GECs
New publishing group targets Asian media coverage
A new media publishing group has been formed in Hong Kong. Called Media Partners Asia Limited (MPA), it will provide coverage of the media and communications industries in Asia. MPA has announced that it will launch a biweekly publication in April, followed by a quarterly journal and annual industry reports. The company will also offer consulting services and organize conferences to meet the strategic goals of global business communities.
MPA has been founded by Vivek Couto and Rupert Wilkinson, former senior executives at Kagan Asia Media (KAM), an affiliate of global media research and publishing company Paul Kagan Associates. Couto and Wilkinson successfully built ventures in publishing (Asia Cable & Satellite World, Asia Broadband Technology, Asia Pacific Media Investor) and research (The Casbaa & Kam Asia Cable & Satellite Guide).
“We’re in the business of creating media value. Media Partners Asia is well positioned to create properties that build on the legacy of Kagan Asia Media,” says a joint statement issued by Vivek Couto and Rupert Wilkinson. “Our mission is to serve global business communities with a variety of content platforms focusing on Asia media development.”
GECs
‘I wasn’t enjoying it’: Why ex-Colors CEO Raj Nayak quit at his peak
Former TV and media executive says happiness, not hierarchy, defines leadership
MUMBAI: Former television executive Raj Nayak, once among the most powerful figures in Indian broadcasting, has offered a candid reflection on leadership, ambition and the decision to step away at the height of his career.
Speaking on the ThinkRight Podcast, Nayak dismissed corporate titles as hollow constructs, arguing that designations are often mistaken for identity. Leadership, he said, has little to do with hierarchy and everything to do with character.
Despite holding senior roles across Star TV, NDTV and Colors, Nayak described his career as largely unplanned. He said progress came not from strategy but from effort, adding that his only constant was giving each role his full commitment.
One of the most formative moments, he recalled, came in 2001 when he quit his job and spent nine months fighting a non-compete case in the Mumbai High Court. The sudden loss of structure and support, he said, exposed how dependent he had become on corporate machinery.
That period also shaped his public persona. The nickname “Raj Cheerful”, later adopted across social media, became a defining trait within the industry, with actors such as Hrithik Roshan embracing it as part of his identity. Over time, Nayak said, the label evolved from an affectation into a lived philosophy.
Nayak also addressed his decision to leave his role at the peak of his influence, a move he described as deeply counter-cultural in corporate India. From the outside, he said, everything appeared perfect. Internally, it was not. After months of unease, a conversation with his family proved decisive, pushing him to act on values he often spoke about publicly.
“People don’t quit jobs at their peak… I was doing everything perfect… but I knew I was not enjoying it,” he added.
Reflecting on success, Nayak argued that power and visibility offer no assurance of fulfilment. Happiness, he said, is a more reliable measure. Overcoming fear and greed, he added, remains the hardest test of leadership and of life.
