MUMBAI: Global English news channel BBC World’s low profile resident director for India, Vinod Bakshi, has departed after being with the company for over five years.

Bakshi’s last working day was 29 April and it is not clear whether BBC World would have a replacement for him or not in India.

Contacted by Indiantelevision.com, an official spokesperson for BBC World in India confirmed the development and said, “Mr. Vinod Bakshi, who has decided to leave the company, has made significant contributions to the development of BBC World, especially at the time of great change in the broadcasting landscape, successfully promoting the channel through his relationships within (Indian) government and business."

Bakshi, appointed as resident director in February 2000, was based in Delhi. His job profile included representing the channel's corporate interests in India and also to look at the local responsibility for maintaining good relationships with government.

In tandem, he was also responsible for implementing BBC World’s global policy guidelines here. Asked whether a replacement would be located or the position altogether abolished, BBC World India refused to make any specific comments.

However, it admitted that a selection procedure (if necessary) would entail “regular management practice” where BBC World searches “externally and internally for recruitment for such key positions."

India is one of those markets in the world where BBC World’s brand equity and market share could be said to be ahead of a major competitor, CNN. In recent times, BBC World has not only started giving importance to local programming, but also tailoring fixed point chart or programming schedules as per Indian prime time, which is an indication of the importance the channel attaches to viewers and advertisers here.

In April, BBC World unveiled in India, through an aggressive marketing campaign, a new global brand campaign, Putting News First, the biggest campaign in the channel’s 10-year history in India.

BBC World, the BBC’s commercially funded international 24-hour news and information channel, is owned and operated by BBC World Ltd, which is a member of the BBC’s commercial group of companies. The television channel is available in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, and reaches 258 million households (115 million 24-hour homes) and more than one million hotel rooms. BBC World launched in
its present format in 1995 and is funded by advertising and subscription.

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