Tag: Kalli Purie

India Today Group’s vice-chairperson, Kalli Purie, gets global recognition

MUMBAI: Ms. Kalli Purie, Vice-Chairperson of India Today Group, was conferred upon the ‘India’s Most Powerful Women in Media’ award at the famed Confluence Excellence awards at the British Parliament on September 27th. It is noteworthy, that only two weeks back, she was also honored with the ‘Outstanding Media & Entertainment Award’ at the annual 21st Century Icon Awards in London.

Accepting the global recognition, Ms. Kalli Purie said, "It is very satisfying to be recognized internationally for the work we are doing at the India Today Group. In many fields like creating content for mobile and social we are leaders in the world. Its exciting and daunting to create prototypes for media around the world to follow.

Handling a business with a golden legacy in an industry that is changing at an unprecedented pace can be very challenging. But I have followed a mantra by our chairman Mr. Aroon Purie in one of his letters from the editor – 'Men Age, Magazines don't', which I believe today is ever more relevant. This made us see what others saw as dark turmoil as a window of shining opportunity. We have taken the solid foundation and diversified in a way befitting the original DNA of our organization."

A graduate from Oxford University, the UK in Politics, Philosophy & Economics, Kalli Purie is armed with a clear vision about the future of news, she is leading one of the most-awarded and celebrated team of journalists in a futuristic newsroom that she helped build, apt for the multimedia, multi-device world we live in. A serial entrepreneur, she brings a rich experience in running a wide range of media properties- from 5 television channels Aaj Tak, Aaj Tak HD, India Today Television, Dilli Aaj Tak, Tez, apps, a digital newspaper, championing world-class events, to devising a social media strategy for the group. She is also the lead for all signature, thought leadership events of the group – The India Today Conclave, Agenda Aaj Tak, Safaigiri, Sahitya Aaj Tak, India Today Mind Rocks, Panchayat Aaj Tak, India Today Global Roundtable and many more. Her unified leadership in television, digital and events is the cornerstone for the successful synergy in the Group.

September 30, 2019
India Today Television’s Roving Studio – Election Express makes a supercharged comeback

MUMBAI: As we enter the final phase of election campaigning, India Today TV has once again upped the ante on innovative news delivery, with Election Express 2.0. Election Express will cover more than 10,000 kms in 50 days, travelling across the country, covering every phase of the General Elections 2019. Kicking off its journey from the Southern state of Telangana in the historical & cultural city of Hyderabad, the roving studio will next move to Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar before culminating the journey at the holy city & political warzone of Varanasi. It will bring to the fore local issues of national significance, gauging the pulse of the common man and the expectations they have from their chosen political parties. Experiencing elections on the move, the news narrative will be taken away from the studios and into the heartland of the country, where the fate of the nation is decided.

What sets this mobile studio apart is the state-of-the-art hydraulic system which expands the bus horizontally turning the sitting area into a newsroom on wheels. Not only this, in this avatar the bus also has a terrace – yes you read that right. Using a custom built staircase, the anchor can climb up to the roof of the bus which gives you a bird’s eye view of the city and is the perfect location to conduct interviews and live broadcasts.

On the voyage of Election express tracking the pulse of the nation, Kalli Purie, Vice Chairperson, India Today Group said, “We are proud of our innovative election programming, and Election Express is a testament to the constant innovation we pride ourselves on. Elections are not fought in studios but in the heat and dust of ground zero, and this gives viewers a front row seat.”

In addition to key Interviews with Leaders and Ministers across cities, the Election Express will give a glimpse of the mood of the nation and the pulse of the voter to try and understand what makes this great democracy tick.

April 5, 2019
Aaj Tak HD hits airwaves, available on Tata Sky

MUMBAI: India’s leading news broadcaster Aaj Tak has announced the launch of country’s first Hindi HD news channel – Aaj Tak HD. The HD avatar of the channel will be powered by rich exclusives, superior picture, and audio quality and lesser ad breaks.

India Today Group chairman and editor in chief Aroon Purie speaking on the launch said, “Time and Information are the real currencies of this digital age. We have created Aaj Tak HD to give the viewer the best value on both these counts. Aaj Tak HD has been designed in a way that there will be smaller ad breaks and much more news content than you will find anywhere else. Let me assure you that Aaj Tak HD is not just about High Definition audio-video. This is about High Definition content and more of it. As a market leader with Aaj Tak, we have always been Sabse Tez, and now with Aaj Tak HD we won’t be just Sabse Tez but also Sabse Zyada.”

