Tag: Animesh Kumar

Mirum India bags digital mandate for ibis Hotels

Mumbai: Mirum India, a VML company, has won the digital mandate for ibis Hotels, a renowned brand under the Accor group. Under this mandate, Mirum India will be the digital and social media agency of record (AOR) for ibis Hotels.

ibis Hotels, known for its modern, comfortable, and well-designed rooms, caters to both business and leisure travellers. The brand now aims to strengthen its position in the market by reaching out to its audience more effectively through digital channels. With a focus on building a community for the brand on the digital front, Mirum India will play a strategic role in creating awareness and driving top-of-the-mind-recall for the brand.

Commenting on the partnership, ibis & ibis Styles India commercial head Animesh Kumar shared, “The partnership with Mirum India, marks a strategic move for ibis Hotels in our journey to reinforce our digital presence and connect more deeply with our audience. As we embark on this journey, we’re committed to leveraging innovative digital strategies not only to amplify our presence but also to cultivate a vibrant digital community. Together with Mirum India, we aim to create immersive experiences that resonate with our guests, fostering lasting connections, and enhancing the essence of ibis Hotels.”

Mirum India will play an important role in amplifying ibis Hotels’ digital presence through strategic planning, media, production, and execution of comprehensive digital marketing campaigns.

Mirum India MD Mihir Karkare expressed his excitement about the new partnership, “If we look at the recent stats, domestic tourism is expected to bounce back to the pre-pandemic levels by 2024–25, with foreign tourist arrivals increasing by 435 per cent over the next three years. With the opportunity that it presents for the Indian tourism sector, I believe this partnership couldn’t have happened at a better time. The team is fueled with determination to elevate ibis Hotels’ digital presence to even greater heights. Together, we’re set to create a captivating digital landscape that will enable ibis Hotels to foster deeper connections with its audience and build brand loyalty.”

With Mirum’s track record of delivering successful digital campaigns and ibis Hotels’ commitment to providing excellent hospitality, this partnership is set to take the hospitality industry by storm.

March 26, 2024
ZEE & SNEHA unite for maternal health program benefiting 8,000 women in Bhiwandi

Mumbai: On International Women’s Day, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), India’s leading content company, shed light on the groundbreaking initiative – Integrated Maternal and Child Health Program developed in partnership with the Society for Nutrition Education and Health Action (SNEHA). The program developed for communities in Bhiwandi, Thane District, stood as a beacon of empowerment for women across the region.

Recognising the urgent need for action, ZEE partnered with SNEHA to bolster this vital project, which has touched the lives of over 8,000 women from September 2022. Operating within Bhiwandi’s vulnerable communities, including married women of reproductive age, children aged 0-2 years, dedicated community volunteers, and essential systems staff; the program addressed a myriad of pressing health concerns. With ZEE’s support, SNEHA conducted a comprehensive assessment, uncovering prevalent health issues such as maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality, along with the alarming rates of communicable and non-communicable diseases like tuberculosis and hypertension and diabetes within Bhiwandi’s 44 per cent urban slum population. The community grappled with a staggering 24 per cent rate of home-based child deliveries, coupled with late registration for hospital delivery, subpar immunization rates, and distressing instances of gender-based violence.

In response to these challenges, ZEE and SNEHA collaboratively developed and implemented a pioneering community-based urban healthcare model, addressing reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) concerns. This holistic approach extended to combating malnutrition, gender-based violence (GBV), tuberculosis (TB), and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), in close partnership with the local public health systems in Bhiwandi.

Neonatologist and SNEHA founder Dr Armida Fernandez said, “We established SNEHA in response to the dire health challenges faced by low-income households, especially mothers and children. Our goal is to improve health-seeking behaviour and enhance the quality of public health services in underserved communities. Witnessing the transformation of 8,000 women through our program fills us with immense gratitude, and we extend our heartfelt appreciation for the invaluable support received from ZEE.”

