Zee Entertainment taps media veteran to lead creator economy push

MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises has hired Heena Lulla Singh as vice-president for creator economy, marking the company’s latest bet on influencer-driven content as traditional broadcasting faces mounting pressure from digital platforms.

Singh, who spent nearly two years as associate vice-president for digital and new media at Radio City India until October, brings two decades of experience flogging advertising across print, television, radio and digital. Her appointment, confirmed in November, comes as Zee grapples with changing viewer habits and the rise of creator-led content that’s eating into conventional media’s lunch.

The move reunites Singh with Azim Lalani, whom she credited for the opportunity. Before Radio City, she co-founded VIParents, a parent-influencer management platform under theAsianparent, whilst simultaneously serving as regional associate at Tickled Media—a seven-year double act that ended in February 2024.

Singh’s cv reads like a tour of India’s media landscape. She logged six years at Rediff.com as director of ad sales, three years at Radio City as assistant manager, and stints at The Indian Express and Celebrities Management. She also did a six-month turn as national sales head at Bling! Entertainment Solutions.

Zee’s bet on the creator economy isn’t exactly pioneering—every legacy media outfit worth its salt is scrambling to court influencers as eyeballs migrate to YouTube, Instagram and their ilk. Whether Singh can crack the code where others have stumbled remains to be seen. The clock’s ticking.