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Dr. Sumit Chowdhury joins BARC India as technical advisor
MUMBAI: Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India has appointed former Reliance Jio Infocomm president Dr. Sumit Chowdhury as technical advisor. This is a move to align and streamline technology processes since almost 76 per cent of BARC India spends are on technology.
As BARC India moves closer to launch, Chowdhury’s mandate is to measure and automate all critical processes and to create a mission-critical infrastructure that scales to the requirements of the industry. He will also contribute to the creation of other information products from the vast amount of data collected by BARC India.
BARC India CEO Partho Dasgupta said, “As we are gearing up for launch, Sumit’s excellent background and experience in telecom, media, entertainment and other industries will ensure all systems scale and are in sync and automated for the big data factory that we would be running.”
“It is great to be a part of a start-up, which is slated to be the biggest television audience measurement system across the world and I look forward to a whole new world of excitement as I join team BARC India in solving the puzzle,” Chowdhury added.
Chowdhury is the founder of Gaia Smart Cities, an M2M/IOT company focused on telecom and ICT solutions for smart cities. At Reliance Jio, he was initially CIO and then helped establish their enterprise business. Prior to Jio, he was IBM vice president, Reliance Communications CIO and a partner with KPMG.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
