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Tag: Megha Tata

  • Balancing capability and quality in India’s dynamic market: Cosmos Maya’s Megha Tata

    Balancing capability and quality in India’s dynamic market: Cosmos Maya’s Megha Tata

    Mumbai: Murty Media, a content production house, is embarking on an initiative to turn the literary works of the renowned author and philanthropist, Sudha Murty, into a captivating animated series titled, ‘Story Time with Sudha Amma.’ The show will feature 52 of the most popular stories from Mrs. Murty’s titles, ‘Grandma’s Bag of Stories’, ‘Grandparents’ Bag of Stories’, and ‘The Magic Drum and Other Favourite Stories.’ The show will be streamed on the YouTube channel, ‘Murty Media’, a dedicated platform to showcase stories by the beloved author.  

    Murty is a celebrated Indian author, known for her engaging storytelling that taps into India’s rich cultural heritage while addressing contemporary issues. Her heart-warming children’s stories, including ‘Grandparents’ Bag of Stories’, ‘Gopi Diaries’, and others have enjoyed remarkable success. Her stories resonate with readers of all ages and have garnered a global fanbase. The animated series “Story Time with Sudha Amma” will be launched in 6 languages – Hindi, English, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu, catering to a diverse audience and making these beloved stories accessible to a wider spectrum of viewers.

    ‘Story Time with Sudha Amma’ is Murty Media’s flagship animation series. To bring these stories to life, Murty Media has appointed Cosmos Maya, Asia’s leading animation studio, as its animation partner.

    Indiantelevison.com in conversation with Megha Tata, CEO, Cosmos Maya on the partnership, the evolving nature of kids content and much more……

    Edited excerpts

    On Kid’s channels, how have they evolved over the years, and the evolution and innovations in kids’ content today

    I think kids’ content consumption has changed over the last few years, especially post the pandemic, TV content by kids is largely consumed but over the last couple of years a lot of the kid’s content has been moved to digital as well and I think youtube has been a big gainer for that. A lot of TV broadcasters and even the digital players is changing so that has been a big change in the last 2-3 years.

    On animation being an expensive proposition, has it changed over the years in India? When it comes to kids’ content, why is it always an animated series, not live-action? Do we see kids engaging more when the content is animated?

    One of the cheapest forms of content creation in animation is in India. When you look at the type of content being created globally, the cost of production is much higher as well, but in India, it works in a way where we have to balance the cost. At Cosmos, we have two divisions, one is the domestic division where we work on the domestic content and another one is the international content creation where we deal with international content, the ones that have a huge business in the industry as international projects but outsource ones.

    So, the capability and ability to create such content in India at such a price is amazing but again in India you don’t see that type of quality also because of the economic growth function. International ones are able to pay a larger cost according to the international price so that was in terms of other animation now as to why animation for kids and not live action I think in India specifically we still buy one TV at home, and the remote control of the TV is always in the hand of the lady of the house by and large.

    The action for kids to get to watch TV is usually with and around family mostly live action so that exposure is already there so when the child wants to watch his preferred content then it’s always animation so that is why it’s generally preferred to watch content in animation by kids also it has the highest shelf life unlike live action which starts looking dated over a period of time but animation is evergreen like you can still watch Tom and Jerry today.

    On the animation industry in India?

    Over the last 8-10 years the industry has moved dramatically in a positive trajectory and has players in the industry who have worked really hard and even the government to bring in policies to support animation and help the industry. It’s a journey and is definitely on the right path of growth and everyone in the industry is hoping that in the coming years, it will only grow further.

    On the growth of digital content and the viewership of kids’ channels

    As I mentioned above the content is transitioning from TV to digital so those things are there and then it’s about the content eventually about how the content can remain intact and focused whatever the medium, TV or not. Overall, I see there is a shift in conversations from TV to digital but neither will at all, I think both will co-exist.

