MUMBAI: The Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation (IBDF) has sent out a clear signal at its 26th Annual General Meeting in New Delhi: television remains the beating heart of India’s entertainment story.
A significant leadership transition was announced at the AGM. Media veteran Avinash Pandey will assume the role of secretary general from October 1, 2025, succeeding Siddharth Jain, whose tenure concluded on September 30. Members expressed gratitude to Jain for his contributions and warmly welcomed Pandey. Reflecting on his appointment, Pandey said, “I am honoured to take on this role at such a pivotal time. My focus will be on engaging with government, navigating the evolving regulatory landscape, and strengthening IBDF’s role as the industry’s unified voice.”
Chairing the AGM in his inaugural address as president, Jiostar India CEO – entertainment Kevin Vaz underscored the enduring power of linear TV. He pointed out that 97 per cent of India’s original content in 2024, nearly 200,000 hours, was created for television, which continues to engage audiences at scale with roughly 46 trillion minutes of annual viewing across 190 million screens. He described TV as the “bedrock of content creation and brand building in India,” highlighting its unmatched reach and cultural resonance through the family co-viewing experience. Vaz added that advertising revenues are set to climb, with the festive season offering an immediate boost and the government’s recent GST reforms providing a strong foundation for long-term growth. “Television’s next chapter is one of evolution, leveraging reach and trust, amplified by digital,” he said, affirming IBDF’s commitment to advocate for a forward-looking regulatory framework.
The AGM also featured board elections, where Gaurav Banerjee of Culver Max and R. Mahesh Kumar of Sun Network were re-elected, while Anil Kumar Singhvi of Zee Media joined as a new board member. The Office Bearers were re-elected for the new term, with Vaz as president, Rajat Sharma of India TV, Banerjee, and Kumar as vice presidents, and I. Venkat of Eenadu TV continuing as treasurer. The Board also includes Aroon Purie of TV Today Network, Gaurav Dwivedi of Prasar Bharati, Jayant Mathew of MMTV, and Punit Goenka of Zee Entertainment, while Sumanta Bose of Jiostar, John Brittas of Kairali TV, and Nachiket Pantvaidya of Culver Max were co-opted as members.
The AGM was also attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, including secretary Sanjay Jaju and additional secretary Prabhat, who joined industry leaders at a special luncheon hosted by IBDF, enabling constructive dialogue between broadcasters and policymakers.