Reflecting on the significance of this program and its success, ZEE president – HR and transformation Animesh Kumar said, “Partnering with SNEHA on this transformative initiative has been an incredibly fulfilling journey for us. Together, we’ve not only empowered communities but also created a tangible impact on maternal and child health in Bhiwandi. By synergizing our resources and expertise, we’ve reached thousands of women and children, providing them with the crucial support and care needed for a healthier tomorrow. Today, as we celebrate International Women’s Day, the success of this project serves as a powerful testament to the immense potential of collective action in driving positive change and fostering inclusive growth.”

Since the inception of the partnership, there has been a 12 per cent increase in the adoption of modern contraception methods among women. This substantial growth is testament to the fact that it provided women with a newfound agency to make informed choices regarding their sexual and reproductive health.

The comprehensive approach implemented by SNEHA and ZEE resulted in tangible improvements in community health indicators, with noticeable reductions in maternal and neonatal mortality rates, increased access to essential healthcare services, and heightened awareness about preventive measures. Furthermore, the collaborative effort fostered a sense of empowerment among women, enabling them to take charge of their health and well-being, thus paving the way for a brighter and healthier future for generations to come.

March 8, 2024
ZEE bags Brandon Hall Global HCM Excellence Awards

Mumbai: ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), India’s content company, has bagged multiple awards at the 2023 edition of the prestigious Brandon Hall Global HCM (Human Capital Management) Excellence Awards. The awards include four gold and one silver. The company bagged gold across categories such as ‘Best Program for Upskilling Employees’, ‘Best Approach to Implementing a Learning Experience Platform’, ‘Best Development Program for Frontline Leaders’ and ‘Best Advance in Employee Recognition Program’; and Silver in ‘Best Advance in Creating a Learning Strategy’ award category.

Brandon Hall Group orchestrates the premier awards program in Human Capital Management, renowned for its longevity and magnitude. Operating as an independent Human Capital Management research and analyst firm, the entity provides strategic insights to executives and practitioners, guiding growth and driving business outcomes, while also recognizing the most iconic L&D initiatives at the Human Capital Management Excellence Awards. ZEE has received recognition for its tailored talent management initiatives that effectively foster learning and professional growth.

Speaking on the win, ZEE president- HR & transformation Animesh Kumar said, “The acknowledgement from Brandon Hall Group reaffirms our dedication to pioneering, technology- infused learning as well as building a culture of appreciation. At ZEE, we have maintained a persistent commitment to integrate technology into our capability development and recognition efforts, enhancing their efficacy and adaptability. It is critical to note that equipping employees with new proficiencies is vital to match the pace of the ever-evolving M&E landscape. We are

committed to enriching our workforce with a disruptive attitude through our learning initiatives, fostering skill acquisition and leadership development. Our investments in digital people-centric platforms, providing on-the-go accessibility to employees for such programmes, underscores this commitment.”

In line with the company’s long-term vision, the organisation has been institutionalising a strategic re-design to develop as well as encourage a learner-centric approach. Following a pioneering approach, ZEE has consistently promoted a culture of ‘Continuous Learning’, through the implementation of its iconic ‘Academy of Excellence’ model. Comprising of successful initiatives such as Compliance Academy, Digicademy and Lead-Your-Ship Academy. The model is taking major strides in capability-building and developing a culture of continuous learning through upskilling, with an aim to chart the next phase of growth.

August 21, 2023
ZEE unveils metaverse induction program in Bengaluru

Mumbai: Media & entertainment powerhouse Zee Entertainment Enterprises on Wednesday conducted its first-ever induction in a metaverse environment by welcoming 100+ campus graduates from top tech institutes across the nation; at its Technology and Innovation Centre in Bengaluru. The company’s Technology & Innovation Centre is focused on building the metaverse platform by leveraging augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and relevant data models for its digital platforms.

The initiative was led by ZEE president – digital businesses and platforms Amit Goenka and ZEE president – technology & data Nitin Mittal, addressing the fresh batch of recruits. The metaverse induction was conducted by leveraging the Technology and Innovation Centre’s state of the art infrastructure and cutting-edge technology solutions: thereby offering an immersive mixed reality experience to the fresh recruits.