    On Cosmos Maya getting into a partnership with Murty Media, the strategy behind this, and the growth trajectory of the company in the next few years

    Murty Media is a company which is headed by Mrs Murty’s daughter-in-law, Aparna Krishnan with a vision to bring Mrs. Murty’s work to life with animation. We’re humbled and privileged to be chosen partners and we have also identified the stories at the moment we have worked on 52 stories with each one of them and with a different lesson. This is launching on the YouTube channel Murty Media and on 31 October we’ve created these stories in 6 languages that is Hindi, English, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, and Karnataka.

    On your vision and future plans for the organisation in the coming years

    Animation has been an evolving industry but the last couple of years has been quite challenging for everyone in the industry. We at Cosmos got the opportunity to bring the book content to life in a new beginning of things we are hoping to create news. While TV is of course an integral part, we have to look at alternate ways to create new business models. 

  • Animation Studio Cosmos-Maya ropes in Megha Tata as chief executive officer

    Animation Studio Cosmos-Maya ropes in Megha Tata as chief executive officer

    Mumbai: Animation company Cosmos-Maya India has announced the appointment of Megha Tata as its chief executive officer, who will oversee the company’s operations and lead the animation studio into its next phase of growth. Her appointment comes on the heels of the company’s recent announcement of a $50 million investment plan to facilitate growth and expansion in Europe and North America.

    Megha Tata comes with over three decades of experience in the management of television networks in the media and entertainment industry. Prior to Cosmos-Maya, Tata was a managing director at Discovery Communications India. She has held leadership positions at other eminent broadcasters such as BTVI, HBO, Turner International India, and Star India. At Cosmos-Maya, Tata aims to leverage her wealth of knowledge and decades of expertise to drive the organisation’s next phase of growth and solidify the studio’s position as the foremost animation studio in Asia.

    Commenting on her appointment, Megha Tata said, “I am thrilled to start my new journey with Cosmos-Maya. I have always looked for challenging yet exciting opportunities in my career, and animation is one such sector that poses immense growth potential. Cosmos-Maya has been at the forefront of the industry in India and Asia, and I look forward to working closely with the senior leadership team to create a vigorous growth path for the company.”

    Cosmos-Maya founder and managing director Ketan Mehta said, “I am thrilled and excited to welcome Megha to the Cosmos-Maya family. I look forward to working with her to build on top of Cosmos-Maya’s legacy and take our company to new heights.”

    NewQuest Capital Partners—a GP solutions specialist and an investor in Cosmos-Maya managing director Sachin Khandelwal also commented on the appointment, “Having created several highly acclaimed animation shows as one of the leading kids-focussed animation companies in India and Asia, Cosmos-Maya is well positioned to further cement its dominance and unlock new growth opportunities with Megha’s deep experience with broadcasters and in the overall media and entertainment industry.”

  • IAA organises IndIAA Awards to salute the idea ‘India’

    IAA organises IndIAA Awards to salute the idea ‘India’

    Mumbai: The International Advertising Association (IAA), an integrated advertising trade association, is organising the IAA IndIAA awards to salute the idea that is India.

    The IAA IndIAA Awards will be presented on 23 August at the Ballroom, Taj Landsend, Bandra (W) at 6:30 p.m. onwards.

    IAA India chapter president Megha Tata said, “As the country celebrates 75 years of its independence, we will be structuring our awards event around the meaningful role communication has played in fostering the idea that is India. I am very happy that in its 7th year, the IndIAA Awards has carved out a special prestigious niche in the minds of the communication industry.”

    IndIAA Awards committee chairperson Abhishek Karnani added, “These are unique awards that salute real, hard-working advertising. The shortlist is compiled by a set of senior journalists, and these are judged by an eminent jury comprised of advertisers who own and invest in brands. The awards are presented to the co-creators of the winning work.”

    Nestle India chairman & managing director Suresh Narayanan chairs the jury this year, and participants include Accenture managing director Charulata Ravikumar, Unacademy partner & chief marketing officer Karan Shroff, Sugar Cosmetics CEO & co-founder Vineeta Singh, and Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India COO Vivek Khanna.

