MAM
Uber appoints Pradeep Parameswaran as its new India head
MUMBAI: Ride-sharing app Uber on Tuesday appointed Pradeep Parameshwaran as its new India and Asia head. The company’s move is in line with its aim to double down on its investment in the country, as it looks to grab market share from home-grown rival Ola (ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd).
Parameshwaran will replace Amit Jain, who has been tasked with heading Uber’s entire Asia Pacific business, including countries such as Australia, New Zealand and North Asia. Jain’s appointment was part of the broader strategy that indicated Uber’s intentions to grab the market as Ola has taken in Australia, which also recently launched its service n that country.
Earlier in an Interview with Livemint, Uber’s chief operating officer Barney Harford said, “The company was considering both internal and external candidates for the role of India head. Uber would continue to invest heavily in India, the ride-hailing company’s most important market outside the US, for an indefinite period rather than focus on cutting the company’s massive losses in India”
Commenting on his new role, Pradeep Parmeashwaran said, “Uber is one of the most exciting, innovative and mission-driven companies in the world, and I’m thrilled to lead our business in this critical global market as we work to bring the benefits of ride-sharing to even more riders, drivers, and cities. After twenty years building businesses and leading through change across Asia and the US, I am excited to shape how the region moves over the next twenty”
Prior to joining Uber, Parmeshwaran was working with Den Network Limited as CEO. He brings with him 20 years of experience, having worked in the US, Asia Pacific and Africa. He has also been associated with companies across the technology value chain including Internet companies, telecom service providers, ISPs, cable/DTH providers, handset manufacturers, network OEMs, IT service providers, software companies and fiber players on multiple functions including strategy, business building, sales acceleration, operations, organization and finance.
Parameswaran’s appointment comes at a time when Uber is engaged in market share battles in the Asia Pacific region against local rivals such as Ola, which is backed by Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp, a common investor in both taxi start-ups.
Rumours of a potential Ola-Uber merger in India have been doing the rounds for the past few months, but both companies have repeatedly denied any such reports.
MAM
Debkumar Dasgupta joins Dangal TV as Head of Syndication
Veteran broadcast executive to drive international and national content sales
MUMBAI: Debkumar Dasgupta, a seasoned broadcast media professional with over 30 years in the industry, has taken charge as head of syndication at Dangal TV, overseeing both international and national markets.
Dangal TV, owned by Enterr10 Television Network, is a popular 24-hour Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC). Launched in 2009 originally for Bhojpuri movies, it has since pivoted to Hindi entertainment, with a focus on family dramas, mythology, and crime shows catering to both urban and rural audiences.
Dasgupta brings a formidable track record in content acquisition, syndication sales, and P&L management across ME, Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. His career spans top media organisations including IndiaCast Media, Viacom18, MTV Networks, Catvision Products and Tee-Men’s.
Most recently, he was with GoQuest Media as group partnership and strategy head, managing partnerships and monetisation strategies across the region. He also served as vice president – content acquisition and partnership for Asia and Africa, negotiating deals for Turkish dramas and other high-demand content.
Earlier stints include senior vice president and business head roles at IndiaCast Media Distribution, steering ME&A and global syndication sales, and boosting the reach of Viacom18 channels such as Colors, MTV India, Colors Rishtey and News18 India across Asia-Pacific, South Asia, ME, Africa, CIS, CEE and Latin America.
Dasgupta began his media journey as senior director – network development at MTV Networks India, managing channel carriage and affiliate revenues, before moving into content sales and international business with Viacom18. He started in cable TV sales with Catvision Limited, handling nationwide dealer and distributor networks.
Known as a creative change agent, Dasgupta has consistently driven revenue growth, market share expansion, and efficiency improvements, combining deep market insights with hands-on leadership.
With his global expertise and strong cross-functional experience across sales, legal, marketing, programming, logistics and finance, Dangal TV is set to strengthen its content syndication footprint and expand its international reach under his leadership.
Dasgupta’s appointment signals an aggressive push to leverage ethnic content opportunities and emerging markets, ensuring Dangal TV keeps pace in an increasingly competitive broadcast ecosystem.
