive beverage market.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2025, Orient Beverages posted standalone revenue from operations of Rs 39.98 crore, up from Rs 36.42 crore in the previous quarter and Rs 33.53 crore in the same quarter last year. Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 42.24 crore, reflecting consistent demand and stable pricing across its beverage portfolio.

Profit before tax for the quarter came in at Rs 3.47 crore, a sharp improvement from Rs 1.31 crore in the September quarter and Rs 0.39 crore a year ago. After accounting for tax expenses of Rs 0.79 crore, the company reported a net profit of Rs 2.68 crore, nearly three times the Rs 0.99 crore recorded in the preceding quarter.

On a nine-month basis, the momentum remained intact. Revenue from operations for the period ended December 31, 2025 rose to Rs 117.66 crore, compared with Rs 106.95 crore in the corresponding period last year. Net profit for the nine months climbed to Rs 5.51 crore, more than double the Rs 2.18 crore reported in the same period of the previous financial year.

The consolidated numbers told a similar story. For the December quarter, consolidated revenue from operations stood at Rs 45.06 crore, while profit after tax came in at Rs 2.06 crore. For the nine-month period, consolidated revenue touched Rs 133.57 crore, with net profit of Rs 4.49 crore, underscoring the group’s improving profitability trajectory.

Operating expenses remained largely controlled, with cost of materials, employee benefits and other expenses broadly aligned with revenue growth. The company continued to operate within a single reportable segment beverages simplifying its cost structure and reporting framework.

The unaudited financial results were reviewed by the Audit Committee and approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting held on 7 February 2026. Statutory auditors carried out a limited review and reported no material misstatements in the results.

In a market where margins are often squeezed by input costs and competition, Orient Beverages’ latest numbers suggest the company has found a reliable rhythm not explosive, but steady enough to keep the fizz alive.

MAM

Washington Post CEO exits abruptly after newsroom cuts spark backlash

Leadership change follows layoffs, protests and a bruising battle over trust.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: When the presses are rolling but patience runs out, even the editor’s chair isn’t safe. The Washington Post announced on Saturday that its chief executive and publisher Will Lewis is stepping down with immediate effect, bringing a sudden end to a turbulent two-year tenure marked by financial strain, newsroom unrest and public backlash.

Lewis’s exit comes just days after the Bezos-owned newspaper announced sweeping job cuts that triggered protests outside its Washington headquarters and a wave of anger from readers and staff. While newspapers across the US are grappling with shrinking revenues and digital disruption, Lewis’s leadership had increasingly come under fire for how those pressures were handled.

The Post confirmed that Jeff D’Onofrio, a former Tumblr CEO who joined the organisation last year as chief financial officer, has taken over as CEO and publisher, effective immediately. In an email to staff, later shared by reporters on social media, Lewis said it was “the right time for me to step aside.”

The leadership change follows the announcement of large-scale redundancies earlier this week. While the Post did not officially confirm numbers, The New York Times reported that around 300 of the paper’s roughly 800 journalists were laid off. Entire teams were dismantled, including the Post’s Middle East bureau and its Kyiv-based correspondent covering the war in Ukraine.

Sports, graphics and local reporting were sharply reduced, and the paper’s daily podcast, Post Reports, was suspended. On Thursday, hundreds of journalists and supporters gathered outside the Post’s downtown office in protest, calling the cuts a blow to public-interest journalism.

Former executive editor Marty Baron described the moment as “among the darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organisations.”

Lewis defended his record in his farewell note, saying “difficult decisions” were taken to secure the paper’s long-term future and protect its ability to publish “high-quality nonpartisan news”. But his tenure coincided with growing scrutiny of editorial independence at the Post.

Owner Jeff Bezos faced criticism for reining in the paper’s traditionally liberal editorial page and blocking an endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 US election. The move was widely seen as breaking the long-standing firewall between ownership and editorial decision-making.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, around 250,000 digital subscribers cancelled their subscriptions after the paper declined to endorse Harris. The Post reportedly lost about $100 million in 2024 as advertising and subscription revenues slid.

While the wider newspaper industry continues to battle declining print advertising and the pull of social media, some national titles have stabilised. Rivals such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times have managed to build sustainable digital businesses, a turnaround that has so far eluded the Post despite its billionaire backing.

As Jeff D’Onofrio steps into the role, the challenge is stark, restore confidence inside the newsroom, win back readers who walked away, and prove that one of America’s most storied newspapers can still find its footing in a brutally competitive media landscape.