ITV

Tag: Vikas Khanna

  • iTV Network ups Vikas Khanna as national sales head of India News

    iTV Network ups Vikas Khanna as national sales head of India News

    MUMBAI: iTV Network has elevated Vikas Khanna to the post of national sales head of India News.

    Khanna was initially the senior vice president at India News. He will be responsible for driving the all India ad sales revenue of India News national and will continue to report to India News CEO Varun Kohli.

    Commenting on the elevation, iTV Network MD Kartikeya Sharma said, “We are delighted to elevate Vikas as the national sales head of India News. This elevation is in line with our commitment to growth. His skills and wide experience will surely help India News reach the next level of growth.”

    Kohli added, “Vikas has played an important role in India News sales and with his elevation as national sales head, India News, he will take on a wider role. His strong track record of delivering growth and his understanding of the industry will help us move forward on our path of continued success.”

    “I am delighted and honoured to have been given the responsibility of driving the ad sales revenue of India News National. In this fiercely competitive market, I shall strive to further strengthen the various revenue streams of India News and achieve a robust growth in the coming year,” Khanna said.

    Khanna previously worked with Network18 where he was responsible for the advertising sales of IBN 7 North region. He served India Today Group for six years and then moved to Times of India and thereafter to NDTV Media wherein he handled brands such as NDTV India, NDTV 24×7 and NDTV Profit.

  • iTV Network ups Vikas Khanna as national sales head of India News

    iTV Network ups Vikas Khanna as national sales head of India News

    MUMBAI: iTV Network has elevated Vikas Khanna to the post of national sales head of India News.

    Khanna was initially the senior vice president at India News. He will be responsible for driving the all India ad sales revenue of India News national and will continue to report to India News CEO Varun Kohli.

    Commenting on the elevation, iTV Network MD Kartikeya Sharma said, “We are delighted to elevate Vikas as the national sales head of India News. This elevation is in line with our commitment to growth. His skills and wide experience will surely help India News reach the next level of growth.”

    Kohli added, “Vikas has played an important role in India News sales and with his elevation as national sales head, India News, he will take on a wider role. His strong track record of delivering growth and his understanding of the industry will help us move forward on our path of continued success.”

    “I am delighted and honoured to have been given the responsibility of driving the ad sales revenue of India News National. In this fiercely competitive market, I shall strive to further strengthen the various revenue streams of India News and achieve a robust growth in the coming year,” Khanna said.

    Khanna previously worked with Network18 where he was responsible for the advertising sales of IBN 7 North region. He served India Today Group for six years and then moved to Times of India and thereafter to NDTV Media wherein he handled brands such as NDTV India, NDTV 24×7 and NDTV Profit.

  • Fox Life India turns one

    Fox Life India turns one

    MUMBAI: Fox Life India, a channel that offers everything in the lifestyle genre from music, fashion, party, style to reality, has just turned one! And it’s been a year of celebrating food, fashion, music and travel. Owned by Fox International Channels (FIC), Fox Life India was launched on 15 June, 2014.

     

    Back to the roots

     

    The channel has seen multiple name changes. From Fox History and Entertainment, it was renamed Fox History and Traveller in May 2011. In October 2011, it became Fox Traveller and last year, the channel was christened Fox Life.

     

    Going through numerous revamps by logos changes, the channel changed its logo five times from November 2008 to present. Subsequently as the channel dropped history related shows from its programming milieu and only had content related to travel and sight-seeing, it took on the name of Fox Traveller. Finally making a stagnant move, the channel changed its name to Fox Life, thus turning it into a lifestyle channel.

     

    Action over the last 12 months

     

    While it started as a channel that showcased travel and food, Fox Life later expanded the genre by adding lifestyle elements to the programming mix.

     

    Fox International Channels India business head Swati Mohan believes that the journey has always been fun and the one with Fox Life has been truly spectacular. “Fox Life is a huge lifestyle channel in the FIC portfolio worldwide and here in India, we’re trying to keep on that global legacy while maintaining our local flavour. It’s a perfect mix of Indian and global content that showcases various aspects of lifestyle. Our fans and audience have loved the change,” Mohan tells Indiantelevision.com.

     

    Adventure, Experiments, New Journeys

     

    The channel delivers a slate of watch-together content like Soundtrek (second season), a music show, which featured artists from across the country and their take on classic old songs. Another hit show on the channel was Twist of Taste, which went into its fourth season and was hosted by Vikas Khanna.

     

    Style and the City, the perfect fashion show, which goes behind a celebrity’s fashion closet also premiered its third season in May.

