MUMBAI:The Hindi Service of the BBC World Service broadcasts -- BBC Hindi has appointed Sanjeev Srivastava as India editor, heading the radio and online operations in India.

Srivastava moves from his current post as the BBC's India correspondent to take up his new role in August 2006.

As India editor, Srivastava will be responsible for all BBC Hindi output generated from India across all platforms of delivery, including FM, short wave and online. Based in Delhi, he will be leading a team of experienced broadcast and online journalists on all BBC Hindi editorial initiatives in India.

BBC Hindi India editor Sanjeev Srivastava

According to an official release, Srivastava has been reporting from India for the BBC, in a variety of roles, for over 12 years. He started his broadcasting career in 1994 when he joined the BBC Hindi service in London. He launched the BBC's first Mumbai bureau, reporting across BBC television and radio in English, Hindi and Urdu. Then, following a stint as India business and western India correspondent, he joined the BBC's South Asia Bureau in Delhi in March 2003 as India correspondent. Prior to the BBC, he worked in print journalism including The Times of India and The Indian Express.

Srivastava has been exclusively reporting on the life of modern day India over the last two decades. He has covered social, economic and political issues, such as the successive general elections, earthquakes in Gujarat and Kashmir and the bird-flu outbreak in Gujarat. He has also tracked India's fast changing place in the global order, geo-political and economic, as well as the country's foreign policy, particularly Delhi's relations with its South Asian neighbours, China, US and Europe. In addition, he has reported extensively on India-Pakistan relations, the ongoing peace initiative and Kashmir.

BBC Hindi service head Achala Sharma says: "India is an important market for the BBC - we are the leading international broadcaster. Our Hindi radio audience has grown by nearly five million in recent years and we know from our relationship with listeners that our new programming is popular. But we cannot afford to be complacent. India is changing fast and news is a competitive business. I am confident that in Sanjeev Srivastava we have someone with the skills, experience and vision to provide excellent editorial leadership. He is top grade BBC news journalist with an impressive track record and passion for reporting India."

Commenting on his new role, Srivastava adds: "The BBC stands for quality journalism people can trust. Over 15 million listeners trust BBC Hindi to serve their needs with a range of news programmes. I look forward to building on that trust and expanding our Hindi audience with new editorial initiatives, which will engage them, inform them and entertain. These are exciting times in Indian media, and I relish the opportunity to play a role at this important time."