News Headline

Comment: DD birthday debate should be on change in attitude

Published

8 years ago

September 15, 2017

Indian pubcaster Doordarshan, which claims to be one of the largest television network in the world in terms of reach, appears all set to take on a new look — is searching for a new logo, has auctioned prime time slots on DD National channel, is moving forward on acquiring newer technology, among other things.

But even as the pubcaster marks its 59th birthday on 15 September 2017, will all such moves get it out of the morass it has got itself into, and clear the dust and rust that has settled on umpteen reports making suggestions for improvement, including the Sam Pitroda report that was presented early in 2014?

Why does Doordarshan not function the way BBC World does, putting out the best of programmes without having to worry about the costs involved in production and minimum of influence from its political masters?

Perhaps, the answers to all these vexing questions lie in the unexplained relationship between the government and Prasar Bharati, which is the parent of DD and sibling All India Radio. Often, the query is raised whether Doordarshan was better off as a direct wing under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) till the 1990s, or has it benefitted by becoming ‘autonomous’ after Prasar Bharati Act was enacted in 1997.

A perusal of questions answered in Parliament is very revealing. The replies in most cases begin with the lines that Prasar Bharati is an autonomous body and the government does not interfere, and yet MIB issues directives when it wants to.

Clearly, the answers will come when the details of this relationship become clear. Because, the biggest stumbling block to the pubcaster moving ahead in a fast changing world of broadcasting, according to a section of critics, is the government of the day, which does not leave it free to move on its own and instead believes in the general principle of he who pays the piper plays the tune. For the records, a major portion of funding of Prasar Bharati comes from the government.
Doordarshan was born on 15 September 1959 to beam for half an hour, three days a week with educational programmes. However, as its programming timing grew, so did the control by the government, which found in DD a perfect tool for propaganda.

Immediately after the national Emergency in 1977 when DD was used by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the national party that took over reins in the late seventies decided to work on autonomy for the public broadcaster. The then Minister for Information and Broadcasting L K Advani set up the B G Verghese Committee that recommended the formation of an Akash Bharati Trust.

Interestingly, DD saw its best days in the eighties when it was a department of the government with a series of programming that literally had the whole nation mesmerized. These path-breaking shows included ‘Hum Log’, ‘Buniyaad’, ‘Ramayana’, ‘Mahabharat’, `Tamas’ and ‘Nukkad’.

However, it was only in 1990 that Prasar Bharati Act was passed but it was much later in September 1997 that it was notified and Prasar Bharati became functional as an ‘autonomous’ corporation — though still dependent on the government.

BBC World is today held as one of the best examples of an autonomous public service broadcasters although it is also dependent to an extent on the British government for funding. But its main source of income comes from a license fee that each consumer household has to pay.

But the case of DD is different: despite being dependent on the government, it is running low on financial resources with each successive government insisting that Prasar Bharati should start generating its own resources.

In India, there have been several committees even after the B G Verghese Committee, which have gone into various aspects, but to little effect, and now the recommendations of the Sam Pitroda Committee — the lone committee after the pubcaster was operationalized — are being worked on.

But unfortunately, this report came out with nothing new that was not already being done by the broadcaster or had not been said by many a Parliamentary Standing Committee in reports year after year.

At a time when the country has around 900 licensed television channels, all in the private sector, Doordarshan cannot remain complacent by telling itself it is the most seen and heard broadcaster in the country.

Perhaps these lines by a Canadian author, who penned the fantasy series ‘Morningstar’, aptly sum up the confused state of Prasar Bharati that is completing two decades this month: “If you think you know what your purpose is, but can never seem to gain satisfaction from it, then it’s probably not the purpose you’re destined for.”

Awards

Hamdard honours changemakers at Abdul Hameed awards

Published

4 weeks ago

February 7, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.

The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.

Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.

The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.

Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.

Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.

Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.

Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.

The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.

Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.

MAM

Why the best campaigns today start with insights, not ideas

Published

4 weeks ago

February 7, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: For decades, creative storytelling has been the cornerstone of brand communication. The “big idea” amplified through catchy jingles, striking visuals, and memorable hooks was once the gold standard for relevance and recall. Creativity defined presence, and the loudest, boldest campaigns often won attention.

But the marketing landscape today looks very different.

Audiences are more exposed, more discerning, and far less patient. They are inundated with messages across platforms, formats, and creators, often encountering hundreds of brand touchpoints in a single day. In this environment, creativity alone especially when untethered from real consumer truths is no longer enough to move behaviour. Great ideas are abundant. Meaningful impact is not.

This is where insights matter.

The difference may seem subtle, but it is fundamental. An idea represents what a brand wants to say. An insight reflects what the audience is already thinking, feeling, or experiencing. The most effective campaigns emerge not from cleverness alone, but from the intersection of these two forces.