  • Promax India Conference and Awards 2022: Zee, Disney+Hotstar, Sony Liv bag awards

    Promax India Conference and Awards 2022: Zee, Disney+Hotstar, Sony Liv bag awards

    Mumbai: Promax India recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of its “Promax India Conference & Awards 2022,” which recognized excellence in entertainment marketing and design.

    Several workshops, sessions, and one-on-one interactions with some of the most well-known international speakers were part of the event, which was held at the Taj Santacruz in Mumbai on 10 and 11 August.

    Megha Tata was conference chair of the two-day grand event, and Amazon Prime Video India originals head Aparna Purohit, awards chair, welcomed the delegates to a physical show for the first time in two years.

    The new promo 10 commandments workshop, which covered the 10 commandments for creating concise, well-planned campaigns with global trends and examples, was led by the multi-talented, promo genius Rob Middleton on Day 1.

    Rob Middleton said, “An effective marketing strategy will increase brand recall for your audience, produce leads, and bring in new clients. It’s crucial to ensure that your marketing campaign’s creativity and methods are strongly connected to your strategy and organisational objectives. Think about the science of persuasion when you develop your campaign ideas. These are tried-and-true strategies that affect people’s behaviour.”

    After that, Sheetal Sudhir led a practical workshop on “design in motion” where she discussed the theory and foundations of motion and how it can be applied to strengthen brand messaging.

    Sheetal Sudhir said, “The design industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. It is constantly changing, with new trends emerging and developing each year. With technology continuously pushing the conventional disciplines of art and design into an ever-increasing digital presence, motion design has evolved into a crucial skill set for every creative designer. I believe that this skill set is crucial for quick connection with the target audience and boosting a brand’s value and identity in the minds of viewers.”

    Tim Hughes’ masterclass workshop and session for all broadcast marketing professionals, which dissected tried-and-true strategies for enhancing brand awareness and advertising campaigns, was one of the event’s highlights.

    FX Network EVP marketing & on-air Stephanie Gibbons gave the opening keynote address on the second day of the conference. Trailer Voice Artists Agency owner Brent Hagel and Comedy Central’s voiceover artist Rahul Mulani, participated in a number of sessions on the developments and trends in the voiceover industry. Lee Hunt founder Lee Hunt deliberated on the topic ‘New Best Practice, it’s Linear vs. Streaming.’

    Some of the winners of the prestigious awards are: Best Brand Image Campaign, won by Zee Cinema for their “Rehna Hain Sath Sath campaign”; Best Ident, won by Nickelodeon for its “World Environment Day” ident; Best Social Media Campaign by Disney Star for its #BreakTheLoop; Best Drama Promo-clip Based, won by Sony Pictures Networks—Sony liv for the whistleblower announcement; Best Drama Campaign, won by Amazon Prime Video/White Turtle Studios for Mumbai Diaries; Best Themed Campaign won by Sony Pictures Networks—SET for Shark Tank India Season 1 Launch; best marketing video/sizzle reel/presentation won by Warner Bros. Discovery/cartoon Network for CN sales AV 2021; and best sound design, won by Shemaroo Entertainment for its Bollywood X’mas jingle, amongst others.

  • After 3 years, 3 months and 3 days it’s a wrap at Discovery for Megha Tata

    After 3 years, 3 months and 3 days it’s a wrap at Discovery for Megha Tata

    Mumbai: Megha Tata parts ways with Discovery as managing director of South Asia ending an association that lasted three years, three months and three days.

    The announcement of her departure was first made by Warner Bros. Discovery president and managing director India, Southeast Asia and Korea Clement Schwebig in June.

    Embed Link: Warner Bros. Discovery consolidates India’s business; appoints Arjun Nohwar as GM, India | Indian Television Dot Com

    “After 3 years, 3 months, 3 days it’s a wrap! Leave with many happy memories and proud of what we achieved as a team in the country. Amongst the many milestones we achieved, successfully launching #discoveryplus in the middle of the pandemic was a class act by the super talented team I have had the privilege to lead! Thank you to my super awesome team for helping me grow professionally and personally. A special mention to Simon Robinson without whose support and trust I couldn’t have done what I did! Onwards and upwards,” said Tata in a LinkedIn post.

