Avinash has been with the group since 2005 and is the CEO of ABP Network since January 2019. Before that he was the Chief Operating Officer of the Group for over 7 years. He steered the transformation of the channel from Star News to ABP News in 2012, along with the rebranding and repositioning in 2020. He has also been at the forefront of promoting Indian regional languages especially on Digital mediums. Avinash has over 26 years of experience in Media sector. His illustrious professional career includes stint with Indian Express Group and TV Today Group. He is on the Board of the News Broadcasters Association of India, ABP Creations Pvt. Ltd. and Indian Chapter of International Advertising Association. A true industry specialist, he is a core member of Digital News Publishers Association and a former Director of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation. He is on the Advisory Board of Mobile Marketing Association of India and Amity International Business School. He has been a member of several committees, including Media & Entertainment Committee of FICCI, Panel Advisory Committee of the Bureau of Outreach & Communication for release of Government Advertisements and the Committee of Experts appointed by the I&B Ministry on ethical standards in media coverage. Avinash is the proud recipient of several prestigious awards and felicitations including The News Television CEO of the Year – 2019 Award and Business Leader of the Year – 2018 Award. He has judged numerous awards in advertising, marketing & communication, including TV awards at the Goa Fest as Jury Chair. An alumnus of Harvard Business School, he also holds a degree in History and a postgraduate degree in Modern Indian History from Delhi University. A voracious reader, Avinash is interested in contemporary history as well. To know more about Avinash, log in to www.avinashpandey.in
M.V. Shreyams Kumar, did his PGDBA from Kings Langley College of Management, London. He is the Managing Director of Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing Company Limited publishers of the Mathrubhumi Daily and ten other periodicals & Mathrubhumi Television Channel titled "Mathrubhumi News" & " Music Channel"-"Kappa" which was launched in March 2013, the 90th anniversary year of the Organization thereby achieving the long cherished goal of cross-media synergy. Earlier since 2002 he was the Director – Marketing & Electronic Media. Shreyams Kumar bolstered continuous improvements and propelled rapid growth by steering the Company through multiple challenges for the last 17 years.
Anuradha Prasad is the Chairperson cum Managing Director of the prestigious 360 degree media company B.A.G. Films & Media Ltd. After completing a Master’s degree in Political Science from Delhi University Anuradha Prasad ventured into the media industry with an assignment in a popular business magazine. In 1993, Anuradha launched B.A.G Films & Media Ltd (then known as B.A.G Films Ltd), her own production house where she created memorable programmes like Poll Khol, Red Alert and Sansani on Star News, Kumkum and Khullja Sim-Sim on Star Plus, Sidhhant on Star One, Dahhej on 9X, Ek Thi Rajkumari on Zee Next, Har Dil Jo Love Karega on Zoom, Rozana and Khabrein Bollywood Ki on Doordarshan. In 2007, Anuradha launched an umbrella brand Broadcast 24 under which she launched ‘News 24’; a 24-hour News channel, in March 2008, she launched India’s first Bollywood news channel E 24, heads a successful radio network Dhamaal 24- a 24-hour radio network on air now at 9 stations across the country, runs the very successful production arm of B.A.G. Films Studio 24. She also reaches out to aspiring media professionals with The International School of Media and Entertainment Studies (iSOMEs), a school dedicated to teach and train media professionals of tomorrow. She has kept pace with technology and has her channels present on cyber space through her web network B.A.G. Convergence. With all this and her forthcoming ventures, Anuradha has led B.A.G Films & Media Ltd to become a 360 degree Media Company recognised as a prestigious media company in India. For her immense contribution to Indian Television, Anuradha has won accolades and awards over the years. She is a member of CII and FICCI Entertainment Committee. She is on the board of Uttaranchal Film Development Council, and is an executive member of Film Producers Guild of India. Anuradha is an avid reader and a music lover. Spending time with her family and loved ones makes for idea of relaxation and rejuvenation.
Rajat Sharma is Chairman and Editor-in Chief of India TV, the Nation’s most watched news channel. He is also Vice President of The Indian Broadcasting Foundation. He is best known for his popular show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ which is in its 23rd year of broadcast thereby making it the longest running television show in India’s television history. He has grilled nearly 1000 famous personalities from all walks of life ever since he started in 1993. The show continues to captivate audiences and has been gaining from strength to strength with record ratings in TV news viewership. His inimitable style has earned him critical acclaim from none other than the Prime Minister himself. He was born in a family with very limited means. Life was a constant struggle but that did not deter him from pursuing his dreams. He excelled in studies at the municipal school nearby and that helped him secure admission in one of Delhi’s most prestigious colleges, SRCC. College life was a touch and exciting phase for him. During Emergency he found himself behind bars for almost a year. It was after University that he finally took to journalism. Before his transition to television, he spent 10 long years with the print media. In 2004 he launched India TV as a 24hours Hindi news channel. Within a short span of 4 years India TV became the leader in Hindi television news. His week nights daily show, ‘Aaj Ki Baat’ is the highest rated show in prime time television news. Under Mr. Rajat Sharma’s leadership, India TV has created benchmarks in innovation, impact, ratings, time spends, and viewer-support. His editorial judgement works in perfect synergy with his entrepreneurial prowess. His phenomenal success story has culminated in his being awarded the third highest civilian award - the Padma Bhushan by the President of India.