     

    In addition to these India made shows, the channel has shows from around the world such as Getaway, which takes you to the best locales on the globe, Into the Unknown with David Beckham, a show which features the star and his bike ride through South America, Eat Street and Street Food Around the World, showcases the most yummy-licious food from the world over.

     

    “We were the leaders in the travel and lifestyle genre with Fox Traveller and we have maintained that stance with Fox Life. The addition has been the new shows and contest genres that we’ve added,” states Mohan.

     

    She further adds, “It really has been a year of change and through the 12 months we’ve been working hard to give our fans the best lifestyle mix. We’ve added so many sub-genres and grown the travel and lifestyle genre at large, which as the leader in the segment was our prerogative to do.”

     

    The Buzzing machine

     

    The channel attracts good eyeballs on social media. On the channel’s official Facebook page, it garners more than three million likes and has been decorated with it’s been #onederfuljourney since the past three days. On YouTube, it has more than 2,000 subscribers. On Twitter it has 25,000 followers. On the channel’s first anniversary, the hashtag #FoxLifeTurnsOne was also promoted.

     

    In order to keep viewers engaged throughout the year, Fox Life has used the on-air medium to create engagement and visibility. Moreover, it has also offered audiences a lot of live tweeting options, watch and win and real time engagement with the channel.

     

    For the show Twist of Taste, it got a famous food blogger in Mumbai to take 25 people on a dessert food walk around the city. Participants got to see a side of Mumbai they hadn’t and FB – Twitter fans followed the winners on their walk.

     

    Another way in which the channel connects with its fans is by letting them interact with show hosts like Vikas Khanna, Rochelle Rao, Kiran Jethwa, David Rocoo and others.

     

    For Soundtrek this year, Fox Life created a campaign for which it won silver for the ‘Outstanding Programme Image Campaign’ category at Promax.

     

    “The journey so far has been great and we’re looking at going places in the future too. To grow the channel and give our fans all of that they need in the lifestyle space is the way to go and that’s what we’re going to do,” concludes Mohan.

     

    For the record, the channel, which caters to the lifestyle segment was originally launched in Italy and now reaches to 73 countries in 19 different languages. Fox Life India reaches to more than 52 million households across the country.

  • ‘Masterchef’ awards Paneer Makhani as India’s favourite veg dish

    ‘Masterchef’ awards Paneer Makhani as India’s favourite veg dish

    MUMBAI: In an all India voting poll initiated by Star Plus, Paneer Makhani emerged as India’s favourite veg dish among the top 10 popular dishes suggested by MasterChef judges, Sanjeev Kapoor, Vikas Khanna and Ranveer Brar.

     

    The 10 dishes which included Rajma Chawal, Dum Aloo, Sarson Da Saag, Dal Makhani, Chana Masala etc. were shortlisted by the three judges, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, Vikas Khanna and Ranveer Brar and the resultant most favourite dish was Paneer Makhani with a whopping 40 per cent votes. Now this winning dish is to be integrated in the on air show as one of the dishes to be made. This All India poll was not just supported by the Masterchef Judges but even the other actors of Star Plus voted for their favourite dish. Chef Sanjeev Kapoor said, “Everyone has a different choice when it comes to food, people, views but nobody has ever taken the initiative to find out what the majority stands with and Star Plus has done just that by taking a step to know India’s favourite Veg dish and surprisingly it is also my favourite dish – Paneer Makhani”.

     

    Vikas Khanna, the Michelin Star Award winner said, “I value vegetarian food more after living in the States and you will be mighty surprised to know that a lot of foreigners as well support vegetarianism…as veg food too has several choices and flavours. I am glad that this not just another research because this initiative will be taken a step forward by the MasterChef kitchen by including the dish in our show”.

     

    Star plus is championing the growing food culture through Masterchef and this is a one of its kind initiative to bring to limelight the fandom behind veg food like Paneer Makhani.

  • Michelin star chef Vikas Khanna meets Fox Life fans to celebrate the launch of ‘Twist of Taste’

    Michelin star chef Vikas Khanna meets Fox Life fans to celebrate the launch of ‘Twist of Taste’

    NEW DELHI: Fox Life in association with soon to open SodaBottleOpenerwala, Khan Market, New Delhi, today organized a rendezvous for FOX Life fans with Vikas Khanna to celebrate the launch of the fourth season of its highly successful and most watched show Twist of Taste- Sweet Life.

    Fox Life gave this unique opportunity to its viewers through a contest on Facebook. As part of the contest #TheSweetWish, the contestants were asked to respond to the question – What dessert/sweet dish does Vikas Khanna remind you of? The channel also tied up with Food Bloggers Association of India, to involve the blogger community. Six lucky winners won the contest and meet their favourite Chef today in Delhi.