    Tata is a TV broadcast industry veteran with over three decades of experience. She has been associated with leading broadcasters including Star India, Turner International, HBO India, BTVI before joining Discovery.

    She leads several industry forums and is the president of International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter. She is on the board of Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation as co-opted director. She is also a broad-member of the National Media and Entertainment Committee of FICCI and member of CII National Committee on Media and Entertainment.

    Tata has been a Jury member of many leading industry awards like International Emmys, Promax, Children’s Film Festival, Golden Mikes Awards, International Women in Sales Awards and many more.

    Besides being involved in industry initiatives, she has been engaging and shaping young minds through guest lectures at leading educational institutes including IIT, IIM, ISB, UBS and more.

  • Warner Bros. Discovery consolidates India’s business; appoints Arjun Nohwar as GM, India

    Warner Bros. Discovery consolidates India’s business; appoints Arjun Nohwar as GM, India

    Mumbai: Warner Bros. Discovery has announced its regional leadership team across India, Southeast Asia and Korea (INSEAK). Arjun Nohwar has been elevated to the role of general manager, India. Discovery managing director – South Asia Megha Tata will be leaving the company.

    In a staff email, Warner Bros. Discovery president and managing director – India, Southeast Asia and Korea Clement Schwebig stated, “Arjun Nohwar will be general manager India. Previously responsible for the launch of HBO Max in India, he brings a digital experience that will help prepare the company for our next phase of growth.”

    “I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank Megha Tata who will be leaving the company,” he said. “She has done an incredible job over the years leading the success of Discovery’s portfolio and brands in India including the launch of the discovery+ streaming service.”

    The new media organisation in India is now significantly larger bringing together several lines of business. It combines all of Warner Bros. Discovery’s India-based TV networks with streaming, games, consumer products, film/content production, home entertainment and TV distribution (syndication) and theatrical movie distribution.

    The company announced Jeeyoung Lee as the general manager Korea. “In her tenure at Discovery, she helped build a strong production unit that will be a fundamental pillar of our strategy in Korea,” said Schwebig.

    Schwebig further announced the regional leadership in the Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong markets. Shonali Bedi will lead affiliate distribution and digital partnerships for Southeast Asia, while she continues to head business development and insights regionwide.

    Cindy Ma will lead the affiliate distribution and advertising sales for Taiwan.

    Yasmin Zahid, who has been with HBO/WarnerMedia affiliate distribution for the past three decades, will be leaving the company following a transition period. “It has been a true privilege to work with Yasmin and she deserves all the credit for our fantastic affiliate relationships.”

    On the content (programming, original productions and acquisitions) side, the Warner Bros. Discovery team will operate across three verticals. Magdalene Ew will continue to head Entertainment. Christopher Ho will head Kids. Lynn Ng will head factual and lifestyle whilst she continues her current role for content ops for the wider region.

    Leslie Lee will move on from WarnerMedia Kids APAC. “With our Kids portfolio being a leader in the region, Leslie leaves the company with a distinguished tenure that includes the recent launch of Cartoonito and numerous Asian originals including the International Emmy nominated ‘Lamput’,” highlighted Schwebig. 

    In the regional teams, Kurt Rieder will continue to lead theatrical distribution as well as being a part of the international theatrical operations headed by Andrew Cripps. Jae Chang will continue to lead TV distribution and home entertainment.

    Vikram Sharma will lead consumer products licensing, while he continues to oversee advertising sales for Southeast Asia.

    Jason Monteiro will lead an integrated marketing team across INSEAK in addition to his coordination role for our streaming services. He will manage marketing and creative services across all lines of business, while working closely with the D2C (direct-to-consumer) marketing team.

    Athreyan ‘Auto’ Sundararajan will be departing the company. “He has been outstanding in uniting and leading the marketing & creative teams of the legacy WarnerMedia businesses,” remarked Schewebig. 

