Distribution
Tejas Networks appoints Sanjay Malik as executive vice-president and chief strategy & business officer
MUMBAI: Tata group optical, broadband and data networking products company Tejas Networks has announced the appointment of Sanjay Malik as executive vice-president, chief strategy & business officer, and senior managerial personnel, effective 30 January 2025. His tenure will continue until his resignation or retirement, as per the company’s internal human resource policy.
Sanjay Malik, a respected business leader in the ICT sector, brings extensive global experience and a proven track record in driving growth and transformative initiatives. Known for his integrity, ethics, and action-oriented leadership style, he has delivered exceptional results in challenging business environments. Malik will work closely with managing director Anand Athreya and the senior leadership team to shape corporate strategy, oversee business management, and engage with stakeholders.
During his tenure as senior vice-president and India country head at Nokia Networks, Malik transformed the company into an undisputed market leader within three years, achieving record revenues. He successfully grew Nokia’s market share across wireless and wireline portfolios by focusing on cross-portfolio solutions and new customer acquisition.
Malik’s career spans roles at Cap Gemini, HP, and Tata Unisys. An alumnus of the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, he also holds a postgraduate degree in business management from the Indian Institute of Management, Mumbai.
The appointment, approved by the board of directors based on the nomination and remuneration committee’s recommendations, aligns with Tejas Networks’ strategic goals.
New Delhi: Prasar Bharati has thrown open applications for fresh capacity on DD Free Dish, signalling a timely opportunity for broadcasters looking to expand reach without long-term lock-ins. The public service broadcaster has issued a dual notice for its 95th and 96th online e-auctions, aimed at filling vacant MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 slots on a pro-rata basis for February and March 2026.
The two auctions are tentatively scheduled to begin on January 27, with allotments valid from February 1, 2026. Applications for both auctions close on January 21 at 3 pm, giving channels a narrow window to get their bids in.
The 95th e-auction will cover vacant MPEG-2 slots, while the 96th will focus on MPEG-4 capacity. Participation is limited to satellite television channels holding valid downlinking and uplinking permissions from the ministry of information and broadcasting. International public broadcasters cleared by the ministry are also eligible.
As with previous rounds, channels have been grouped into buckets based on genre and language, with sharply differentiated reserve prices reflecting reach and demand.
For the MPEG-2 auction, Hindi and Urdu general entertainment channels sit at the top of the pile. The starting reserve price for bucket A+ in the first round is Rs 2,63,48,000. Movie, music and sports channels in Hindi and Urdu follow in bucket A at Rs 2,10,14,000. Bhojpuri channels and other Hindi and Urdu genres, excluding devotional content, fall under bucket B with a reserve of Rs 1,78,62,000. Hindi and Urdu news channels in bucket C start at Rs 1,33,27,000, while bucket D, which includes regional language channels, English news and devotional or spiritual channels, begins at Rs 1,13,96,000.
The MPEG-4 auction comes in at a far leaner price point. News and current affairs channels in Hindi, English or pan-India languages, grouped under bucket G1, start at Rs 13,41,000. Non-news genres under bucket G2 have a reserve of Rs 8,80,000. Regional languages such as Marathi, Punjabi and Gujarati in bucket R2 begin at Rs 4,84,000. Southern language channels in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, grouped under bucket R1, start at Rs 81,000, the same reserve price set for other scheduled 8 regional languages in bucket R3.
Prasar Bharati has underlined that compliance will be closely watched. Broadcasters must ensure that at least 75 per cent of their monthly programming, excluding advertisements, aligns with the declared genre and language. Any deviation could trigger show-cause notices or even removal from the DD Free Dish platform.
For channels chasing reach in a crowded market, the message is clear. The window is brief, the prices are set and the audience is waiting. On DD Free Dish, visibility still comes cheap, but only for those ready to move fast.
