News Headline
Pratik Seal quits Star India, joins Housing.com
MUMBAI: It was in December 2013 when Star India management got on board a business head to bring alive its ‘dead’ general entertainment channel (GEC), Star Utsav.
The channel launched in 2004, saw for the first time, a business head in Pratik Seal (former Life OK marketing head) in December 2013. However, the stint didn’t last for long as Seal decided to move on and join an e-commerce start-up, Housing.com, as chief marketing officer (CMO).
When contacted, Seal confirmed the news to indiantelevision.com. “It’s been two months since I joined the new company.”
Replacing him is former Star India vice president Jyotsna Viriyala, who has been elevated to the business head of the channel. She has over 15 years of work experience spanning advertising, marketing and broadcast in the areas of media planning and buying, research, marketing, business strategy, operations and general management.
When asked about his decision of joining an e-commerce space, Seal answered, “I hail from a marketing background. Be it Micromax where I helped set up the brand or jumping into Life OK which was again a start-up channel and now an e-commerce start-up. I like to build brands right from the scratch.”
His agenda for Housing.com is to be the number one in the e-commerce and m-commerce space in the next year and a half and then expand it further to take it to the next level.
Armed with 14 years of experience, he started his career in 1998 as an account executive with Basic4 Advertising. After spending two years with the company, he moved to Ties2Family.com as assistant manager, marketing and then to FCB Ulka as senior account executive.
After spending about two years with the agency, Seal joined Lowe as senior brand services manager and within three years, went on to become senior brand services director.
Viriyala, a student from Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA), has worked in companies like Mindshare Fulcrum, JWT and Traveljini.com for the span of six years. She then moved to Star News as associate vice-president for the duration of two years. Her last stint before joining Star Utsav was as vice-president of Star India.
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.