  • Abbys 2022 onboards five more jury chairs

    Abbys 2022 onboards five more jury chairs

    Mumbai: The jury chair at Abbys 2022 has roped in five more eminent jury chairs on Thursday. It is being assembled gloriously with stalwarts of the advertising industry, both national and global. The five new Jury chairs will be judging the awards along with international judges.The jury comprises:

    Ayappa KM

    Early Man Films director and partner Ayappa is an accomplished writer and director of commercials, documentaries and television series. His work has been highly awarded at both Indian and international festivals including Cannes and D&AD. Ayappa is known for his offbeat directing style and unusual casting. Other awards won by Ayappa include Spikes, AdFest, Abbys and Kyoorius.

    Devika Prabhu

    Disney Star business head, kids & infotainment Devika is also onboarded. She oversees the content and communications initiatives across the bouquet of six kids and infotainment channels- Disney Channel, Hungama TV, Super Hungama, Disney Junior, Disney International HD, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild and Fox Life. She is responsible for shaping the overall creative vision and driving the content and communications strategy.

    ALSO READ: Abbys 2022 onboards six adland executives as jury chairs

    Geet Rathi

    TBWA design & creative director Geet heads design duties for TBWA Design By Disruption. She is Campaign Brief 2020 Asia’s eighth most awarded creative in India. Geet has been on the jury at One Show Design in 2021 and the Cannes Young Lions & Clio Health and Cannes Lions Jury in 2019. Geet is the founder of Blink To Speak TBWA India Design Lab.

    Megha Tata

    Discover South Asia-Warner Bros managing director Megha spearheads several marquee brands for the Discovery network in India including the country’s largest aggregated real-life infotainment OTT platform. In 2020, Discovery India retained its position as the ‘Most Trusted Real-Life Entertainment Brand’ by TRA Research Pvt Ltd for the 10th year in a row. Megha is also the second woman ever to become the president of the India Chapter of the International Advertising Association.

    Raj Kamble

    Famous Innovation founder and chief creative officer Raj Kamble who is one of the most awarded and globally recognised Indians in advertising. He has over 150 awards including several Cannes and One Show Golds. Famous holds the title of seven-time winner of South Asia Independent Agency of the Year in a row. Raj is a frequent lecturer at the Kellogg Institute of Management and Columbia University. He is also the director of Miami Ad School in India.

  • Discovery to amp up linear programming with 5X hours of original content in 2022

    Discovery to amp up linear programming with 5X hours of original content in 2022

    Mumbai: Discovery Inc has virtually showcased its annual upfront presentation to advertisers and marketers in India, outlining its content strategy and programming lineup for 2022.

    In the presence of Megha Tata (MD- South Asia), Ruchir Jain (head of Eurosport India and distribution – South Asia), and Shaun Nanjappa (head of advertising sales- South Asia), the event saw Discovery reinstate its brand promise of bringing diverse content covering lifestyle, kids and sports genres, spanning across its linear brands like Discovery Channel, Discovery Kids, TLC and Eurosport.

    To amp up linear programming in India, Discovery will introduce five times hours of original content across factual entertainment, lifestyle and sports categories. Discovery Kids will introduce two times hours of content in the first half of 2022. This will include the launch of two new properties “Little Singham 3D” and “Baby Little Singham.”

    The year’s content slate comprises titles like “Into the Wild with Bear Grylls” featuring Vicky Kaushal, “Star vs Food: Season 2” starring Anil Kapoor, Janhavi Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Nora Fatehi, Badshah and Zakir Khan, “Mission Frontline” featuring Sara Ali khan, Farhan Akhtar and Rohit Shetty, “Money Mafia: Season 1&2,” and “India’s Space Odyssey” – the documentary that looks at the 60-year journey of the space sector in India. The Indian version of the hit international franchise “Say Yes” to “The Dress! India” will also premiere on TLC.

    The event highlighted how Discovery Kids has diversified their offerings and built a roster of engaging content. One of its flagship properties, “Little Singham v/s Black Shadow” was pronounced as top show of 2021 demonstrating the popularity of the franchise. To further build on it, Discovery Kids will be expanding the franchise with two new properties “Little Singham” in 3D and “Baby Little Singham” as a treat for its young fans in 2022. With a renewed focus on experimentation, and diversification of business, the channel aims to add two times hours of content in the first half of 2022.

