Brands
HGS names Hemlata Sharma EVP, chief business officer for digital media division
Veteran executive to lead satellite, cable and broadband push across India
MUMBAI: Hinduja Global Solutions is doubling down on distribution and has tapped a seasoned hand to lead the charge.
Hemlata Sharma has been appointed executive vice-president and chief business officer at the digital media division of Hinduja Global Solutions, taking charge of its satellite, cable and retail broadband businesses as competition intensifies across India’s connectivity market.
Sharma will steer growth, distribution strategy and retail partnerships for the NXTDIGITAL DTV platform and the ONE Broadband brand, with full profit-and-loss responsibility. The mandate is clear: expand reach, sharpen execution and deepen the company’s hold across India’s evolving DTH, IPTV, OTT and broadband ecosystem.
With more than 25 years across media, broadcasting and telecoms, Sharma arrives with deep operating experience. She was previously at Zee Media Corporation Ltd., where she served as head of distribution, research and CRM, managing nationwide distribution and consumer insights for a large portfolio of news channels. Her earlier roles include senior positions at Ten Sports Network and Bharti Airtel, spanning marketing and operations across key regional markets.
Vynsley Fernandes said, “Hemlata brings a proven track record in leading large-scale businesses across B2B and B2C markets. She joins us at a time when we are strengthening national and regional teams across retail product development, sales, and customer experience. We are confident that her leadership skills, business acumen, and operational discipline will help us accelerate growth in key areas.”
Sharma said, “HGS and NXTDIGITAL are respected brands in India’s media ecosystem and have always been ahead of the curve in innovation. I believe that my extensive experience across broadcast distribution, telecom operations, and digital media strategy can help strengthen the growth roadmap, as the media group continues to scale digital entertainment services and broadband connectivity nationwide through initiatives such as the prestigious and recently initiated Project Ganga.”
The timing is deliberate. As screens multiply and pipes become the real battleground, NXTDIGITAL is tightening its grip on both content delivery and connectivity. The next phase will be less about presence and more about dominance.
Brands
IndiGo names William Walsh CEO
Former IATA chief to take charge in August after Elbers exit, Bhatia steers interim
India’s biggest airline has moved fast and gone global. InterGlobe Aviation, which operates IndiGo, has tapped aviation heavyweight William Walsh as chief executive officer, subject to regulatory approvals, marking a sharp pivot as the carrier eyes its next burst of expansion.
Walsh, currently director general at the International Air Transport Association, will step down on July 31, 2026, and is expected to take charge by August 3. The appointment comes barely three weeks after Pieter Elbers exited the corner office, with Rahul Bhatia holding the fort in the interim.
The choice signals intent. Walsh brings decades of cockpit-to-boardroom experience, having led British Airways and later International Airlines Group, the parent of Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling. His tenure across carriers has been defined by hard resets, restructurings and cross-border consolidation—skills IndiGo may need as competition intensifies and scale becomes decisive.
Vikram Singh Mehta, chairman and non-executive independent director of IndiGo, said Walsh’s experience in managing large-scale airline operations and navigating complex market dynamics makes him well-suited to lead IndiGo in an increasingly competitive global aviation environment, adding that the appointment marks a new chapter as the airline scales in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets.
Rahul Bhatia said Walsh’s global perspective, operational expertise and customer-focused approach would be critical as IndiGo enters its next phase of expansion.
Walsh, widely regarded as one of the industry’s most influential figures, will oversee overall management and strategic direction, with a mandate spanning operational performance, network expansion, commercial strategy and customer experience. He is expected to work closely with the board and leadership team to sharpen IndiGo’s growth trajectory.
Walsh said IndiGo has a strong foundation and is well-positioned to capitalise on the evolving aviation landscape, adding that he looks forward to fostering a culture of excellence, innovation and sustainable value creation across the organisation.
A new captain, a bigger runway—and a market that rewards scale. IndiGo is lining up for its next take-off.
