MAM
Bombay high court to hear OOH players’ plea on 12 June
MUMBAI: On 5 June, the Bombay High Court, while hearing the plea of Mumbai OOH owners, extended its stay order till 12 June, for waiver of license fee on hoardings for the month of May 2020. According to the verdict, the exemption will only be given to the eight OOH players that have already appealed for the waiver in May.
Creation Publicity Pvt Ltd, Bright Advertising Pvt Ltd, Orion Advertisers, Anurag Sites, Em Vee Advertising Company, Pingle Outdoor, Yoag Advertisers and Pioneer Publicity Corporation Ltd are the players who will get the exemption.
The court has issued a notice to the petitioners to submit the amendments in their petitions to the municipal corporation within a period of two weeks, if there are any. In the meantime, earlier order passed by the court will continue i.e., no coercive steps should be taken by the authority for not paying taxes.
Bright Media Outdoors CMD Yogesh Lakhani shares that due to the crises, all businesses are downhill. “We have requested the civic body to waive off the fee because of the unprecedented crises. For the next four to five months, the situation only looks grim. If people are not stepping out, who will see the hoardings?” he says.
The court also mentioned that the senior counsel appearing for the municipal corporation has asked for a week’s time to take instructions in the matter, due to which no further proceedings could be done.
Sharing the same sentiment as Lakhani, another OOH owner, who opted to be anonymous, says, “Paying such a heavy amount for the period when businesses all over the globe are going through a lull doesn’t make any sense. We are glad that the court has given an extension. While the country is slowly opening up businesses, it seems we will be in a better position in a few months from now.”
Lemma Technologies founder and CEO Gulab Patil says that there has been a heavy impact on the media side, “Most of the advertisers usually plan campaigns in advance, but no one saw this coming. Not just the civic bodies, the publishers are also asking for payments and it puts people in a tough spot. We are just settling down the minimum requirement from the publisher side. We are asking our clients to balance on that.”
As per the high court’s order issued on 5 June, the municipal corporation sought a week's time to take instructions in the matter. If any of the petitioners are desirous of amending the petition, they shall forward the draft amendment to the municipal corporation within a period of two weeks.
Digital
The Indian Express appoints Nandagopal Rajan as CEO Digital & Shobhit Singhal as chief technology and product officer
Longtime editor steps up to lead next phase of growth and storytelling
NEW DELHI: The The Indian Express has announced a major leadership reshuffle in its digital division, naming veteran journalist Nandagopal Rajan as chief executive officer (Digital), while also bringing in Shobhit Singhal as chief technology and product officer.
Rajan, who has been with the organisation for over a decade, steps into the role after serving as chief operating officer and earlier as editor of new media. His journey with the company dates back to 2013, when the digital team was a compact setup. Today, it has expanded into a multi-city operation with over 500 employees, reflecting the rapid evolution of the publisher’s online presence.
In a note announcing his new role, Rajan said, “Stepping into the role of CEO of The Indian Express Digital, I am very aware that it is not about a title. It is about responsibility to the vision, to the belief that we must always be content-led, and to every reader who expects credible journalism from us.”
He also acknowledged the contributions of leadership figures such as Anant Goenka and George Varghese, while crediting Sanjay Sindhwani for building a strong foundation for future growth.
In parallel, the company has appointed Shobhit Singhal to lead its consumer product and technology functions, overseeing engineering, design, marketing, growth and subscriptions. Singhal brings extensive experience across digital product ecosystems, having previously worked with platforms such as Disney+ Hotstar and Moloco, and also serving on advisory initiatives with Google.
Singhal’s mandate will focus on strengthening user experience and scaling the publication’s digital offerings, as competition intensifies across India’s online news and media landscape.
The dual appointments signal a sharper focus on technology-led storytelling and product innovation at The Indian Express, as it continues to expand its digital footprint.
With seasoned newsroom leadership and a product-first strategy now aligned, the organisation appears set to push into its next phase of digital growth while staying rooted in its editorial core.