    Eurosport India also promises an extravaganza for all sports enthusiasts with sporting events that will further build on the cult appeal for MotoGP, along with AFC Women’s Asian Cup, PGA Tour, UCI Track Champions League, AEW, Tour de France, amongst others. With a renewed vision to embrace homegrown leagues and sports, Eurosport India will continue to focus on being the go-to-destination for passionate sports fans across the country.

    “over the previous year, Discovery India network has cemented its position as a leader, commanding close to 50 per cent category share in the infotainment category with nine out of top 10 shows of 2021 belonging to Discovery Channel. Pushing the envelope further in creating inspiring content, the network successfully emerged amongst the top four in terms of growth,” said the statement.

    “2021 proved to be a year of new milestones for Discovery Network, with the brand garnering 182 per cent higher reach than the English News Genre and 112 per cent higher than that of leading English GEC and English movie channels combined in terms of the weekly data. Adding further value and credibility, Eurosport also witnessed growth in viewership from Q1 within two years of its launch. The response thus encourages Discovery to take a leap ahead in its vision for 2022 by bringing five times hours of original content – the highest number of originals ever produced in the infotainment category across genres and formats,” it added.

    Reinstating Discovery Inc’s consistent efforts to be a partner of confidence to eminent stakeholders, the event offered a look-back at the key branded properties across categories like edtech, auto, finance, telecom, and more. From Discovery School Super League Powered by BYJU’s, to the association with Hershey’s Jolly Rancher Lollipops for Little Singham, to projects with the government, the network plans to create stronger synergies across short and long format content in the year ahead.

    Speaking at India Sales Upfront 2022, Discovery Inc MD South Asia Megha Tata said, “As a network, we are driven by creative solutions and committed to offer a holistic and integrated brand experience to the diverse stakeholders. With innovation at core, we aim to leverage the power of Discovery’s legacy to create ground-breaking stories and emerge as a brand of confidence to our partners. We’ve had a heady kickstart to 2022 and are set for a riveting content repertoire ahead. We hope to further amplify the momentum not only with offerings that are genre-binding and authentic but also create seamless synergies across touchpoints adding value to the ever-evolving appetite of our target demographic.”

    “Overwhelmed with the success of Discovery’s Virtual Upfront 2022, I would like to thank our partners and advertisers for their unwavering support in making Eurosport India a household name in no time,” remarked Discovery head of Eurosport India and distribution – South Asia Ruchir Jain. “Delving beyond the realms of mainstream sports has spiked our viewership by a whopping 158 per cent since Q1. Our upcoming line-up of sports has been liked by all the stakeholders and we are excited to bring it all on Eurosport in the coming months, making 2022 certainly look bright for us!”

    Discovery head of advertising sales – South Asia Shaun Nanjappa added, “As a network, Discovery in the past year has not only completed over 40 projects successfully but carved a niche for itself with constant support received from our stakeholders throughout. Our varied offerings across diverse genres and tailor-made 360-degree business solutions helped us strengthen our footprint in the infotainment category and we will continue to focus on making content the hero. We will continue to experiment as the trends change and come up with differentiated offerings through our partnerships that emerge as successful milestones for the brand as well as our stakeholders.”

  • discovery+ launches investigative docuseries ‘Dangals of Crime’

    discovery+ launches investigative docuseries ‘Dangals of Crime’

    Mumbai: Streaming app discovery+ has launched an investigative docuseries “Dangals of Crime – The Untold Truth About Indian Wrestling,” which traces the meteoric rise of the Olympic sport of Wrestling in India while exploring in-depth the dark underbelly of crime often associated with it.

    Former wrestlers and coaches, eminent sports journalists, and law enforcement officials weigh in with their experiences, insights and memories, in the two-part series produced by Vice Studios Production and directed by award-winning director Niyantha Shekar.

