Executive Dossier

A seasoned veteran at 34….. – Yogesh Radhakrishnan

Published

23 years ago

January 30, 2003

Young Turks. The fourth in indiantelevision.com’s series profiling the brightest and the best among the youth brigade in the Indian television industry, focuses this time on Yogesh Radhakrishnan, the dynamic promoter of ETC and now Zee Cinema and Zee Music head.

Just 34, Radhakrishnan inspires the respect and awe of young and old alike in the industry, having been one of the founding fathers of the cable industry in the country. His career graph reads like a veritable history of the cable evolution in India. His ambitious go getting ways, his visionary outlook – all these mark him out as a potential leader of the television industry. Life continuously moves at a frantic pace for this 34 year old, who often works like there’s no tomorrow. But then he is one of the few in the country who have correctly foreseen the morrow of the TV industry when he was just a teenager in southern Mumbai. We present here, a sketch of the man behind the professional…..

When Yogesh Radhakrishnan says he’s been there and done that, you know he means every word of the phrase.

ETC promoter and Zee Cinema – Zee Music head are only two facets to this personality who has been one of the pioneers of cable revolution in the country.

At 34, Radhakrishnan is a veritable veteran in an industry where the white heads still rule. He belongs to a generation that grew up watching television evolve in the country, observing while videos made inroads into a closed economy and itching to get into the know of things. As a kid, remembers Radhakrishnan, he loved recording tapes and selling them among his friends and exploring the newly discovered world of VCRs and video libraries. Even at that age, he didn’t believe the apparently indestructible world of video libraries would survive beyond a point, knowing only too well that piracy would soon begin plucking holes in the existing copyright laws.

Today, as he negotiates his day between ETC, which he helped spawn with partners Jagjit Singh Kohli and Yogesh Shah, and the swank offices of Zee where he is currently grappling with the task of turning around the somnolent Zee Music and rejigging the low profile Zee Cinema, Radhakrishnan still exudes a childlike zeal that marked his entry into the world of media nearly 18 years ago. It was in 1985 that Radhakrishnan with his friends set up the first CATV and MATV systems in the country, in the downtown Malabar Hill area of Mumbai. The young entrepreneurs ( these included Zubin Gandevia, currently Asia head of National Geographic) installed VCRs, and attaching the cables to individual antennae, started what was in the pre-legislation days, the first form of cable TV to take shape in Mumbai.

It was in 1985 that Radhakrishnan with his friends set up the first CATV and MATV systems in the country…

The success of the indigenous innovation spread like wildfire and within two years, had the Mumbai suburbs in its hold. From one movie every Saturday to three cable films per day in 1987, Radhakrishnan saw the handful pioneering cable ops in the city grow to 200 in a span of less than three months. The bubble of optimism burst shortly though, when the IMPPA decided to haul the cable ops for broadcasting films without rights. 15 to 20 per cent cable ops in the city downed shutters, the first judicial setback to the fledgling industry that has thus far flowered without any legal shackles.

The pioneers persevered, and Radhakrishnan came up with another initiative – Encore C Ads, a company that targeted corporate houses with the tremendous ad potential of cable TV. Retail cable advertising was born in Mumbai when Radhakrishnan and his team gathered brands like RealValue’s Cease Fire, Viren Shah’s Roopam and Popley Jewellers on to the innovative idea. In association with Gold’s Dhirubhai Shah, another cable visionary, Radhakrishnan set up the Encore Cable Association under which was born the ubiquitous Cable Master brand on cable TV. Despite legal shackles, the cable ops steeled themselves with self-imposed restrictions on the 30 copyrighted cassettes sourced officially.

By the time the Gulf war erupted in early 1991, Radhakrishnan and his team were ready to launch the satellite revolution in the city. Encore Electronics Ltd, his firm that manufactured fibre glass moulded dish antennae was ready with the first dish antenna at down town Grant Road – and Mumbai had the first taste of what the satellite dish could offer. Armed with an all India license and software, Radhakrishnan next targeted Delhi and eight other cities, sparking off the cable revolution in northern India. All that was being beamed down in those days included MTV, Prime Sports, the Star channel and a Chinese channel, which too had its avid viewership.

