MAM
Pradeep Hejmadi quits Nick, to head Tam’s S-Group
MUMBAI: Nickelodeon director business and operations head Pradeep Hejmadi, who was re-designated as MTV Networks India research head only recently, has decided to call it a day at the company.
Hejmadi, who will be joining Tam Media Research’s S-Group as head, put in his papers last week.
Tam India CEO L V Krishnan confirmed the development to Indiantelevision.com citing that Hejmadi will be joining the company next week.
He said, “S-Group has brought in some wonderful insights for the industry over after its inception three years back. Many of this division’s contributions have propelled Tam to newer heights, even internationally. For the future, I do see a new trajectory of growth in the field of Broadcast Management. I am very pleased to announce that Pradeep Hejmadi will be joining us to spearhead the S-Group division in the area of Broadcast Management. He brings huge amounts of value additions to the table as he has been associated with a wide variety of assignments in the domain of media planning and broadcast management. He has launched numerous pioneering research projects that has not only benefited the organizations he has worked for but has also given a new dimension of thought for the entire media industry.”
In the wake of this new appointment, the agency will be shortly announcing a new role for Tam India vice president Atul Phadnis, who currently heads S-Group, AdEx India and Eikona PR Track.
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Hejmadi said that he had put in his papers at Nick last week and would be leaving the kids channels by the end of this week.
Hejmadi came on to MTV from Turner in June last year. In his four year stint at Turner he was research director and was responsible for CNN, CNN.com, Cartoon Network and Cartoonnetworkindia.com.
He began his career with Times FM in 1994 and moved to media planning and buying with the media buying unit of HTA. He then moved to Discovery Communications in 1997, before joining Turner.
Brands
Aman Gupta launches new venture OffBeat Studios
Boat co-founder steps into fresh entrepreneurial chapter after shifting to non-executive role.
MUMBAI: Aman Gupta just flipped the beat because when you’ve already made waves with Boat, the next move is to start a whole new rhythm.
boAt co-founder Aman Gupta has unveiled his new entrepreneurial venture, OffBeat Studios, marking his first independent project since stepping away from day-to-day operations at the audio and wearables brand. In a post on X on 3 March 2026, Gupta wrote: “With every birthday, some grow older, I grow bolder. I am still hungry, still impatient and still driven. Aman 2.0 begins soon. Introducing my new venture. @Offbeatstudios1.”
Details about OffBeat Studios remain scarce. Gupta has shared only a stylised “OFF/BEAT” logo and no specifics on the business model, sector focus, funding, team or launch timeline. It is unclear whether the venture will operate independently or hold any strategic link to Boat.
Gupta played a pivotal role in building boAt’s brand and marketing identity since its inception and gained wider visibility as a judge on Shark Tank India. His shift to a non-executive board position followed a leadership transition at Boat last year, Gaurav Nayyar was appointed CEO, while co-founder Sameer Mehta took on the role of executive director focused on strategy, reflecting a move toward professionalised management.
The announcement arrives as Boat’s parent company, Imagine Marketing, gears up for its initial public offering. The Warburg Pincus-backed firm received SEBI approval after confidentially filing in April 2025 and is reportedly targeting a valuation of around Rs 13,000 crore. This marks Boat’s second IPO attempt, the first, filed in January 2022 for Rs 2,000 crore (Rs 900 crore fresh issue + Rs 1,100 crore offer for sale), was withdrawn amid market volatility.
Boat has not commented on whether Gupta’s new venture will impact the upcoming public issue. For a founder who helped turn Boat into a youth-favourite audio brand, OffBeat Studios signals not a slowdown, but a bold new track proving that when one rhythm fades, another is already waiting to drop.