    Notable former coaches and wrestlers whose views are reflected in the documentary include names such as Satbir Singh, Virender Kumar, Anil Mann and Ramphal Mann.

    Wrestling is by far India’s most successful individual sport (seven medals) in terms of medals won at the Summer Olympics. Its popularity reached a crescendo after iconic wrestlers Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt won three medals collectively across two successive Games (Beijing 2008 and London 2012). “Dangals of Crime” showcases this journey towards success and highlights the deep-rooted akhada culture, strict discipline and the unparalleled devotion that makes a champion wrestler.

    The series explores how the sport, which has been instrumental in bringing sporting laurels for India, has also been witness to some dark moments which overshadow its glorious journey and malign wrestling and its athletes.

    “Dangals of Crime delves deep into the realms of wrestling, a sport that has churned out some of India’s greatest homegrown champions. Reflecting on the sport in the most informative way, the discovery+ Original dissects every aspect of the making of a Pehelwan, coupled with its current realities and the crime related to it. It will surely leave our viewers thinking,” said Discovery Inc MD – South Asia Megha Tata.

  • IAA India chapter announces its managing committee lineup

    IAA India chapter announces its managing committee lineup

    Mumbai: The International Advertising Association (IAA) India chapter on Friday announced its managing committee lineup for the financial year 2021-22. The members co-opted and invited to the committee were announced at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) chaired by Discovery Communications India – South Asia MD and the recently re-elected president Megha Tata.

    “I am delighted to bring together such a wonderful mix of enthusiastic, experienced,  diversity in gender and industry-wide representation to the mancom this year. Together we hope to continue to be the beacon of light of our industry,” said Tata.

    The mancom members are: Madison Communications Pvt Ltd chairman & managing director Sam Balsara; Republic TV group president Dr Bhaskar Das; Viacom18 Media head – Hindi and kids TV network Nina Elavia Jaipuria; Laqshya Media Group managing director Alok Jalan; Orient Electric Ltd business unit head of appliances Salil Kappoor; The Advertising Club, Madras past president and independent communication consultant Anbuchezhiyan K; Mathrubhumi PTG & PBG Co Ltd managing director MV Shreyams Kumar; Canco Advertising Pvt Ltd founder Ramesh Narayan; Pantaloons CEO Sangeeta Pendurkar; India Today Group’s TV Today Network & Radio CEO Rahul Shaw; Hungama Digital Media founder and CEO Neeraj Roy; EENADU director I Venkat; Intelligent Insights Pvt Ltd founder Ashok Venkatramani; The Horologists founder and president Mitrajit Bhattacharya; Barc India CEO Nakul Chopra; The Times of India Group president Partha Sinha; Zirca Digital Solutions Pvt Ltd CEO and director Neena Dasgupta, and Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd COO Kranti Gada.

    At the AGM held on 24 September, Eros International Media Ltd group CEO and executive director Pradeep Dwivedi was re-elected vice president. The other elected office bearers are – Lodestar UM CEO Nandini Dias as honorary secretary and The Free Press Journal director Abhishek Karnani as honorary treasurer.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd managing director & CEO Punit Goenka will continue as a member of the managing committee as the immediate past president.

    The other elected members of the managing committee were: Another Idea founder Jaideep Gandhi;  The Indian Express Ltd executive director Anant Goenka; ABP Network CEO Avinash Pandey; Deshdoot Media Group managing director Janak Sarda, and GroupM South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar.

    The co-opted members were: Havas Group India CEO Rana Barua; Dentsu Aegis Network CEO-APAC and chairman India Ashish Bhasin; Amar Ujala Publications Ltd president of marketing Rajiv Kental; Indira Television Ltd director Rani Reddy;

    R K SWAMY Hansa & IAA Presidents’ Council chairman and IAA Global immediate past chairman & world president Srinivasan K Swamy.

    Headquartered in New York, the IAA is a globally-focused integrated advertising trade association with membership representing advertising agencies and the media. The association comprises corporate members, organisational members, educational affiliates, as well as 56 chapters with individual members and young professionals from 76 countries and is over 80 years old.