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Tag: Mahesh Samat

  • The Walt Disney company appoints Mahesh Samat as asia pacific head of consumer products commercialization

    The Walt Disney company appoints Mahesh Samat as asia pacific head of consumer products commercialization

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company today announced the appointment of Mahesh Samat, Executive Vice President, Disney Consumer Products Commercialization for the Asia Pacific region.  Reporting into Ken Potrock, President, Disney Consumer Products Commercialization, Mahesh takes on responsibility for the commercialization of Disney franchises across merchandise, publishing and licensed games throughout India, Southeast Asia, Greater China, Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

    Mr. Samat rejoined The Walt Disney Company in India in November 2016 and went on to integrate the Southeast Asia and India businesses to form The Walt Disney Company’s South Asia regional hub in September 2017.  Mahesh led most of Disney’s integrated business units driving new strategies that are providing tremendous growth for global franchises and unilaterally creating new business opportunities for all Disney businesses. He previously led The Walt Disney Company’s India operations from 2008-2012.

    “The Asia Pacific region continues to provide immense opportunity for Disney products and experiences,” said Mr. Potrock. “I am confident that Mahesh’s proven leadership and steadfast focus on innovation and entrepreneurship will deliver dynamic growth across our brands and product categories.”  

    “Disney products and experiences bring our stories and characters closer to fans every day. I am pleased to have the opportunity to lead this exceptional team to delight kids and families across these high growth Asian markets,” said Mr. Samat.

    With more than twenty-five years of experience in FMCG, Media and Healthcare across India, Asia-Pacific and Europe, Mr. Samat previously worked with Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg’s, Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis and Boots India Limited. Between 2012 and 2016, he established the Epic Television Networks and its popular Hindi-language, The Epic Channel in India. 

  • Amit Malhotra to head Disney ops in Singapore, Malaysia

    Amit Malhotra to head Disney ops in Singapore, Malaysia

    As part of its corporate restructuring, the Walt Disney Company has promoted Amit Malhotra as its country head for Singapore and Malaysia. Reporting to Mahesh Samat, executive vice president and managing director for Walt Disney International, South Asia, Malhotra will be responsible for all of Disney’s businesses in the two countries.

    As part of his responsibility, Malhotra will focus on building and strengthening consumer engagement with Disney brands across digital platforms, creating localised content and accelerating the growth of Marvel and Star Wars brands to better connect with the audience in Singapore and Malaysia.

    He will, however, continue to oversee the operations of the linear television business and local content production for Southeast Asia (SEA).

    A veteran of 13 years with Disney, Malhotra has worked in various leadership roles across media and the studios businesses throughout Asia for the company. Prior to this appointment, Malhotra was Disney’s vice president and general manager for media networks, responsible for businesses across all functions in the media networks portfolio in SEA. He was also responsible for the Maker Studios business in the region.

    Disney’s South Asia hub was recently merged to integrate its Southeast Asian regional markets of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam with Disney India under the leadership of Mahesh Samat.

    “We continue to push the boundaries of creativity and the use of technology across all our businesses. I am excited to lead our immensely talented teams in Singapore and Malaysia as we continue to grow and engage the fan base of Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars,” said Malhotra.

  • Walt Disney elevates Abhishek Maheshwari as country head

    Walt Disney elevates Abhishek Maheshwari as country head

    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company has announced the appointment of Abhishek Maheshwari as country head for India. 

    Maheshwari, who joined Disney in 2012, will now be responsible for all of Disney’s businesses reporting to Walt Disney International executive vice president and managing director South AsiaMahesh Samat.

    “Disney brands continue to grow across platforms and consumer segments in India,” said Samat. “Abhishek is an astute and transformative business leader. Since joining the company, he has championed and driven strategic changes that have positioned our businesses to achieve consistent significant growth.” 

    Maheshwari has held several leadership roles in corporate strategy and business development, consumer products and interactive and, most recently, as the head of Integrated Media Networks. 

    Prior to working for The Walt Disney Company, Maheshwari worked for Kubera Partners, and McKinsey & Co. at its US and India offices.

    “It is a privilege to lead Disney India and I am greatly encouraged by the talent, passion and commitment of our teams across the organisation. Together, our team will focus on bringing the best of Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars and our home grown brands of Hungama, Bindass and UTV to Indian audiences and provide great consumer experiences across all our businesses,” said Maheshwari.

    The company’s Indian business was recently consolidated under a South Asian hub integrating Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam under the leadership of Mahesh Samat.

  • Epic TV launches OTT, sets million subs target

    Epic TV launches OTT, sets million subs target

    MUMBAI: Aditya Pitte modestly says he does not have much experience in mainstream television. But, the lead distributor of Patanjali’s products loves to listen and learn, and play catch-up quickly. Over the years, he has been doing a lot of listening. And, learning and doing well at the TV business.