The near clairvoyant streak in him also spurred Radhakrishnan to propose an innovative Microwave Multichannel Distribution System to the central government, back in the days when satellite TV was just a blip on the horizon. Barely out of his teens, Radhakrishnan tried to convince the I&B honchos of the necessity of cashing in on the growing satellite TV business, to act as a nodal point for the inflow of satellite channels from abroad, act as a regulator and to collect its due via the MMDS. Needless to say, the project was turned down.

Barely out of his teens, Radhakrishnan tried to convince the I&B honchos of the necessity of cashing in on the growing satellite TV business, to act as a nodal point for the inflow of satellite channels from abroad….

By then, he was ready for his own satellite channel, having sensed the keen demand among the public for a channel that would play music closer to their culture and hearts rather than a foreign channel playing western pop. Among the geo stationary satellites available was one on Asiasat, headed by Richard Lee who, according to Radhakrishnan was the only one who understood the Indian Ocean region well then. Asiasat, back then, had only transponder up for grabs while among those in the fray were the Times of India group with its proposed Times TV, Essel Packaging’s Subhash Chandra and Radhakrishnan and his partners. The transponder deal was pocketed by Chandra.

Big dreams don’t die young though. By 1993, Radhakrishnan and his partners were ready with the then novel concept of the Multi System Operator (MSO). Gathering together 4000 scattered cable ops in Mumbai under a master headend to beam 38 channels, the team decided viewers would also be treated to a local news channel called InMumbai – the television version of the Times of India. Radhakrishnan and his partners were part of that dream in association with the Hinduja controlled IndusInd Media and Communications.

In 1995, the dream grew large enough for Rupert Murdoch who had taken over from Lee, to approach IndusInd for a 100 million dollar stake in the company. The proposal was turned down by the Hindujas, paving the way for a rival cable network in the city. Around this time, there was also a proposal for a joint venture between TCI Time Warner and IndusInd Media, a venture that would have brought in addressability to the country in the 90s itself, says Radhakrishnan. This proposal too was shot down by the Hindujas.

Disheartened but not defeated, Radhakrishnan and his partners then partnered with Rajan Raheja to float Wincable in 1999, a cable network that soon ate into nearly 50 per cent of the InCableNet business that had nearly 70 per cent of Mumbai in its hold earlier. Nearly 85 per cent business in Delhi went to WinCable as well, says Radhakrishnan. With Incable, WinCable and Hathway in the fray, the MSO war took root in the country, each staking its territory.

Meanwhile, his dreams of a channel went on the back burner as first Sony launched SET in 1996, then Home TV made its appearance on the Indian scenario. His perseverance paid off when finally ETC made its entry on the small screen in 1999. The potent mix of Hindi music, then the Gurbani which later spun off into a separate ETC Punjabi channel, and the judicious mix of non music programming helped ETC become a frontrunner in its genre.

In early 2002 however came the decision that had to be made with a heavy heart – the merger of ETC with Zee. “It was a sentimental moment”, says Radhakrishnan, but a decision well worth the effort. Today, Radhakrishnan is busier than ever with the management of both ETC and the two Zee channels on his hands, planning and plotting with unending zeal his projects on hand. It helps, he says, that he is getting to work in close cooperation with a man he holds almost as a role model – Zee’s Subhash Chandra!

The revamped Zee Cinema already bears the stamp of his effort, and the ratings bear out the result. Zee Music is next in the pipeline, and should be a cakewalk for the man who conceived and nurtured ETC. For a person whose story thus far itself seems to have spanned a lifetime, there are still several visions to be realized and many more dreams to be dreamt. He’s happiest about the fact that in a fickle industry where friendships die young, his partnership with Kohli and Shah has endured the ups and downs of over 17 years.

Work has been the overriding passion of his life so far, a reality borne out by the fact that he took a vacation for the first time in 14 years when he got married last May. Despite his hectic schedules (seven day weeks are often the norm) and being married to a media professional enables him to discuss matters work related in the evenings too. Still, he manages to grab a bit of television in the later hours.

20 years down the line is a long way off, but when pressed to visualize himself in the far future, Radhakrishnan says he would probably be chilling it out in the remote Himalayas. Knowing him though, it would not come as a surprise if he set off a cable revolution there too!

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Executive Dossier

Game on, fame on as Good Game hunts India’s first global gaming star

Published

1 month ago

January 27, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Game faces on, pressure high India’s gaming ambitions are levelling up. Good Game, billed as the world’s first as-live global gaming reality show, has officially launched in India with a bold mission: to crown the country’s first Global Gaming Superstar.