Aaj Tak has had many firsts to its name like experimenting with 3D augmented reality graphics during UP elections, using a drone camera and launching election express – the only live and on the move newsroom. The launch of the HD channel is expected to strengthen the company's competitive positioning and boost its leadership in the Hindi speaking belt.

The media group plans to launch the new channel with special features on Business, Bollywood and International News. On the occasion of the launch, the channel is also releasing the “Sabse Tez, Sabse Zyada” campaign across multiple platforms – outdoor, TV, digital and massive airport presence.

Aaj Tak HD will be offered exclusively on Tata Sky (Channel Number 508) in India initially, and eventually will become available on other platforms.

Welcoming the viewers to the next level of television news viewing India Today Group vice chairperson Kalli Purie said, “Your trust in Aaj Tak has grown year over year. It is our responsibility, therefore, to always be Sabse Tez… And also to always keep you ahead. Aaj Tak HD will keep you ahead on the technology curve and will serve the entire spectrum of your interests including special features on International Content, Business, and Bollywood. We hope you like our new offering, Sabse Tez Sabse Zyada.”

Aaj Tak is the leading channel in both urban and rural Hindi Speaking Markets not only as per BARC but also as per IRS data. With HD variant, Aaj Tak will also go on to attract the best and affluent Hindi viewer profile.

December 14, 2018
India Today Group elevates Supriya Prasad, Rahul Kanwal to news directors

MUMBAI: Its promotion time at India Today Group with Rahul Kanwal and Supriya Prasad, managing editors India Today and Aaj Tak respectively, being elevated to news directors on Thursday. A source close to the development confirmed the news to Indiatelevision.com.

Both Kanwal and Prasad have played a key role in driving their respective brands to become major players in the news broadcasting business.

Aaj Tak continues to dominate the Hindi news genre week after week, while India TV is among the top three broadcasters in the English news segment on a regular basis.

Recently, India Today TV appointed Ranjana Mangla as the national revenue head. She is currently reporting to the chief revenue officer Rahul Kumar Shaw and is based out of Noida.

Earlier this year, the network elevated Kalli Purie to MD and chairperson for a period of five years, which started from 1 April 2018.

July 27, 2018
TV Today Network elevates Aroon and Kalli Purie

MUMBAI: TV Today Network has elevated Kalli Purie from her current designation of Vice Chairperson. She has been given additional responsibility of Managing Director and Chairperson for the company for a period of five years starting from the next financial year, i.e., 1 April. The board has also re-designated Aroon Purie as the new Chairman and Whole Time Director for the same term.

Kalli Purie will be taking the seat of Aroon Purie in the new position shifts. The appointments are board approved and are subject to the approval of shareholders now.

In October, India Today Group Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Aroon Purie had handed over the baton of the media group to Kalli Purie who was serving as the Group Editorial Director (Broadcast & New Media) of the India Today Group and was then made Vice-Chairperson of the group.

TV Today houses the TV broadcasting and FM radio business in addition to Mail Today.

The India Today Group has properties spanning TV, print and digital including news channels Aaj Tak and Headlines Today. Living Media is the parent company of the group and the promoter group in TV Today Network. It has more than 24 magazines including editions of leading international titles. Through its multiple media brands and platforms, the India Today group reaches more than 225 million people every month.

Under the new structure, the Group CFO, Group CEO and all the heads will report to Kalli. However, the Group Editorial Director (Publishing) and Group CFO also have a dotted line reporting to the chairman.

In an internal email to employees, Aroon Purie had said that he wants to spend time on the strategic steering of the group and exploring new opportunities. He has been at the helm of the India Today Group for 42 years and has been involved in its day to day operations.

February 9, 2018
Vivek Khanna becomes Group CEO at India Today

NEW DELHI: Vivek Khanna, former chief executive officer of Hindustan Media Ventures, has come on board the India Today Group as its Group CEO. He will report to vice chairperson Kalli Purie, who recently announced the growth of the group by launching seven mobile channels.

