Indiantelevision.com Team

(20 October 2006 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Former Times Global Broadcasting vice-president and business head, Partho Das Gupta, is joining Indian retail king Kishore Biyani's Future Group (formerly Pantaloon Group) as CEO of its retail media arm Future Media.

Future Media is one of the six verticals the Future Group operates and is involved in the development and management of retail media spaces.

When contacted for a confirmation on Das Gupta's appointment, Pantaloon Retail director - operations and COO Ved Prakash Arya said the company could offer no comment on media speculation.

At Times Global Broadcasting, Dasgupta was responsible for managing the marketing, sales and distribution aspects of English news channel Times Now. He was responsible for setting up the distribution team.

According to information available with Indiantelevision.com, Biyani's vision for Future Media is to make it India's largest out-of-home life-style media company. Future Media will aim to provide a broad portfolio of media advertising platforms, including commercial locations, in-store and outdoor LED screens. Each of these media platforms will target various out-of-home media interaction points, from office lift lobbies to entertainment and social venues, shopping districts, mobile phones and residential complexes.

The Future Group operates through six verticals of which Future Group Pantaloon Retail is the flagship enterprise encompassing all retail businesses. The others being Future Media, Future Capital (financial products and services), Future Brands (management of all brands owned or managed by group companies), Future Space (management of retail real estate) and Future Logistics (management of supply chain and distribution).