Blending esports with mainstream entertainment, the show brings together competitive gaming, creativity and on-camera performance in a format that tests more than just joystick skills. Contestants will be judged on gameplay, screen presence and their ability to perform under pressure, reflecting how gaming has evolved from pastime to profession and pop culture currency.

Fronting the show are three high-profile ambassadors: actor and entrepreneur Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Indian cricket star Rishabh Pant, and gaming creator Ujjwal Chaurasia. The winner will take home Rs 1 crore ($100,000) among the largest prize pools for any Indian reality show along with the chance to represent India on a global stage.

Backed by a planned annual investment of up to Rs 100 crore, Good Game is also courting brand partners, promising a minimum reach of 500 million among India’s core youth audience. The creators position the show as a bridge between entertainment and interactive culture, offering long-format content, community engagement and commercial scale.

Auditions are now open to Indian citizens aged 18 and above, inviting amateur and professional gamers, creators and performers alike. Shortlisted candidates will be called for in-person auditions in Mumbai on 14 and 15 February, and in Delhi on 28 February and 1 March 2026.

With big money, big names and even bigger ambition, Good Game signals a shift in how India views gaming not just as play, but as performance, profession and prime-time spectacle.

Digital

SpotDraft hires new CMO and CFO to fuel global push for its AI contract platform

Published

3 months ago

December 3, 2025

indiantelevision.com Team

INDIA: SpotDraft has strengthened its senior ranks as it gears up for faster global expansion, naming Alon Waks as chief marketing officer and Amit Sharma as chief financial officer. The appointments follow the firm’s $54 million Series B round earlier this year and mark a push to scale across the Americas, EMEA and India.

The AI-powered contract-lifecycle-management platform has posted 100 per cent year-on-year growth in customer acquisition, counting Apollo.io, IPSY, Mixpanel, Oyster and Panasonic among its global clients. The firm processes more than one million contracts annually, with volumes up 173 per cent and nearly 50,000 monthly active users.

Waks, a veteran of Kustomer, Bizzabo, CreatorIQ, LivePerson and ZoomInfo, will steer global marketing and category positioning as legal teams adopt AI-driven tools. Sharma, who has led finance across scaling tech firms since 2016, will guide financial strategy, investor relations and market expansion.

Both hires aim to sharpen SpotDraft’s bid for a larger slice of the fast-growing legal-tech market, expected to exceed $63 billion by 2032. Co-founder and chief executive Shashank Bijapur said the company is focused on scaling go-to-market operations in the Americas, deepening leadership in EMEA, and accelerating AI capabilities for general counsels and legal-operations leaders.

Clients report shorter deal cycles and better alignment between legal and business teams. “What used to take weeks now happens in days,” said Abnormal Security senior legal operations manager Susan Koenig. DeepL head of legal operations André Barrow, said SpotDraft has helped reframe legal “from a cost centre to a generator of revenue”.

Executive Dossier

Outdoor Ads Get Smarter as LOC8 Shifts OOH from Visibility to Attention

Published

3 months ago

November 28, 2025

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Out-of-home ads were once the wallflowers of marketing seen by everyone, noticed by few. But in an age where attention has become the world’s most fought-over currency, even billboards are getting a brain upgrade. Enter LOC8, OSMO’s AI-powered attention engine, quietly reshaping the old OOH playbook by measuring not just who could have looked at an ad, but who actually did. The shift is subtle but seismic: impressions are out, impact is in and data, not gut instinct, is calling the shots.

In a landscape where marketers question every rupee spent outdoors, LOC8 is turning lampposts, flyovers and traffic islands into precision-mapped attention laboratories. By crunching dwell time, visibility zones, perceptual size and real-world obstructions, the platform is dragging OOH into a future where creativity meets computer vision and where the best ideas aren’t just eye-catching, but eye-measured. From automotive facelifts to FMCG novelty and real estate trust-building, the message is clear, outdoor has stopped shouting and started listening. Indian Television Dot Com explores more about it in an Interview interview with OSMO co-founder Nipun Arora.

On how OSMO is shifting outdoor advertising from a visibility-led medium to an attention-led one through LOC8.