The news was announced to the employees by group chairman and editor-in-chief Aroon Purie in an internal communication this morning: “I am excited about Vivek joining us. With his background plus track record and our bench strength, I am confident he will bring structure, process discipline and marketing muscle to our creative genius so we can scale new heights. In all of you, I know I have the best team in the industry which makes me so proud. Now with the new leadership in place, I look forward to a year of exponential growth.”

Purie added that “Apart from his strategic thinking and marketing expertise, I have selected Vivek because he is a ‘people’ person. He has an inclusive style of leadership, works hard and with passion, is goal oriented, pays attention to details, and builds teams. He believes that the right person in the right job is the only formula for good decisions, growth, and organisational success. Like me, Vivek leads from the trenches. He is known for personally going out to close partnerships and service clients.”

Vivek comes with 26 years of solid experience in strategy, sales, and marketing. An alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad, Vivek began his career with Hindustan Unilever and Aviva Life Insurance. He moved to HT Media in 2008. Since 2013, he has been the CEO of Hindustan Media Ventures.

Aroon Purie said Vivek’s most impressive accomplishments include the turnaround of HT products and brands. Last year, Hindustan Media Ventures was ranked amongst the top five fastest growing listed companies in India. He grew the advertising revenue of Hindustan by 14 per cent between 2013 and 2016; this was 4-10 per cent faster than competition.

Operating EBITDA grew at more than 30 per cent per annum in this period. Circulation of the newspaper increased by over 30 per cent. The top line increased from Rs 6 billion to Rs 10 billion and the company’s market cap doubled to over Rs 20 billion.

Also Read:

India Today launches 7 mobile-specific niche channels

India Today’s Purie says new vice chairperson Kalli has ability to straddle edit and biz functions

November 1, 2017
India Today’s Purie says new vice chairperson Kalli has ability to straddle edit and biz functions

MUMBAI: India Today Group, which runs news channels — India Today and Aaj Tak and also print media magazines like india Today — on Tuesday, named Kalli Purie as the vice chairperson.

Kalli, an Oxford University graduate in politics, philosophy and economics, is, at present, the group editorial director (broadcast and new media). Working with the group in several roles since 1996, she will now oversee the editorial and business functions of the group, according to an email from the group’s chairman and editor-in-chief Aroon Purie, Mint reported.

Purie said he believed, like him, she had the ability to straddle both, editorial and business functions.

Purie, who has been at the helm for over 40 years, wrote that , with the new appointment, he would be spending time on strategic steering of the group and exploring new opportunities, rather than on day-to-day operations.

The group CEO Ashish Bagga had, in July this year, resigned and the company is yet to find a replacement.

October 18, 2017
Rajdeep Sardesai’s quiz show back on India Today TV

MUMBAI: India Today Television has announced the second season of India’s first News Quiz Show – News Wiz. Veteran journalist and an avid quiz buff Rajdeep Sardesai will host the 13-episode show that is set to air every Saturday evening Prime Time starting 26 August (Saturday) on India Today Television. The telecast times are Saturday 8pm and the repeat will be on Sunday at 10 am and 10 pm.

This season is conceptualised by Siddharth Basu’s Tree of Knowledge and Big Synergy.

This second season has doubled the outreach, with more than 500 schools participating along with interactions on digital popular platforms like facebook and twitter! News Wiz reached out to tens of thousands of students across mediums, from all over the country right from city of Srinagar in J&K up to – Kavaratti in Lakshwadeep. Young, bright and effervescent girls & boys of classes IX –XII formed teams, registered & after going through levels of tests, the top teams from across the country will now be vying for the top honors.

High energy ground activations across schools will be under the main theme “If your knowledge is Sound, Make the Noise”. News Wiz is going to the schools with Buzzers in place giving it in totality, a real feel of News Wiz 2017.

Kalli Purie, Group Editorial Director (Broadcast & New Media), India Today Group, said, “Post the huge success of Season 1 of News Wiz, we are excited to announce the launch of another season with greater action and zeal. Young minds of the nation will be encouraged to learn more about news and connect with it on a much larger scale with return of News Wiz 2017.”

Basu said: – “News wiz is not just the first and only news quiz in the country, it’s also at this time the only nationwide inter-school quiz on TV. Over the next quarter, viewers can look forward to keen competition among the best and brightest young minds from schools across the country”

August 26, 2017
AajTak topples Times of India as the top news video page on Facebook

New Delhi, 13th July 2017: AajTak-India’s No.1 News channel- has also topped the rankings on the digital space by becoming the most popular on social network for continuous 3 months with over 29.7 million video viewership on Facebook in May, 2017. By crossing this monthly viewership mark, AajTak has stormed the digital platform with its exclusive content.

