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Tag: Kiran Desai

  • Why legal professional Kiran Desai swears by Netflix

    Why legal professional Kiran Desai swears by Netflix

    MUMBAI: From being a partner in a successful law firm to taking up employment  in a global corporation can sound strange to some –  but not to Kiran Desai. The legal professional-turned-entrepreneur founded and led Desai & Partners,  a prominent law firm specialising in media, entertainment, intellectual property, and sports law in 2007. Over a 12-year tenure, he built a thriving practice, representing high-profile clients in a rapidly evolving digital media landscape. 

    Then Netflix came knocking in 2019, as he explained in a note on linkedin in 2020: “When I was offered a position at Netflix, I saw an opportunity to be a part of a rapidly growing organisation that could veritably build and help influence the manner in which entertainment is consumed in India. I took a leap of faith and decided to join Netflix. 

    “To leave a law firm which I had founded and built over the better part of my professional career was a difficult decision, fraught with emotion. It was tough explaining to my colleagues and clients that I was moving on and needed to do so for my own personal development. While I had many doubts, one thing I was sure of was self-belief, stemming from the years of experience I had gathered as an entrepreneur, having seen both, success and failure. I was willing to start all over again, without fear of the unknown. While few could confidently predict the future trajectory of this fast-paced industry at the time, by joining the team at Netflix, I believed I would be standing at the leading edge of it. Now, a little over a year later, I can confidently say that it was the right decision.”
    Kiran Desai with colleaguesHe joined Netflix in July 2019 as director – business & legal affairs. Nearly six years later in February 2025, Kiran  was promoted to the role of vice president – India general counsel, from senior director – India general counsel.  

    Over this period, Desai has played a pivotal role in Netflix’s legal strategy in India, helping the company navigate complex regulatory landscapes, forge critical content deals, and support the company’s expansion in a highly competitive market.

    As India remains a key growth territory for Netflix, Desai’s promotion signals a continued commitment to strengthening operations and compliance frameworks in the region.  

    Desai holds an LLM  from Georgetown University Law Center, where he focused on intellectual property, antitrust, and international environmental law, as well as an LLB  and BCom from the University of Mumbai. He actively participated in leadership roles during his academic years, including serving as general secretary of the sports council at the University of Mumbai. His earlier legal roles include serving as counsel at the chambers of senior advocate Shyam Divan and as an associate at DSK Legal.

    Reflecting on his journey with Netflix, Desai said, “Joining Netflix was a leap of faith after years of running my own practice. The company’s culture, built on the values of freedom with responsibility, context over control, and open feedback, has been transformative both personally and professionally. Working here has not only made me a better lawyer but also a better person.”

    Desai highlighted the importance of Netflix’s unique working culture, where employees are empowered to make independent decisions while being supported with extensive contextual information. “The open feedback culture initially felt unfamiliar but has become one of the most impactful aspects of my professional growth,” he added.

    Going by Desai’s admissions, the Netflix culture, which Ted Sarandos and team have built is not just a folklore of books written to make it attractive  for talent to join, it is  reality. Even in India. 

    Desai’s  leadership has been instrumental in supporting Netflix’s ambitious content strategy in India, fostering legal frameworks that enable creative freedom while ensuring regulatory compliance.

    As Desai steps into his new role, Netflix continues to fortify its position as a leader in India’s rapidly growing streaming market, which has seen intensified competition alongside shifting consumer behaviours and expanding internet accessibility.

  • Anurag Singh Thakur unveils the trailer of Bharat Hain Hum

    Anurag Singh Thakur unveils the trailer of Bharat Hain Hum

    Mumbai: Hon’ble Information and Broadcasting minister and Minister of Sports Shri Anurag Singh Thakur has unveiled the trailer of an enthralling animated series ‘Bharat Hain Hum’ in New Delhi today. The series is being launched on Prime Video, Netflix and Doordarshan, as a part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, dedicated to shedding light on the unsung heroes of India’s freedom struggle. While the names of great freedom fighters of our nation, like Mahatma Gandhi, Veer Savarkar, and Subhash Chandra Bose, are etched into the social consciousness, this series aims to also introduce the nation to lesser-known but equally significant freedom fighters whose contributions were instrumental in India’s path to independence on August 15, 1947. Countless heroic figures, such as Rani Abbakka, Tilka Manjhi, Tirot Singh, Peer Ali, Tatya Tope, Kotwal Dhan Singh, Kunwar Singh (an 80-year-old freedom fighter), Rani Chennamma, Tikendra Jeet Singh, and more, will finally take their rightful place in history through this animated masterpiece.

    Crafted by the talented minds of Munjal Shroff and Tilak Shetty, the series will encompass 26 captivating episodes in Season 1, each featuring a 11-minute animated narrative. The series is slated to be premiered on 15 October on Doordarshan, Prime Video and Netflix in 12 Indian and 7 international languages.

    Every episode will have popular characters Krish, Trish, and Baltiboy — previously renowned from the acclaimed KTB Movie series, embarking on dialogues that delve into the tales of these unsung heroes. The series produced by the Central Bureau of Communication and Graphiti Studio, is also a tapestry of faiths and unity that transcends religious barriers, unifying the country’s faiths and beliefs. Embracing the diversity of India’s struggle for freedom, the series will journey through different regions, featuring freedom fighters hailing from all across the country.

    Speaking about the series, Thakur said, “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji. Under his vision, it is our humble endeavour to reignite the nation’s memory and ignite gratitude towards these unsung heroes, who deserve our unwavering admiration and respect. We have a very few heroes that the country has celebrated but there are so many unsung heroes who were not given their due credit in our history. Thirty percent of these heroes are women and these stories will inspire generations to come.”

    “We will do a lot more to ensure students and people of our country get to know about these heroes. We will also screen the series in the parliament so that the members can spread the word in their territories,” he added.

    Munjal Shroff and Tilak Shetty, co-creators of the series, passionately asserted, “We wanted to revive these tales of patriotism and relentless pursuit of freedom, paying tribute to their remarkable sacrifices, and inspire the children and the youth of India to take pride in our heritage. Animation is the perfect medium to bring alive these glorious tales and make them accessible to the children of our country. Our history often remains confined to the pages of school textbooks, and a knowledge gap exists beyond secondary education. This entertaining and informative series is aimed at every Indian irrespective of age.”

    “We are delighted to launch Krish, Trish and Baltiboy – Bharat Hain Hum on Prime Video starting 15th of October. A unique initiative, the series will introduce our next generation to the numerous heroes who played an important role in India’s freedom struggle, and give young viewers in India and across the world, a chance to explore our rich history,” said Prime Video India country director Sushant Sreeram. “We would like to congratulate the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), Central Bureau of Communication, and Graphiti Studios for producing this wonderful series. We are excited to be launching the show globally – customers from the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Canada and more than 100 countries will be able to watch Krish, Trish and Baltiboy – Bharat Hai Hum, on Prime Video. Showcasing local stories that celebrate Indian culture and history, was one of the key tenets outlined in the Letter of Engagement between Amazon and MIB, announced earlier this year, and we are glad to take that commitment further with this animated series.”

    Also present at the event were Prime Video country head and I & B secretary Sushant Sreeram, Netflix India senior director, general counsel, legal, Sushant Sreeram, Prasar Bharti CEO Kiran Desai, CBC director general Gaurav Diwedi and Dhirendra Ojha.

    By encapsulating the forgotten narratives of courage, resilience, and love for the motherland, this series aspires to become a symbol of remembrance and a source of inspiration for future generations. As India celebrates its independence, it is an opportunity for every citizen to pay homage to the untold sacrifices that shaped the destiny of our great nation.