Speaking about the initiative, Goenka said, “At ZEE’s Technology and Innovation Centre, we are imbibing a sharp strategic focus on enhancing our tech capabilities through a confluence of technology, data and talent. As we break new grounds and redefine entertainment by providing robust experiences across platforms, we are delighted to converge ZEE’s collaborative and entrepreneurial culture in the physical and digital realms through an immersive environment such as the metaverse. We aim to provide intuitive experiences across all aspects of an individual’s consumption, creation and transactional journey, and the first-ever metaverse induction program at ZEE, will not only help enhance our employee experience by boosting innovation and productivity, but also our consumer experience by several notches.”

Mittal added, “For over three decades, we have been a pioneer in breaking the norms of the industry and creating path-breaking content for more than 1.3 billion viewers across the globe. Our focus now remains on building capability for ZEE by leveraging technology to provide our consumers with extraordinary entertainment experiences. Our quest is to shape the next chapter of India’s media & entertainment Industry and the Metaverse Induction Program is yet another major step in that direction. Inducting, nurturing and retaining the right talent is key to any organisation’s success and we are committed to giving a world class experience to our tech enthusiasts right from day one.”

Commenting on the induction program, ZEE president – HR and transformation Animesh Kumar said, “As digital transformation continues to accelerate globally, the Technology and Innovation Centre at ZEE will play the lead role in driving the next era of innovation in content consumption. ZEEverse, is another major stride in a string of initiatives launched by the company in recent times towards our internal digital transformation that will enable the organisation to become future-ready and win in the emerging digitalised economy. Our focus is on building a collaborative, high-capability driven environment for our tech enthusiasts, who are the innovators of tomorrow. As we reimagine the future of our workplace, we are also elevating our employee experience by adopting a new induction module that will deliver an immersive and unique on-boarding experience to our fresh batch of recruits.”

ZEE is focused on offering a holistic environment to its talent workforce through the adoption of innovative and path-breaking technology. The company aims to enhance and widen its digital footprint, as it continues to cater to the global community and redefine the future of entertainment by leveraging a technology and innovation led strategy.

July 20, 2022
ZEE wins big at Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards ’21

Mumbai: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has won three key awards at the prestigious and globally acclaimed Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards 2021. The media company bagged silver for ‘Best Advance in Custom Content’ and bronze for ‘Best Advance in Employee Engagement’ and ‘Best Unique or Innovative Learning and Development Program’.

The awards feature two annual programs recognising the best organisations that have successfully deployed programs, strategies, modalities, processes, systems and tools that have achieved measurable results. ZEE has been felicitated amongst the best in the list of global companies, recognising its employee focussed learning and development initiatives and a people-first approach.

In line with the evolving media and entertainment ecosystem, ZEE is nurturing its pool of talent by building a strong employee value proposition revolving around three key tentpoles of being an ‘Academy of Talent’ in the M&E industry, cherishing its roots by celebrating the proud legacy of the brand, its values, culture, traditions and building a safe and secure workplace. The company has successfully implemented learning and development initiatives for its employees despite headwinds faced by the sector during the lockdown, said the company in a statement.

Some of these programs include increase in the quantum and coverage of learning initiatives (13,000+ man-hours of learning clocked across its offices during FY21, access to online learning courses on global e-learning platforms like Coursera and Udemy, access to e-books of different genres through a tie-up with the new-age platform – Librarywala), ZEEcademy – an online learning experience platform hosting all learning needs in one place and digitalisation – building employee capabilities to adapt to the existing business practices through new digital methods, it added.

Speaking on the recognition, ZEEL, president- HR and transformation, Animesh Kumar said, “Learning and development efforts have been a foundation stone of our strong employee engagement strategy and we are honoured that the same have been recognised at the globally renowned Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards 2021. This recognition is a testament of our continued commitment towards enhancing the overall employee value proposition at ZEE. As an ‘Academy of Talent’, we continue to focus on initiatives that enhance our capability building programs and encourage our people to perform to their fullest potential.”