Traditional OOH has long been measured by visibility and impressions i.e how many people could see an ad. OSMO, through its proprietary AI platform LOC8, is shifting that narrative more towards likelihood of being noticed. Using computer vision and machine learning, LOC8 analyzes real-world video data to measure visibility zones, obstructions, dwell time and perceptual size; bringing precision to how attention is quantified outdoors. It moves the focus from mere impressions to quality of impressions, making OOH a data-verified, attention-led medium comparable to digital in accountability.

On how marketers can use LOC8’s dwell-time, visibility and perception insights to craft more effective, emotionally resonant OOH campaigns.

LOC8 helps brands understand how people truly experience outdoor media how long they look, from what distance, and under what conditions. By quantifying dwell time, visibility duration, and perceptual size; marketers can plan campaigns that align with real human viewing behavior. This empowers creative and strategy teams to design emotionally resonant storytelling where messaging, visual hierarchy and placement are optimized for how people actually notice and process OOH creatives.

About what LOC8 has revealed through campaigns like Renault Triber and Namaste India on how categories such as auto, FMCG and real estate use attention metrics to drive outcomes.

Each category uses attention data differently but all share one common goal: to convert outdoor visibility into measurable engagement.

• Automotive | Renault Triber

For the new Renault Triber facelift, bold creative met data-led planning through LOC8. By analyzing on-ground video data, LOC8 measured real audience attention across placements factoring in visibility zones, obstructions, traffic speed and perceptual size. This enabled Renault to identify corridors that delivered maximum reach, saliency and engagement, optimizing media efficiency and ROI.

• FMCG | Namaste India

In OOH, innovation is the hook and assets are the bait. But bait often hides the hook. With Loc8’s attention metrics, we ensured the bait wasn’t a hurdle, rather it became the perfect stage for innovation to deliver its full impact! The insight proved that creative novelty, when validated by attention data, drives deeper engagement and measurable brand lift.

• Real Estate

For luxury and real estate campaigns targeting HNI/UHNI audiences, attention patterns differ especially between front and rear passengers, who are often the core audience segment for premium sites. LOC8’s ability to distinguish rear vs. front visibility plays a critical role here. It helps identify sites that offer longer viewing windows and stronger perceptual dominance from the rear seat where decision-makers are most likely seated making it a key differentiator for premium and trust-led categories. Together, these insights prove that auto optimizes for impact, FMCG for recall, and real estate for trust visibility showing how attention metrics adapt to category goals while ensuring measurable outcomes.

On how attention analytics will shape the future of brand storytelling and media planning as OOH becomes more digitised and data-driven.

As outdoor digitizes, attention analytics will inform not just where to advertise but how stories are told in public spaces. This evolution transforms OOH from a static broadcast channel into a dynamic attention ecosystem, where creativity is optimized through evidence-based insight.

On how LOC8’s data-led framework helps marketers quantify OOH impact and make outdoor a more accountable, ROI-driven medium.

LOC8 bridges the gap between intuition and evidence. By quantifying metrics like visibility duration, attention opportunity index, and visual saliency rank, it allows brands to benchmark site performance and justify investment. This data-led approach brings transparency, comparability and ROI measurement to a medium historically driven by perception.

On how OSMO ensures AI and computer vision enhance creativity rather than reduce it to numbers.

OSMO believes that technology should enhance creativity, not overshadow it. LOC8’s attention models reveal what naturally draws the human eye helping creative teams refine design cues, contrast, and visual hierarchy for greater impact. By merging art and science, LOC8 empowers creativity with intelligence.

About the creative best practices and design cues LOC8 has uncovered regarding what truly captures consumer attention outdoors.

LOC8’s visual cognition analysis has surfaced clear patterns across campaigns:

• High contrast and minimal messaging outperform cluttered designs.

• Motion cues draw significantly longer dwell times.

• The first two seconds are critical, creatives must establish focus instantly.

• Contextual alignment between the creative and its environment increases attention by over 30%.

These learnings offer a scientific foundation for creative effectiveness helping brands design OOH that’s visually magnetic and emotionally memorable.

On how attention metrics will integrate into omnichannel planning where OOH, digital and social work together for unified brand impact.

Attention can become the unifying KPI across OOH, digital and social to creates seamless storytelling continuity, where outdoor triggers digital engagement. The future of omnichannel planning lies in attention-led integration ensuring that campaigns don’t just reach audiences everywhere but truly capture and hold their focus.