MAM
Sameer Singh elevated to additional and managing director at HT Media Group
New Delhi: HT Media Group has elevated Sameer Singh to the role of managing director, a move that consolidates leadership as the legacy media group navigates the twin challenges of digital disruption and audience fragmentation. The board of Hindustan Media Ventures approved Singh’s appointment for a five-year term starting March 1, 2026, the company said in a BSE filing. The promotion is subject to shareholder approval.
Singh will also be designated as a key managerial personnel, strengthening his strategic influence across the group’s operations. Since March 1, 2025, he has served as chief executive officer of Hindustan Media Ventures and group chief executive officer of HT Media Limited, roles that laid the foundation for his elevation to managing director.
An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, Singh brings more than three decades of leadership experience spanning media, technology, consumer insights and global markets. His career track record ranges from multinational consumer brands to digital platforms, underpinned by deep first-hand knowledge of audiences in India, the United States, China, the United Kingdom and the Middle East.
Before joining HT Media Group, Singh was head of global business solutions for North America at TikTok and ByteDance, where he led large advertising and sales teams during a period of rapid platform growth. He earlier headed global business solutions for the Asia Pacific region, building revenue and client engagement models across diverse markets.
Singh’s global leadership lens was shaped in part by his tenure at GroupM, where he served as chief executive officer for South Asia, steering media strategy and investment for major brands across the region.
At Google, Singh held senior roles including director of agencies business for India and director of client solutions in the Americas, managing large client portfolios and driving digital transformation for advertisers. His earlier career includes a significant stint at Procter & Gamble, where he spent more than 15 years in roles of increasing responsibility. His P&G portfolio included vice-president of media and trial for Greater China and Asia, director of media for Asia, and leadership of media operations across Greater China, roles widely regarded as among the most complex in the company’s global network.
Singh began his professional journey in marketing and advertising with MullenLowe Lintas Group, laying the groundwork for later leadership in global brand management and media strategy. His early work spanned category leadership, consumer research and cross-market brand growth.
As group CEO of HT Media Group, Singh has been responsible for the sustained development of the business and its people, guiding operations in a way that satisfies customers and delivers long-term value to stakeholders. The managing director appointment consolidates that role at the group level, signalling continuity at the top as the company pushes into new digital formats and revenue models.
Industry analysts say Singh’s blend of legacy media expertise and experience in high-growth technology platforms positions him well to lead HT Media’s transformation. The media ecosystem in India has been shifting rapidly, with audience attention splintering across digital video platforms, social media and subscription streaming, even as print and broadcast continue to hold sway in core markets.
Singh’s elevation underscores HT Media’s intent to bridge traditional strengths with innovation. With global experience and a deep understanding of the intersections between consumers, brands and technology, he is tasked with steering the group through its next chapter of growth.
The board’s message is clear: in a crowded, competitive and evolving media landscape, leadership must be global in outlook and local in execution. With Singh at the helm, HT Media’s strategy appears focused, calibrated and ready to meet the pace of change.
Brands
Zepto names Saurabh Kabra vice president for non-trade advertising
Former blinkit and ITC executive to drive Zepto’s ad-led growth
BENGALURU: Zepto has elevated Saurabh Kabra to vice president—non-trade advertising, partnerships and catalogue, underscoring the quick-commerce firm’s push to deepen high-margin revenue streams beyond deliveries.
Based in Bengaluru, Kabra will lead the strategic expansion of Zepto’s advertising and partnerships ecosystem. He was previously senior director and head of the non-trade advertising business, where he played a central role in building the company’s ad-led monetisation playbook.
Since joining Zepto, Kabra has worked closely with the chief executive’s office on strategic initiatives, contributing to the company’s rapid scale-up in India’s intensely competitive quick-commerce market. His elevation comes as platforms increasingly court brand advertising to steady margins and diversify revenue.
Before Zepto, Kabra held senior growth roles at Blinkit, serving as associate director of growth and city CEO for Hyderabad, where he led regional expansion and operational scaling.
Earlier in his career, he spent several years at ITC Limited, managing brands such as Classmate and Paperkraft and overseeing sales operations in the personal care business. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta.
Industry executives view the appointment as a clear signal that Zepto is sharpening its focus on advertising, partnerships and catalogue-led monetisation: areas increasingly discussed by investors as critical to improving unit economics in quick commerce.