    Talking on the launch Khanna said: “It feels great to be a part of this exciting show again. In this season of Twist of Taste- Sweet Life, I have had a chance to explore and experiment with India’s classic and traditional sweets. It’s always a wonderful feeling to meet and connect with your fans and I was delighted to meet the winners of the contest on FOX Life today.”
     
    Fox International Channels VP – marketing Debarpita Banerjee said: “We are extremely delighted to have Vikas Khanna as part of the Fox Life family yet again. It is our constant endeavour to delight our viewers, who love Vikas and are a huge fan of his culinary skills. This meet & greet was a perfect way to provide our viewers, who have made this show a huge success, an opportunity to meet their favourite chef.”
     
    Through SodaBottleOpenerWala, Olive pays tribute to the dying legacy of a Bombay Irani cafe bringing with it – typical Parsi cuisine and Bombay street food. Says AD Singh, “We’ve delved deep within its unique world to bring alive the nuances – wonderful chaotic, crowded, bustling, colorful, quirky, cluttered, eccentric and the so real world of an Irani café – both for cuisine and its atmosphere. We are happy to host Viksas Khanna at the soon to open second outlet and wish him and Fox Life good luck and hope that this season is as successful as the previous ones!”
    The show will see the versatile Michelin starred chef Vikas Khanna on a sweet adventure. Vikas will travel to the cultural capitals of India – Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata, Amritsar and Mysore, visiting places, meeting people and giving his signature touch to the local Indian traditional sweets and mithais. This festive season, watch Vikas Khanna spread his magic with Indian sweets every Monday and Tuesday at 9:30 pm starting 13 October.

     

  • Get set for a gastronomical trip with Vikas Khanna on ‘Twist of Taste’

    Get set for a gastronomical trip with Vikas Khanna on ‘Twist of Taste’

    MUMBAI: Buck up for a gastronomical session as the New York based Michelin starred chef and restaurateur Vikas Khanna gets ready to take you on an adventure. The chef, in the third instalment of FOX Traveller’s Twist of Taste, would explore India’s vast coastline to hunt for the best curries and coastal dishes along the sandy beaches of Udvada, Ratnagiri, Goa, Mangalore, Udupi, Manipal, Kochi and Pondicherry, visiting places, meeting people and giving his signature touch to the local flavours. Aptly titled Twist of Taste: Coastal Curries will go on air from 20 Jaunuary, every Monday and Tuesday 9.30 pm.

     

    During his trip, Vikas will meet home cooks, chefs, farmers, fishermen, bakers, merchants, restaurateurs and chocolatiers and watch them as they share with him their food, traditions and the story of their journeys.

     

    FOX International Channels vice president, marketing Debarpita Banerjee says, “Food is a popular subject, a popular topic, and we plan to maximise the topic’s already wise reach with the new season of Twist of Taste, which itself is a flagship show for FOX Traveller. The audiences have loved the concept and we are excited to partner with Vikas Khanna in the third season of the show. ‘Twist of Taste: Coastal Curries’ reiterates our promise to bring more exciting and quality local content to the Indian audiences- that showcases travel and food in a whole new, sumptuous and exciting manner. Vikas is not just an excellent chef, but also a very aware and livewire traveller; he is a naturally instinctive cook, a ‘son of the soil’.”

     

    The earlier two seasons of the show had the internationally renowned chef Vineet Bhatia as the host. However Banerjee says that this time around the chef’s time were not matching with the show’s schedule. Coincidentally, Vikas was more than happy to step in the shoes of Vineet.

     

    “One of the main reasons he came on board was the fact that he wanted to explore the country he left years ago,” says Banerjee and continues, “and the various types of cuisines the country has to offer and we are confident that his energy and expertise will weave magic with taste buds.”

     

    The chef, on his part exclaims, “I’m delighted to be a part of this exciting show. Through the show Twist of Taste, I have had a chance to explore India’s vast coastline and experiment with its cuisine. The people have been very warm in welcoming me into their kitchens and sharing their delicious recipes; I truly feel enriched with newer experiences!”

     

    Given the raw nature of the program, the channel is aiming to tap 18+ audiences. Considering food is one of the easiest products to market, Banerjee says, “To market Twist of Taste, we have promoted heavily on various networks. From collaborating with Tata Sky’s Active Cooking to a digital social media spread out, we have tried to market it as much as a show which already has a good reach should be marketed.”

     

    Inspired by all the delicious, timeless food and the riveting stories of people, Vikas visits the Twist of Taste kitchen to give it his own fascinating signature twist. From Caramelised Cucumber Cake to Shrimp Poha Biryani to Udupi Sambar Jar Cakes, Twist of Taste is bound to be a true culinary adventure.

