MAM
Rajiee Shinde returns as CEO to lead PTC Entertainment’s next chapter
MUMBAI: Lights, camera, comeback! Rajiee M. Shinde, one of Indian media’s most formidable forces, is back in the director’s chair at PTC Entertainment. Effective 1 August 2025, she takes charge as chief executive officer, reporting directly to Sukhbir Singh Badal, the promoter of PTC Network. And yes, this isn’t just a reunion; it’s a reinvention.
Known for her razor-sharp programming instincts and a CV that reads like a greatest hits album, Shinde helped catapult PTC Punjabi to the No. 1 spot during her earlier nine-year stint from 2008 to 2018. Now, she’s back for the sequel with a vision that’s bolder, more global, and unmistakably desi.
A Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Award winner, Shinde brings with her over two decades of experience across content, music and entertainment businesses. She previously launched Showbox for IN10 Media, headed Epic Channel India as president, and helmed ETC Punjabi at Zee, where she pioneered India’s first Punjabi music channel. In recent years, she’s led Sai Mehar Media and served as CEO of Wild Music Records.
Her new innings at PTC will involve scaling up original programming, unlocking new digital strategies, and tapping into international viewership all while keeping the core audience firmly at heart. She will operate out of both Mohali and Gurugram.
“Rajiee’s return marks an exciting new chapter for PTC Entertainment,” said a source close to the network. “She brings not just leadership but legacy and she’s already proven that she knows how to win audiences across borders and platforms.”
Shinde’s appointment also signals PTC’s intent to double down on regional content with global ambition, at a time when vernacular storytelling is commanding centre stage in Indian entertainment. From boardrooms to backlots, she’s set to steer the brand through a new era of digital disruption, international expansion, and audience-first content innovation.
And if her track record is anything to go by, she’s not just holding the mic, she’s about to drop it.
MAM
India’s employability gap persists despite strong hiring intent
Only 1 in 5 institutions achieve 76 to 100 per cent placements within six months of graduation.
MUMBAI: India’s young workforce is ready in numbers, but the real question is whether they are ready for work and senior leaders from industry, academia and policy gathered in Delhi to find practical answers. A closed-door roundtable hosted by Vaishali Nigam Sinha, co-founder of Renew, brought together key voices to discuss actionable solutions for bridging the persistent employability gap. The session highlighted that while job opportunities are expanding, the alignment between education and industry needs remains a critical challenge.
According to Teamlease EdTech’s Career Outlook Report HY1 2026, 73 per cent of employers plan to hire freshers in the first half of 2026, signalling steady recovery in entry-level hiring. However, employers are shifting focus from mere qualifications to demonstrable capability, placing greater value on internships, live projects and proof-of-work.
Teamlease Edtech, founder and CEO Shantanu Rooj emphasised the need for better alignment, “India’s employability challenge is no longer about access alone, but about alignment between education and work. Employers are increasingly relying on demonstrable capability such as internships, projects, and applied learning as indicators of readiness.”
Vaishali Nigam Sinha stressed the importance of execution over intent, “India has both the talent and the opportunity. What is needed now is alignment. We have to move from intent to execution by embedding employability into the system itself.”
Other prominent speakers included Dr Chenraj Roychand, Chancellor of Jain (Deemed-to-be) University, who called for universities to evolve from degree providers to ecosystem enablers, Prof M. Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman of the Board of Governors at IIM Calcutta, who highlighted the need for flexibility and multidisciplinary learning, and Dr T.N. Singh, Director of IIT Patna, who advocated deeper industry engagement through research and experiential learning.
The discussion also drew insights from the book Accelerating Impact. Enabling Dreams – Making India Employable by Shantanu Rooj and co-authors, which features contributions from leaders like Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Dr Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan and Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
During the event, Teamlease Edtech Foundation launched Project SEED, a national initiative aimed at bridging the education-employability gap for underserved youth. The project focuses on early intervention at the school level to guide students towards informed career choices and work-integrated pathways.
With only 16.67 per cent (1 in 5) of institutions achieving 76–100 per cent placements within six months of graduation, the conversation made one thing clear, India’s demographic dividend will deliver real value only when education and employability walk hand in hand. The gathering served as a timely reminder that the future of India’s workforce depends not just on creating more jobs, but on preparing young people far better to seize them.