Vidooly, the leading video intelligence software product suite for content creators, media companies and brands, had come up with the report for MOST POPULAR FACEBOOK VIDEO PUBLISHERS IN INDIA – May 2017 which is categorized into six major genres – Health & Lifestyle, New age Entertainment, Traditional Entertainment, New age – News, Traditional News and Independent creators. The report highlights that the top 100 pages collectively clocked more than 2.8 billion viewership in May 2017.

AajTak has a video viewership of 297,645,571 on Facebook which is way ahead in comparison to the Facebook pages of ABP news and Times Of Indiawhich are ranked in second and third position with 184,526,769 and 114,406,951 viewership respectively.

Commenting on the report, Ms. KalliPurie, Group Editorial Director (Broadcast & New Media), India Today Group said, “AajTak’s leadership on television and on the digital space can be attributed to the brand philosophy of staying true to the promise of being ‘SabseTez’. The consistent focus on speed, user experience and quality of content at Aajtak.in has made it the most preferred for news content”.

AajTak has been instrumental in reaching out to its viewers on traditional media for many years now and this achievement shows the popularity of the channel in the digital world too. There is a constant engagement with the audience on AajTak Facebook page through Discussions, Satire, Backstage Conversations, News Capsules, Photo Blogs, Engagement Posts, TV Primetime Teasers, Primetime Promotions and a lot more.

SubratKar, Co-Founder & CEO, Vidooly commented on the developments saying, ”Over the last 6 months, we have been closely tracking the tremendous growth in viewership of videos on Facebook in India. As expected, News related content dominates all the other genres since Facebook has been playing a pivotal role in shaping up the socio political opinions in the country. We are also seeing a steady increase in independent video creators utilizing the platform, catering to both the urban and rural population. It is a very interesting time in the online video business in India as both YouTube and Facebook are attracting content creators. However; given the fact that Facebook is yet to launch monetization for creators, YouTube still is the place to be if you’re looking to make a business out of it.”

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July 13, 2017
‘Freedom of speech’ vital in progressive society, says Nandita Das

NEW DELHI: Three short films made by renowned filmmakers Sudhir Mishra, Nandita Das and Ram Madhvani on meaningful subjects marked the India Today conclave on its closing day in Mumbai. India Today Group editorial director Kalli Purie said the films had been commissioned by the group to mark four decades of its existence.

Nandita Das said: “Freedom of expression is needed for any society to be progressive else we will go back in time if there are no diverse views or analysis, if a child cannot ask questions.”

The three films addressed poignant and almost dark issues as compared to the power play in politics to the bloodshed of the Partition.

The 30-minute-long screening began with Mishra’s “Life Support” that revolves around the play of power in politics with three protagonists. “It doesn’t show anyone in particular; it’s about power and its sad stories,” said Mishra. Explaining his film in which a young politician and “heir apparent” of a political party condones his father’s killing ordered by a powerful politician, he added, “There are people who have compromised. We don’t have an answer to everything and that’s the power of a story, it’s all about many things.”

Das’s film was on celebrated Pakistani writer Saadat Hasan Manto played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, “In Defense of Freedom”. The film explores the need and importance of freedom of expression, as Manto questions why he should not write about the not-so-pleasant things in society. Through Manto’s life and preachings, Das emphasizes the need for freedom of expression in our society as well. “Manto is still so relevant even after all these years,” she said. “In any democratic or progressive society, freedom of speech, although ambiguous to define, should be cherished,” she added.

Even as Nandita’s film drew attention to the freedom to express, the last film screened brought back to public memory the pain of the Partition. In his film “This Bloody Line”, filmmaker Ram Madhvani tells the story of Mohamed Ali Jinnah and the Partition and the fact that the Radcliffe Line led to the biggest mass migration in the history of mankind. He used poignant videos and pictures from the Partition of filled trains carrying people to their new country, of assaulted and injured women and children. “Till today, this line makes us bleed” said the concluding message. “This film is a reaction to the sadness and anger we feel,” he said.

March 20, 2017