Capability building has been one of ZEE’s key focus areas and the company has been substantively increasing the quantum and coverage of its learning initiatives. Keeping gamification at the core, the company partnered with Upside Learning, a player in the digital learning space, to create a story-based employee induction experience with gamified elements to engage the new talent.

“It is an honor to be recognised by the esteemed Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards for our partnership with ZEE. We’re extremely proud to have developed high-quality learning and development experiences for ZEE, keeping gamification at the heart of the program, that have enhanced the company’s overall engagement with its talented workforce,” said Upside Learning Solutions’ founder and CEO, Amit Garg.

August 25, 2021
ZEE Entertainment is amongst ‘India’s Best Companies to Work For – 2019’

MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL), a leading media and entertainment powerhouse, has been recognised amongst ‘India’s Best Companies to Work for 2019’, in a study conducted by the Great Place to Work Institute. The organisation’s employee initiatives stemming from its corporate philosophy ‘Extraordinary Together’, integrating every nuance of personal development and well-being with a balanced focus on operational excellence saw ZEE being felicitated as amongst the best in the ‘Media & Entertainment’ category.

A global authority on building, sustaining and recognizing high-trust, high-performing workplace cultures, the institute releases the list of India’s ‘Best Companies to Work’ for List each year in partnership with The Economic Times. It recognizes companies on parameters that help in arriving at the coveted list of companies which provide an enabling environment of sustenance, growth, engagement and work-life balance to its employees.

On receiving this prestigious certificate,Mr. Animesh Kumar, Chief People Officer,Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) said “It is an honour for us to consistently rank amongst India’s Best Companies to Work For. A testament to our policies and initiatives towards employee development practiced as a part of our corporate philosophy. In our quest to enhance our workplace, we are focused towards developinga collaborative culture which is tech-enabled and dynamic.Our core philosophy is a blend of modern ideas with traditional values – an identity which is distinct, credible and aspirational in the Media and Entertainment Industry. We constantly strive to improve the overall workplace experience for our partners by prioritizing a healthy culture and cultivating a happy environment through flexible policies and programs that help us create a strong employer value proposition.”

Entertainment continues to be the most powerful form of inspiration and our purpose remains to provide an extraordinary experience each time a customer engages with ZEE.Bringing its core values of ‘Extraordinary Together’ into practice, ZEEL has built a diverse culture and environment fostered with trust, responsibility and customer centricity to be among the largest global content companies across genres, languages, and platforms. As a talent powerhouse, ZEEL’s core strength as an employer, vests in the empowerment of itsemployees who are its partners. Thus, our people philosophy SAMWAD focuses on creating great productive relationships between the manager and the team.

Other notable initiatives include:

• Employee Engagement – With an aim to enrich experience & enable an environment for its employees to achieve the extraordinary, ZEEL has taken numerous initiatives. Amongst them is the inhouse Creche Facility, that enables young parents alleviate their child-care challenges. ZEEL is amongst the few organizations in the media& entertainment sector that provides this facility at no additional cost to its employees.

• Talent Acquisition & Development – The recruitment landscape in today’s fast changing media and entertainment industry is fundamentally challenging. We create a strong Employer Value Proposition which helps us in attracting future employees through our Campus Recruitment Program which infuses fresh ideas and talent into the Company. ZEE has been known for its ability to focus on internal talent growth, which is being strengthened further by its partnership with KPMG that will focus on capability enhancement of its front-line managers.

• Rewards & Recognition – Through multiple practices and programs, ZEEL recognizes the efforts of its extraordinary people who are adept at working not only at an individual level but are team players who can create the extraordinary.ZEELOMPICS, is one such employee-recognition programme where high performers in each role are recognised for their exemplary performance as ‘Heroes’.

