Uday Shankar receives FICCI FRAMES Lifetime Achievement Award

MUMBAI: For Uday Shankar, the curtain may be shifting, but the show is far from over. Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at FICCI FRAMES 2026, the former CEO of Star India and FICCI Immediate Past President reflected on a career shaped by media and argued that its influence on society remains as powerful as ever.

Speaking at FICCI FRAMES 2026, themed ‘India’s Media Moment: Creating Value in an Age of Infinite Content’, Shankar said media had been his life ever since he became an adult, adding that he did not view the award as a signal that his contribution to the industry was necessarily complete.

“I won’t say that my time is gone,” Shankar said, while acknowledging the growing role of a younger generation bringing new ideas, innovation and fresh approaches to the industry.

Shankar said his continued association with media was less about believing he had more to contribute than others and more about the fact that it was the only profession he had known. “This is all I know, this is all I have ever done,” he said, while underlining his belief in the power of media.

His first message was straightforward: despite the industry’s transformation, media remains a fundamental pillar of society. While news is an important part of that role, he said the influence extends across entertainment, drama, cinema and sport.

According to Shankar, these forms of media have the ability to inspire people who may feel left behind by progress, giving them the space to imagine, create and retain a sense of hope. The formats may have changed, he said, but the underlying role of media has become even more pivotal.

His second message looked beyond the media industry itself towards India’s global image.

Shankar said India had made “tremendous progress” and achieved what he described as incredible growth, but argued that the media industry still had a role to play if the world was to believe in India more strongly.

That, he said, means building “Brand India” not only through news, but also through entertainment, sport and cinema.

He pointed to countries and institutions that have built global reputations by actively sharing their experiences, telling their stories and developing narratives around them. As India moves towards what he described as a greater future, Shankar said the country’s media industry could play a much bigger role in shaping that narrative.

For Shankar, therefore, storytelling is not simply about what audiences watch or read. It can also influence how a country is understood beyond its borders.

The award also prompted Shankar to look back at his own FICCI journey. He credited Dr Amit Mitra and Yash Raj Chopra with introducing him to the organisation and encouraging him to take an active role in its work.

He also acknowledged the FICCI secretariat, including Jyoti and the wider team, as well as past presidents who guided him during his association with the organisation.

Shankar made a special mention of Leena Jaisani, saying she would always remain an important part of both his life and FICCI. He said FICCI FRAMES would not have become what it is without her contribution.

As he accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award from his industry community, Shankar’s message was ultimately less about looking back and more about what media can still do inspire society, create hope and help India tell its story to the world.