    So much so that he took over Sanskar TV, ran it for around five years, turned it around, before handing it over to Swami Ramdev in 2015. Encouraged, he launched another spiritual channel Shubh TV a couple of years ago. And then, the big plunge into the mainstream came in September 2016 when Anand Mahindra told him to head Epic Television, which he and Mukesh Ambani had floated with former Disney India CEO Mahesh Samat. Ambani was exiting, and Mahindra told him to take charge as managing director.

    He hired fresh talent, rejigged the programming and relaunched Epic as an infotainment channel with newer edgier programming. The tactic seems to be working, as the new Epic Channel has been striking a chord with audiences, and has seen its share among its demographic rising. However, what’s keeping him occupied is the launch of the channel’s app on 14 August. Launched with both, iOS and Android versions, it is available on both the iTunes and Google Play stores and has been getting traction with more than 100,000 downloads till date.

    Epic On is available as a free and paid version. In its free version, it offers selective shows, the first episode of all shows, and an exclusive seven day catch up window of series such as Devlok with Devdutt Pattanaik, Raja Rasoi Aur Andaaz, Umeed India and Indipedia. Subscription fees have been pegged at Rs 60 for a month and Rs 500 for a year. The international sticker prices have been kept at $1.99 a month and $19.99 a year.

    “We believe that consumers today value quality content and are willing to subscribe to platforms which consistently deliver premium original content that is different in its offerings from the normal fare being dished out en-masse,” says Epic Channel programming head Akul Tripathi. “This trend in consumer behaviour is only going to strengthen; creating a robust foundation for platforms committed towards consistent quality programming.”

    Epic On has close to 500 hours of content on launch which is constantly being expanded daily. Tripathi says a lot of thought has gone into the user interface (UI) to allow for intuitive specific cross searches between genres and content types. Also, content has been bunched into addictive and suggestive groups to provide users with the kind of content they prefer to view. The app also has a download feature for fans who can download their favourite shows and watch these on the go.

    The core of the Epic On OTT solution was created by Bangalore-based Saranyu Technologies while a digital team is being put together inhouse for updates.

    Pittie is looking at a million-strong subscriber base in the next 12 months across the globe with a focus on India, Australia, Singapore, followed by Canada, the US and the UK.

    The target audience: the new digital millennials. Explains Tripathi: “The early adopter for the app would be the Epic fans who have long appreciated our content and are eager to access it on demand for catching up on missed episodes and to earmark their favourite ones for repeated watching. Moving forward, we believe that anyone who wishes to know and experience India in an engrossing and interactive manner will definitely engage with the app.”

    And, one of the routes the 30-something Pittie is taking to help get to that million-mark is signing up with telcos everywhere to make Epic On easily accessible to their subscribers. “We have some way to go,” he says. “But I am reasonably happy with the results which can only get better from here. Step by step.”

    It’s this optimistic outlook which could well end up taking Epic On into the fast lane.

  • Mahesh Samat gets expanded role in Disney Asia restructure

    Mahesh Samat gets expanded role in Disney Asia restructure

    MUMBAI: A lot is happening at Disney.

    Walt Disney International (WDI), a part of The Walt Disney Company, responsible for managing the company’s businesses outside of the US excluding Theme Parks and ESPN businesses) today announced a new Asia management structure that will see the creation of the North Asia and South Asia regional hubs. 

    The latter merges India with the company’s integrated south east Asian regional markets of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam under the leadership of Walt Disney International, South Asia, senior vice-president & managing director Mahesh Samat.

    North Asia will merge Japan, South Korea and Greater China under the leadership of  Walt Disney International, North Asia, executie vice-president & managing director Luke Kang.

    “Our international leadership teams are tasked to increase Disney brand affinity and awareness in key markets around the world,” said  WDI chairman Andy Bird . “Luke and Mahesh have an acute understanding of our brands and franchises and long-standing expertise in our broader operations. This, combined with their understanding of the uniqueness of their markets, and intense entrepreneurial spirit, will continue the momentum we are experiencing in these dynamic regions.” . 

    “This new structure aligns and maximizes efficiencies around regions with similar opportunities and creates the momentum to accelerate growth for the Company in these markets,” he added.

    With operations in 45 countries throughout the world, WDI has implemented integrated structures in international markets that have greatly accelerated revenue in China, produced growth across Japan and Europe and provided unparalleled access to emerging markets throughout Latin America and South East Asia.

    Samat returned to lead The Walt Disney Company India in November 2016, a position he previously held from 2008-2012. Since returning to the role, he has implemented vast organizational changes, creating a clear strategy for the Company and its brands in the Indian entertainment market.  Samat also has more than twenty-five years of experience in FMCG and Healthcare across India, Asia-Pacific and Europe.

