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Niraj Dutt joining NDTV Media as executive V-P
MUMBAI: Niraj Dutt, the former number two in ad sales at Star India, who also quit about the same time as did Raj Nayak, is joining NDTV Media as executive vice-president.
Dutt will be based in Delhi. There will be no structural changes at NDTV Media with Rajnath Kamath continuing to head advertising sales and Avinash Kaul continuing to handle strategic planning, research and marketing, says NDTV Media CEO Raj Nayak.
At Star, Dutt, who reported directly to Nayak, was fully responsible for the sales of all the channels in the network with all the VP’s reporting to him.
After Dutt quit Star, he was keen to pursue his own business. However, things did not work out as he had planned and therefore the decision to get back to the corporate world.
Dutt started out as a management trainee with the Times Group and has been in the media business thoughout his career.
The appointment of Dutt would appear to indicate that NDTV Media is readying to expand its scope of operations beyond that of managing advertising and marketing of just the NDTV news channels.
Nayak told indiantelevision.com in a recent interview that he had set himself a June deadline to start pitching for new business from non-competetive broadcasters to handle their sales and marketing as well as offer strategic programming and distribution consultancy.
Expect some action on this front once the elections are over and done with.
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Senjam Raj Sekhar takes the comms helm at Air India
Veteran communicator joins Tata Group airline after 5 years at Mobile Premier League.
MUMBAI: When the skies call for a fresh voice, Senjam Raj Sekhar is ready for takeoff. The seasoned communications leader has joined Air India Limited as global head of communications, stepping into a pivotal role as the Tata Group-owned flag carrier accelerates its transformation into a world-class global airline with an Indian heart.
Senjam brings a wealth of experience to the cockpit. Most recently, he spent five years as head of global communications at Mobile Premier League (MPL), steering the gaming platform’s voice through regulatory headwinds and fierce competition across six continents. His campaigns earned Platinum for Best PR Campaign at the 2023 SABRE South Asia Awards, multiple ET Kaleidoscope wins, and Fulcrum Masters of Technique Gold in 2023 and 2024. Under his leadership, MPL was named Asia Pacific Company of the Year (SABRE 2023) and South Asia Company of the Year (SABRE 2023), plus Corporate of the Year at ET Kaleidoscope in 2022 and 2023.
Before MPL, Senjam led corporate communications at Flipkart (2015–2018), where he launched Flipkart Stories, one of India’s pioneering owned-media platforms. Earlier stints include director & head of group corporate communications at Vedanta Resources (2011–2013), where he established the FTSE 100 company’s digital and social presence (ranking it sixth among FTSE 100 peers in 2012), and senior vice president at Bharti Enterprises (2005–2011), managing reputation across Bharti Airtel and its ventures in 20 countries.
He also headed communications for Samsung South West Asia (2004–2005), managed operations at Genesis Burson-Marsteller in North and East India (2002–2004), and served as account director at Weber Shandwick (1999–2002), handling high-profile accounts including McDonald’s during India’s beef crisis.
Senjam’s global sabbatical as a “Worldyatri” (2013–2015) saw him travel across 16 countries on four continents, fulfilling a lifelong dream.
Air India, under Tata stewardship, is in the midst of a massive revival fleet expansion, network growth and brand repositioning. Senjam’s appointment signals the airline’s intent to sharpen its storytelling as it competes on the world stage.
For a carrier with deep roots and high ambitions, Senjam Raj Sekhar is now the voice steering the narrative ready to turn heritage into headlines.