From creativity to relevance

As the marketing ecosystem becomes increasingly saturated, consumers are growing immune to inflated claims and surface-level storytelling. Even beautifully crafted campaigns can fail if they are disconnected from lived realities. The gap between a brand’s internal enthusiasm and the audience’s actual sentiment can be the difference between attention and indifference.

Insights help bridge this gap. They force brands to pause, listen, and observe to understand emotions, behaviours, cultural contexts, and contradictions. Instead of trying to be remembered through louder branding, insight-led campaigns allow audiences to see their own experiences reflected back at them. When a campaign articulates a problem that feels personal, relevance is created. Trust follows.

Insight is interpretation, not information

It’s important to distinguish between data and insight. Data tells us what is happening. Insight explains why it is happening. While data is measurable and structured, insights are interpretive and dynamic, shaped by real-time sentiment and human behaviour.

Modern consumers are full of contradictions. They demand authenticity while remaining deeply aspirational. They want brands to take a stand but expect nuance, not instruction. They seek transparency, yet are drawn to curated narratives. These tensions are not obstacles, they are opportunities. When understood correctly, they can shape communication that feels timely, credible, and human.

Some of the most effective campaigns today are born not in isolated brainstorm rooms, but through listening to audiences, creators, editors, online communities, and cultural signals. Insights often exist in blurred patterns, but once identified, they can redefine how a brand connects.

A recent campaign we executed for Domino’s illustrates this shift clearly. The brief wasn’t to make a pizza look bigger or louder. Instead, it was rooted in a simple behavioural truth: in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, sharing food is an emotional act tied to family, celebration, and value perception. The “Big Big 6-in-1 Pizza” became a canvas for this insight. The campaign leaned into regional voices and real sharing moments, allowing people to show how they experienced the product rather than being told why they should buy it. Influencers and celebrities amplified genuine usage, not scripted endorsements. The impact from engagement to footfall to sales came not from a clever idea, but from understanding how people relate to food in their everyday lives.

Shifting the starting point

Today’s consumer landscape demands a shift in perspective from “What should the brand say?” to “What does the audience need to hear right now?” This marks a move away from inward-led marketing toward communication shaped by behaviour, emotion, and cultural relevance.

Brands leading today are keen observers. They notice when perfection stops resonating. They sense when luxury shifts from aspiration to excess. They recognise when influencer content begins to feel repetitive and trust erodes.

Virality, too, is often misunderstood. It is not a strategy to chase, but an outcome. Campaigns rooted in insight do not aim to go viral; they aim to resonate. When content reflects something familiar, a shared truth, emotion, or tension, it travels organically because people see themselves in it.

Ideas attract attention. Insights build connection.

The evolving role of PR

For PR professionals, this shift has redefined success. Coverage volume alone no longer tells the full story. The more meaningful questions today are: Did the communication influence behaviour? Did it align with cultural conversations? Did it address a real consumer pain point?

Insight-first thinking allows these questions to be answered at the planning stage, rather than corrected midway through execution.

In a world where formats and platforms will continue to evolve, what remains constant is the power of authentic communication. The strongest campaigns today do not begin with a brainstorm, but with observation, interpretation, and empathy. That is not just better marketing, it is more responsible, resilient, and meaningful brand-building.

Brands

Ahmad Muneeb elevated to VP – HR centre of excellence at Zepto

Published

4 weeks ago

February 7, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Zepto has elevated Ahmad Muneeb to vice president – HR centre of excellence, placing him at the helm of the company’s total rewards, executive compensation and organisational effectiveness as the quick-commerce firm powers through a high-growth phase.

The move follows his stint as senior director of the HR COE, where he played a central role in preparing the company for IPO readiness while scaling its people analytics capabilities. During this period, Muneeb helped align complex performance management structures with more streamlined and scalable employee experience frameworks.

In his new role, he will steer the design of total rewards strategies, executive compensation planning and organisational design, while also overseeing performance management, employee experience initiatives and people analytics programmes.

Before joining Zepto, Muneeb spent nearly three years at Meesho, where he held multiple rewards and HR business partner roles. Earlier in his career, he worked as a senior rewards consultant at Mercer, advising high-tech clients on compensation benchmarking, pay structures and talent-focused reward frameworks.

He began his hr journey at Cognizant, where he supported compensation programmes for nearly two lakh employees across India and worked on m&a compensation alignment and skill-based pay initiatives. Prior to moving into HR, Muneeb started his career as a software engineer at Netcracker, bringing a technical grounding to his people strategy work.

With a mix of consulting rigour, start-up agility and enterprise-scale experience, Muneeb’s elevation signals Zepto’s continued focus on building robust people systems as it races towards its next phase of growth.