    “The South East Asian region is characterized by its dynamic growth and extreme diversity. I am pleased to have the opportunity to lead both teams to create new, innovative ways for audiences to engage with our stories, brands and characters, and drive growth across our businesses,”  said  Samat.

    In his current capacity as The Walt Disney Company Greater China of managing director, Kang has led the organization (excluding Disney’s Parks and Resorts division) to achieve consistent record growth across all business segments. In 2016, Disney was the number one foreign studio at the Chinese box office, and the organization also successfully expanded its reach into new cities and to new consumer groups across China. Throughout his career,  Kang held various management roles across the region.

    “It is an honor to lead Walt Disney International in North Asia, which includes two of the biggest and most dynamic economies in the world.  The region’s ever-changing media and entertainment landscape as well as dynamic consumer products market provides incredible opportunity to continue to forge connections with our brands and franchises to drive growth,” said  Kang.

    Both positions report directly to Bird.

  • Epic to reposition as an infotainment channel; Sehwag show announced

    MUMBAI: It’s making an epic shift. Epic TV which saw the departure of its founder and MD Mahesh Samat for Disney last year, is now positioning itself as an infotainment channel, broadening its programming from just mythology and history and adding a wide array of original content across various genres.

    Promoted by Samat along with investments from Anand Mahindra and Mukesh Ambani, the channel began by showcasing some of the most well produced programmes in India. But it failed to get commercial traction courtesy distribution issues and the fact that a mass of Indians prefer soaps and drama series as compared to the Hindi GECs a compared to the original and unique Indian programming it offered.

    Aditya Pittie – one of the largest distributors for the Patanjali group – came in to manage and run the channel as a director last year and has since been working on its relaunch.

    Says Pittie: “The infotainment genre is a content driven destination colonized by international players and syndicated programming with infrequent home-grown shows available. There is an evident and growing discrepancy in what is available and what popular sentiment demands. In this divide is the opportunity that Epic is best positioned to capitalise on.”

    Pittie has been in conversation with various producers to shore up the content on the Epic. Viewers can expect programming bouquet to be expanded to include a mix of non-fiction content that aspires to imbibe the diversity of India. And a regular calendar of commissioned programmes that that explore, discover and inspire pride are slated to be rolled out.

    Amongst the first includes a show hosted by the swashbuckling former Indian opening batsman Virender Sehwag, who continues his form through social media and cricket commentary.

    “This is the first TV show that Sehwag is hosting and he is a perfect fit for the Epic brand,” explains Aditya. “We Indians, as people, are very emotional. So, instead of treading the predictable path of logic-driven sterilised content, the content showcased on Epic is just like India – an honest portrayal of the passions and emotions that make us who we are.”

  • Lean Disney to focus on core strengths

    Lean Disney to focus on core strengths

    MUMBAI: World’s biggest media and entertainment group with over US$22 billion in annual revenue The Walt Disney Company is prepared to restructure its India operations under the recently-appointed managing director Mahesh Samat, who rejoined in October.

    Disney has lately been working towards a lean structure, aligned more to the international organisational set-up. The India operations will be focusing on consumer products business and Hollywood films — its main strengths.

    After sustaining major losses, Disney has planned to temporarily drop its Hindi film production business that includes interactives, media networks, licensing and merchandising.

    Disney India head of revenue – media networks Nikhil Gandhi and head of interactive Sameer Ganapathy have resigned already. Also, Disney India may reportedly trim its workforce by 35-40 per cent in a couple of months.

    It was earlier reported that Disney India may be closing down game development at Indiagames. Ganapathy, who had replaced Indiagames co-founder Vishal Gondal after Indiagames was acquired by Disney, lead the interactive business which included development and delivery of multiplatform games and digital products including apps for multi-brands under The Walt Disney Company – Indiagames, Disney, Marvel, UTV, and Disney Pixar.

  • Lean Disney to focus on core strengths

    Lean Disney to focus on core strengths

    MUMBAI: World’s biggest media and entertainment group with over US$22 billion in annual revenue The Walt Disney Company is prepared to restructure its India operations under the recently-appointed managing director Mahesh Samat, who rejoined in October.

    Disney has lately been working towards a lean structure, aligned more to the international organisational set-up. The India operations will be focusing on consumer products business and Hollywood films — its main strengths.

    After sustaining major losses, Disney has planned to temporarily drop its Hindi film production business that includes interactives, media networks, licensing and merchandising.

    Disney India head of revenue – media networks Nikhil Gandhi and head of interactive Sameer Ganapathy have resigned already. Also, Disney India may reportedly trim its workforce by 35-40 per cent in a couple of months.

    It was earlier reported that Disney India may be closing down game development at Indiagames. Ganapathy, who had replaced Indiagames co-founder Vishal Gondal after Indiagames was acquired by Disney, lead the interactive business which included development and delivery of multiplatform games and digital products including apps for multi-brands under The Walt Disney Company – Indiagames, Disney, Marvel, UTV, and Disney Pixar.