Its ability to attract talent and provide opportunities for career growth and leadership development in alignment with the key goals of the organisation has provided an environment of sustenance, growth, engagement and work-life balance to its employees.The global media conglomerate has successfully evolved into an all-encompassing entertainment company offering quality content across multiple platforms and languages reaching over 1.3 billion viewers and bringing the best of entertainment content to viewers in India and across the world.

July 2, 2019
ZEE partners with Indiantelevision.com for Media HR Summit 2019

MUMBAI: Since inception, Indiantelevision.com has always attempted to sincerely engage with India’s media and entertainment industry in a bid to offer innovative content and broaden the scope for dialogue. Extending this endeavor to a key sphere of the ecosystem, Indiantelevision.com is now putting together its first-ever Media HR Summit in partnership with ZEE, the title sponsor for the conclave.

Media HR Summit intends to delve deep into the challenges that India’s M&E industry faces today and understand how corporate and HR leaders are steering their companies into the future as they seek to attract, develop and retain talent. ZEE, one of India’s biggest and most sought after employers, coming on board as the main partner further highlights the importance of this initiative and bolsters its credibility.

“The Indian Media & Entertainment Industry is at an inflection point where convergence, consolidation and technological innovations are reshaping all parts of the M&E value chain. The oft repeated cliché “what got us here, won’t get us there”, has never been more relevant. Talent capability & availability both are amongst the biggest challenges we need to address to successfully navigate the emerging landscape. It is imperative that we build and retain a workforce that is ready for a generational shift in skills. We are proud to partner with Indiantelevision.com’s 1st Media HR Summit that aims to address these challenges and help HR leaders across sectors to share thoughts and perspectives on building a dynamic workplace in a digitally transformative world,” Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited chief people officer Animesh Kumar said.

Media HR Summit, which is scheduled to take place on 26 June at The Westin in Mumbai, aims to tackle key themes like culture and chemistry, emerging trends in HR, employee engagement models, building equity in the workplace, empowering a network of leaders, future-focused people strategies and changing the nature of employment.

The conclave features a stellar line of speakers and leaders that have shaped some of India’s finest organisations. With participation from broadcasters, production houses, brands, media agencies and joint industry bodies, the Media HR Summit 2019 boasts representation across the M&E spectrum.

Animesh Kumar, Discovery Communications India MD south Asia Megha Tata, MullenLowe Lintas Group’s HR director Heather Saville Gupta and Publicis’ head human resource Nikhil Natekar among others are some of the senior executives that will offer their perspective on the current landscape through panel discussions, fireside chats and presentations.

June 19, 2019
Series E 3 billion yen (USD$27M) funded start-up sansan appoints Neo Media World as agency of record

MUMBAI: Neo, the global performance marketing agency network that is part of Mindshare has been appointed by Sansan as its agency partner, effective February of 2019. Neo is designed to work with digital economy businesses to scale at speed. This will see the agency handling media investment, planning, and management for the newly funded start-up. The scope of work also covers Sansan and its portfolio of products.

Tokyo-based Sansan has, since 2007, developed unique cloud-based contact management tools for corporations and individuals. Centred on business cards as building blocks, Sansan’s main offerings enable remarkably fast and accurate building of a cloud-based contact database, accessible anywhere. Sansan’s flagship B2B system is at work in over 6,000 companies, including Lenovo Group Ltd, Merck & Co, and Seven & i Holdings Co.

The most recent round of investment by Japan Post Capital, T. Rowe Price, SBI Investment, and DCM Ventures brings Sansan’s total funding to over USD$100 million.

Sansan boasts an overwhelming 82% market share in Japan. The company launched its namesake B2B product, Sansan, in Singapore in 2015 and its B2C service, Eight, in India in 2017. Sansan’s products digitize contact data with superb accuracy enabled by proprietary optical character recognition (OCR) enhanced by AI and human input.

“When I started the global expansion for Eight, I sought agency partners that can truly provide Sansan with scale and speed,” says Edward Senju, Executive Producer and Leader for Eight India. “With the Neo and GroupM partnership in Singapore, we aim to capture a region ripe for disruption.”