  • Westland Ltd Launched Award Winning Michelin Starred Chef Vikas Khanna’s Book “Savour Mumbai”

    Westland Ltd Launched Award Winning Michelin Starred Chef Vikas Khanna’s Book “Savour Mumbai”

    MUMBAI: Host of the immensely popular MasterChef India programme, Chef Vikas Khanna’s latest book “Savour Mumbai- A Culinary Journey Through India’s Melting Pot”, published by Westland Ltd was launched today at Landmark bookstore.

    Michelin star Chef Vikas Khanna was in conversation with Farazana Contractor – Publisher and Editor UpperCrust India and Chef Michael Swamy – one of the most popular Food Stylist & Food Photographer on the Role of Modern Day Chefs in new age of Food Media and Publishing.

    With his book “Savour Mumbai- A Culinary Journey Through India’s Melting Pot” Chef Vikas Khanna walks though the streets of Mumbai, reliving the past and embracing the new, takes you through food pilgrimage of India Melting pot. The diverse cultural and culinary identities that have been the hallmark of our very own ‘ Aamchi Mumbai’

    Vikas Khanna’s culinary journey started in Amritsar, but the city of Mumbai has also played an important role in his evolution as an arbiter of dining taste. This book is his tribute to Mumbai, which lays on the table a smorgasbord of delicious food options: Maharashtrian, Parsi, Gujarati, Konkan, street food and so much more. Food that is as multi-flavoured as the city itself. In the year that Khanna lived in the city, working at The Leela Kempinski, he explored and experienced all these cuisines. As he says, it was a period that would benefit him in the kitchen in the years to come. In Savour Mumbai, he visits some of his favourite restaurants and eateries, selects their signature dishes, helpfully modifying and adapting their recipes into a form that will be a boon to the home cook.
    Categorized under the Genre of Cooking with an Original Release Type, it is priced at Rs 895. It features a Binding Paperback. Imprinted by Westland Ltd it runs with a Page Extent of 332 pp.

  • Cheil WW expands leadership team

    MUMBAI: Cheil Worldwide SW Asia has strengthened its leadership with appointments in leadership positions across three verticals.
    The agency has appointed Vikas Khanna to the post of head – activations, while Rajesh Bhatia joins as head interactive and Manish Shukla as head of retail.

    Bhatia comes in from Euro RSCG 4D where he was president while Khanna‘s last stint was with G2Rams, a WPP group company aligned with Grey Worldwide where he was VP and branch head. Shukla joins the agency from Retailscape.

    Bhatia is a digital evangelist with over 17 years of work experience and has been driving innovative digital and integrated marketing strategies for global brands including Nokia, IBM, Max Life Insurance, Airtel, Reckitt Bencksier (Dettol, Harpic, Vanish, Veet, Mortein) and Unilever.

    Bhatia joined the world of digital and data led consumer marketing almost a decade ago and has been a part of the evolution of new age communication in India and has been helping brands transition from traditional marketing communication to effective marketing in the digital world. He has been instrumental in the creation of one of virtual community ? igenius for Max Life Insurance.

    Prior to Euro RSCG 4D, Bhatia has held senior level positions with Solutions Digitas, IDC and Onida across various digital and consumer marketing domains.

    Khanna has over 13 years of experience in the field of events, BTL and activation and has a longstanding portfolio of client relationships. Over the years he has managed brands including BlackBerry (RIM), Cisco, Audi, BMW, M3M, Genpact, Hyundai, GE, Canara HSBC, ITDC and HTC. Prior to G2Rams Khanna has worked with George P Johnson, 360 Degrees, Magnum Nexus Private Limited, Showtime Events India Pvt. Ltd. etc.

    Shukla moves from Retailscape which he set up in 1996. Prior to this he has worked with Lintas, JWT, Gillette, Coca?Cola India. He is an honorary member of POPAI, an industry body and has chaired the organization in the past. He is also on the board of advisor to Point of Purchase Magazine and In?Store Asia.

    Shukla brings with him a wide range of business expertise, experience and relationships in the area of retail marketing and management. Over the years he has consulted to a wide range of clients such as HUL?Wall‘s Ice cream ? Danone International, Evian, PepsiCo, Coca?Cola, Bacardi ? Martini, Bharat Shell, Braun, Parker, Airtel, Shaw Wallace, Samsung, LG – CDMA Phones and Barista Coffee Bars.

    Cheil WW SW Asia COO Alok Agrawal said, “The story of our growth trajectory is already known. Nima‘s joining has tripled our creative strength. Now with Vikas, Rajesh and Manish on board, our leadership team has become even stronger. This enables us to further capitalise on the demands of the marketplace and take brand Cheil to even greater heights.”