  • Disney announces successor of MD Siddharth Roy-Kapur

    Disney announces successor of MD Siddharth Roy-Kapur

    MUMBAI: Walt Disney International has announced the successor to its former managing director Siddharth Roy-Kapur. As a second stint with the organization, Mahesh Samat has made a comeback and will lead The Walt Disney Company India as the managing director. He will pursue his new responsibility from 28 November and will be based in Mumbai.

    Samat will report directly to Walt Disney International chairman Andy Bird. One of his key roles will be to resume management of all Disney businesses in India (except ESPN), with all local business segments reporting into him.

    Samat will be responsible for setting and driving the company’s strategy, coordinating all business efforts in India including overseeing Disney global franchises in the market, expanding existing businesses, and creating new business opportunities.

    “Mahesh guided Disney in India in its early days, and we are thrilled with his decision to return to the organization he helped build,” said Bird. He further added, “We are encouraged by the opportunity we see to further grow our business in India and believe Mahesh’s entrepreneurial spirit, knowledge of our brands and franchises, and long-standing expertise in our broader operations will continue the momentum we are experiencing in this dynamic market.”

    With this, Roy-Kapur departs from the company to explore his own business interests.

    “Sid is a pillar of the Indian entertainment industry and has demonstrated passion and commitment for the Disney business. He carved a strong position for Disney in the Indian media and entertainment space that positions us well for the future. We are immensely thankful for his service and wish him well in his next venture,” added Bird.

    Samat had moved away from Disney India four years ago to establish Epic Television Networks and is the founder and MD of The Epic Channel.

    “It’s exciting to return to the wonderful world of Disney,” Samat said. “Disney really is special entertainment with heart, and I am delighted to see that the unique stories and iconic characters of Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars — as well as our homegrown brands of Hungama, Bindass and UTV — continue to find a home among Indian audiences. Moving forward, we’ll accelerate the great work done by the team and create new, innovative ways for audiences to engage with our stories, brands and characters, and drive growth across our businesses.”

    With more than 25 years of experience in FMCG and healthcare across India, Asia-Pacific and Europe, Samat originally joined Disney from Johnson & Johnson, where he was the managing director Southern Europe for J&J Vision Care. Prior to that, he worked for Kellogg’s, Warner Lambert/Parke-Davis and Boots India Limited.

    He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Sydenham College and a Masters degree in Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management.

  • Disney announces successor of MD Siddharth Roy-Kapur

    Disney announces successor of MD Siddharth Roy-Kapur

    MUMBAI: Walt Disney International has announced the successor to its former managing director Siddharth Roy-Kapur. As a second stint with the organization, Mahesh Samat has made a comeback and will lead The Walt Disney Company India as the managing director. He will pursue his new responsibility from 28 November and will be based in Mumbai.

    Samat will report directly to Walt Disney International chairman Andy Bird. One of his key roles will be to resume management of all Disney businesses in India (except ESPN), with all local business segments reporting into him.

    Samat will be responsible for setting and driving the company’s strategy, coordinating all business efforts in India including overseeing Disney global franchises in the market, expanding existing businesses, and creating new business opportunities.

    “Mahesh guided Disney in India in its early days, and we are thrilled with his decision to return to the organization he helped build,” said Bird. He further added, “We are encouraged by the opportunity we see to further grow our business in India and believe Mahesh’s entrepreneurial spirit, knowledge of our brands and franchises, and long-standing expertise in our broader operations will continue the momentum we are experiencing in this dynamic market.”

    With this, Roy-Kapur departs from the company to explore his own business interests.

    “Sid is a pillar of the Indian entertainment industry and has demonstrated passion and commitment for the Disney business. He carved a strong position for Disney in the Indian media and entertainment space that positions us well for the future. We are immensely thankful for his service and wish him well in his next venture,” added Bird.

    Samat had moved away from Disney India four years ago to establish Epic Television Networks and is the founder and MD of The Epic Channel.

    “It’s exciting to return to the wonderful world of Disney,” Samat said. “Disney really is special entertainment with heart, and I am delighted to see that the unique stories and iconic characters of Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars — as well as our homegrown brands of Hungama, Bindass and UTV — continue to find a home among Indian audiences. Moving forward, we’ll accelerate the great work done by the team and create new, innovative ways for audiences to engage with our stories, brands and characters, and drive growth across our businesses.”

    With more than 25 years of experience in FMCG and healthcare across India, Asia-Pacific and Europe, Samat originally joined Disney from Johnson & Johnson, where he was the managing director Southern Europe for J&J Vision Care. Prior to that, he worked for Kellogg’s, Warner Lambert/Parke-Davis and Boots India Limited.

    He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Sydenham College and a Masters degree in Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management.