“In this new economy world, growing and matured start-ups seek unconventional thinking and solutions to effectively scale in an important growth period. Our understanding of audience, tools, and thought-provoking ideas for this blue ocean market gives us an edge in forming this partnership. Our global network of 116 offices in 86 countries makes it possible for Sansan to tap into our agility and on-the-ground strengths,” says Animesh Kumar, CEO of Neo Singapore.

“At this build stage of Sansan—and Eight, we are young and it’s hard to consider a partnership with a GroupM agency,” says Krishna Agarwal, Sansan Senior Marketing Manager. “Chatting with Animesh was enlightening: Neo somewhat resembles a start-up agency with GroupM wings. Its ability to move with the quickness of a start-up, yet with stable and reliable operations and support of a large network agency, is a major plus.”

“Neo has been investing in people, which has led to the deep specialism in what we do. The team brings

more than 15 years of experience in connected media, which has resulted in award-winning campaigns over the years. Partnership with Sansan comes at an opportune time and we are confident in strengthening their brand and business in the coming years”, added Aashay Shah, Neo’s Regional Media Director for Sansan.

With the Series E funding, Sansan is now looking to expand globally with Singapore and the rest of Southeast Asia as their focus markets.

February 12, 2019
ZEEL appoints Animesh Kumar as chief people officer

MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has appointed Animesh Kumar as the chief people officer (CPO). He will report to ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka.

In his new role, Kumar will be spearheading the human resources function to build a dynamic workplace that attracts the best talent and enables innovative people practices, supporting the growing workforce needs.

The new CPO has also worked with the IDFC Group for nine years engaging in various roles like head of human resources, marketing head of IDFC Bank and CEO of IDFC Foundation. Prior to joining ZEE, he was associated with the Future Group as the chief people & transformation officer wherein he was responsible for driving the internal transformation.

Having over 25 years of experience, Kumar has led the HR function at large scale Indian and MNCs for over 15 years. He has served on boards of various companies and has worked closely with non-profit organisations helping them enhance internal capacity to increase their social impact.

Kumar started his career with Marico as the HR manager and served the organisation for more than five years from June 1993 to December 1998. He has done BA in Economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce and holds a post graduate diploma degree on PM&IR (Personnel Management and Industrial Relations) in Human Resources from XLRI College, Jamshedpur.

August 7, 2018
ShopClues makes key senior leadership appointments

MUMBAI: ShopClues has hired top talent in leadership ranks of its category division. The company has appointed Nitin Kochhar as AVP and Animesh Kumar associate director.

Kochhar will maintain and build the strong foothold of various categories on the website including home and kitchen, electronics, tech products etc.

Kochhar said, “I’m thrilled to be a part of one of India’s fastest growing e-commerce ventures. My goal will be to leverage category exposure in electronics, FMCG, baby care, books and office supplies and apply it at ShopClues. ShopClues is in an exciting phase of growth and expansion and I’m happy to come on board at this crucial stage.”

Kumar added, “I’m always looking for new challenges in my career and with ShopClues I have another opportunity to deliver significant results. The marketplace and its differentiated value proposition hold tremendous potential in India. I will be keenly involved in managing category performance including SKU rationalisation, vendor relationships and contract negotiations which form a very vital aspect of any e-commerce business.”

ShopClues co-founder and chief business officer Radhika Aggarwal said, “We are most pleased to have Kochhar and Kumar on board. Our broad range of unstructured categories is one of our USPs and therefore this division is very significant for our marketplace model. Nitin and Animesh are best suited to head this division as both have over a decade of relevant experience and have played a pivotal role in turning around the e-commerce businesses they have been a part of. We look forward to the positive impact of their leadership, dynamism and proven abilities in scaling business growth.”

Former Flipkart senior director of business development, Kochhar has over 10 years of professional experience.

Kumar, who has been the founding team member at Fashionara, has 11+ years of leadership experience and has previously worked with companies like Indus-league, Reliance Trends Ltd. and Bharti Wal-Mart.

June 19, 2015