M K Anand , Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Times Network is credited as the turnaround CEO in the M&E industries today. Anand joined Times Group in 1990 and rose through the ranks to be the Managing Director & CEO at Times Network. With 3 decades of experience, he is a Times Group stalwart and has a combined experience of working with the Group for over 25 years serving their print, digital and broadcast businesses. Anand took charge as the MD & CEO of Times Network in February 2014 and since then the Network has been steadily expanding its business and has witnessed a spectacular growth. He captained Times Network in making unprecedented technological shifts that pushed the boundaries and redefined the functioning of the television news category. Setting the framework for a digital ready broadcast business, Anand has successfully positioned timesnownews.com, the digital arm of the network, as one of the top news publishers in the country. Leading digital transformation as the focal point for the broadcast business, Anand introduced new and emergent revenue streams that are now poised to become industry standards. Under Anand’s leadership, Times Network's best-in-class news brands – Times Now, ET Now and Mirror Now grew exponentially in viewership on the back of its impeccable standards of news reportage, presentation and creative advancements. The Network’s legacy brand, Times Now has been market leader for over a decade and continues to rule while its English & Bollywood Entertainment channels are leading in their respective genres, making Times Network a unique collection of market leaders. Having established dominance in the English news category, Anand led the network’s mega entry into the Hindi news genre with the launch of its maiden Hindi news channel, Times Now Navbharat, which has successfully resonated with the advertisers and viewers alike. On the print side, Anand built the Times Classifieds products in the '90s and later was instrumental in devising the Maximiser which became the centrepiece of Times Group's Ad Pricing strategy in 2002 for over a decade. During his stint as CEO of UTV Global Broadcasting in 2009, he turned around their TV business and later scaled the business further as Managing Director of the merged entity - Disney UTV Media Networks in February 2012. All in all, Anand has had a stellar professional career with some successful brands to show off as glittering jewels in his crown.
Rahul Joshi heads the news operations of Network 18 since September 2015. An alumnus of Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies 1994, Rahul has worked with The Economic Times for over 20 years, ten years as its editorial director. He was also the founding editor of the newspaper's sister channel ET NOW, which was launched in 2009.
Venkat holds a Bachelor's degree in Science. He has been in the communication profession since 1970. He joined Board of Directors of Ushodaya Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., publishers of Eenadu Telugu newspaper and ETV group channels in 1987. Venkat was the past Chairman of Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) and founder member of Media Research Users Council (MRUC) as well as Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF); and also on the Board of Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), International News Media Association (INMA), Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC). He also had long innings as a Board Member for over 15 years with the Indian Newspaper Society (INS). Venkat currently is the Chairman of Media Research Users Council (MRUC) and Chairman of Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC).
Kalli Purie is the Vice Chairperson of the India Today Group. The forty year old group, a product of the emergency in the 1970s, is recognised as the Gold Standard of journalism in India. She is hailed in the industry for her vision to synergize India Today Group’s excellence in conventional journalism with the reach and innovations of digital and new media. A serial entrepreneur at heart, she brings a rich experience in running a wide range of media properties from television channels, apps, to a digital newspaper, to championing world class events, to devising a social media strategy for the group. Par excellence ideator and project manager she is the natural choice to launch the many innovative products of the group. She is uniquely positioned to address India Today’s integrated foray in the new media landscape. Her unified leadership in television, digital and events is the cornerstone for the success of synergy in the Group. In her current role, she is steering the editorial of India’s undisputed #1 news channel (Aaj Tak) along with 3 other distinct channels (India Today TV, Tez and Delhi Aaj Tak) of the network. The channels have won a slew of awards for excellence this year. She is also the lead for all signature events of the group. This division has constantly been setting benchmarks others need to follow whether its the new formats in India Today Conclave or addressing the aspirations of new India in small cities and different languages. She is aggressively spearheading the rollout of the next set of digital innovations, a portfolio of specialised, niche interest, internet only channels. Armed with a clear vision about the future of news, she is leading one of the most awarded and celebrated team of journalists in a futuristic newsroom that she helped build, apt for the multimedia, multi-device world we live in. The project has created a giant news turbine to harness the forces of an integrated newsroom, exploiting synergies amongst the many media platforms. She is a graduate from Oxford University, UK in Politics, Philosophy & Economics.
Anil Malhotra, a veteran with over 34 years of rich experience in the broadcast industry has been an active member of various Government & Industry bodies including the MIB task forces for implementation of DAS regulations, New Tariff Order etc. and All India Digital Cable Federation. Anil has deep expertise across various facets of Media Distribution viz. Technology, Content, Regulatory Compliances and Sales Operations. He has a proven track record of amalgamating progressive leadership & entrepreneurial spirit throughout his career. Anil played a critical role in the successful implementation of New Tariff Order framework at SITI Networks and was instrumental in the transformation of SITI from an analog player to a digital Multiple System Operator. After a successful stint as Chief Executive Officer of SITI Networks Limited, he is now in an advisory role with Zee Media Corporation Limited. Anil has been conferred with several acclaims for his contribution to the industry. Anil holds a Masters Degree in Physics.
Sanjay Pugalia is a Whole-time Director of New Delhi Television Limited and is a renowned political and business journalist. He has vast experience in digital, television and the print media. He has been a part of several pioneering ventures in India & has launched and headed CNBC Awaaz for 12 years. Earlier, as News Director, he set up Star News in Hindi, headed Zee News and was part of the founding team of AajTak. He has also worked with Australia's Nine Network's Indian JV in 2000-01 as President - Head of Strategic Planning and Film Business. As a print journalist, he has worked with Business Standard and Navbharat Times. He was also a regular contributor to BBC Hindi Radio during the 1990s.