News Broadcasting
UKs Business Excellence Awards select Ashish Bhasin as the Chairman of the Year India (2013)
MUMBAI: Business Excellence Awards 2013 awarded Mr. Ashish Bhasin, Chairman India and CEO South East Asia for Aegis Media as the Chairman of the Year 2013 – India. Mr. Bhasin was announced as the prestigious winner amidst 200 attendees and 29 finalist businesses and honored guests at a fabulous gala dinner hosted at London.
With the belief that good businesses ensure their energy is focused on giving exceptional service, Business Excellence Awards seek out and develop talented, free-thinking people with the imagination and initiative to make a difference. They organize themselves to operate in ways that bring together the best team to do the job in hand and the one needed tomorrow. Their systems work to support their people, not the other way around.
They encourage involvement at all levels of the business so that clients and customers are impressed at the commitment regardless of which employee answers the ‘phone or opens the door to them. Great businesses go further, they look to provide the products and services others want to buy in a sustainable way. They use profit not just to pay themselves and employ their staff but to invest in the future. They try to change the world, albeit in a small way. It is this level of achievement that these awards set out to acknowledge and reward.
“We’re delighted by the success of the evening,” comments Julie Gingell, Co-Chair of the Business Excellence Awards. “The standard of entrants was extremely high this year, which caused quite a headache for our panel of judges when it came to choosing finalists and winners.”
On receiving the award, Ashish Bhasin, Chairman India & CEO South East Asia said “I am honored to receive this prestigious award and the lovely trophy. We’ve had a great run in India. This award is a testament to the fantastic and hardworking team I have at Aegis Media India and I dedicate it to my Team”.
The Aegis Media India group comprises Vizeum, Carat, the world’s largest independent media communications specialist, Posterscope the global OOH sector leader, Brandscope, Hyperspace (Retail), Carat Fresh Integrated (Experiential), PSI (Airports), Doosra (Creative), Isobar, the global communications agency with digital at its heart and iProspectCommunicate 2, the global leader in search and performance marketing.
News Broadcasting
GenNext takes charge as Network18 reshuffles leadership
With Avinash Kaul bowing out, Network18 hands reins to younger leaders, streamlines operations, and pushes data-driven growth across TV, digital and regional markets
MUMBAI: Network18 is redrawing its leadership map just as a long-time lieutenant bows out. Avinash Kaul, a central figure in the broadcaster’s rise since 2014, is leaving after 12 years to pursue “professional and personal goals”, triggering a broad-based reshuffle that puts a younger cohort directly under the top brass.
Kaul joined at a pivotal moment during the company’s transition and went on to scale the television business, combining strategic nous with data-led decision-making and a sharp read of the news landscape. “Avinash has been an integral part of the Network18 story,” the company said, thanking him for his leadership of the broadcast business and wishing him the best for the future.
In his wake, Network18 is betting on what it calls a “young and restless” leadership bench. “The team has taken charge and proved its mettle in quite adverse circumstances,” the note said, adding that “GenNext has seamlessly stepped in as we continue to outperform our peers.”
Operationally, the structure is being flattened. Smriti Mehra, S Shivakumar and Mitul Sangani will work directly with the top leadership, as they did in the fourth quarter. Ganesh Iyer and Abhinay Chauhan continue in their existing roles, while younger executives are being handed wider mandates across social, digital, connected TV and linear.
The reporting lines are being tightened to drive revenue and product momentum. Prabhat Chatterjee, business head–Forbes, and Arun Thapar, president–content and communication for AETN-18, will report to Smriti Mehra, alongside Mallika Nath Handa, who will lead special projects spanning new shows and non-linear properties. Jayesh Gokalgandhi, CFO for AETN-18, will report to Ramesh Damani.
Mitul Sangani will oversee expansion in Hindi and regional markets, with Sidharth Newatia, CRO–ILC, focusing on reach and revenue growth, particularly in tier-II and III markets. Pankaj Soni, head of marketing–ILC, will also report to Sangani while working functionally with Ganesh Iyer.
The group is also consolidating its branded content play. Moneycontrol’s branded content business will be folded into News18 Studio, with Don Zarrar moving to work with Shivakumar while continuing to lead existing studio and Focus teams.
International and platform growth are being bundled together. Pranav Bakshi takes on additional charge of the international business alongside connected TV and social platforms, with Naveen Mathur, who leads revenue management for the international unit, reporting to him. Bakshi continues to report to Puneet Singhvi.
On the technology and operations side, Rajesh Sharma, head of broadcast technology and IT; Rahul Singh, head of events and technical operations; and Bhupender Bhardwaj, head of IT security, will now report to Singhvi. Darshil Parekh, head of sales strategy, planning and operations, will work directly with Ramesh Damani and the top leadership, with Stanley Cyril, who manages digital sales operations, reporting to him.
Data is being pushed to the centre of decision-making. Jitamitra Mohanty, who leads research and analytics, will now work with Santosh Menon to turn audience data into “actionable insights that drive content strategy, product innovation and sustainable viewership growth”.
The message is clear: fewer layers, faster calls, sharper bets. With Kaul’s exit closing one chapter, Network18 is handing the wheel to a younger crew and doubling down on scale across screens. The race, it signals, will be run at full tilt.
