News Headline
Asianet Sat Communications MD Radhakrishnan quits
MUMBAI: Asianet Satellite Communications managing director CM Radhakrishnan Nair has quit the company. Mahesh Kumar, who was earlier the senior vice president, has been elevated to chief executive officer of the company.
Nair had joined Asianet in 1995 when the company had just 4,000 connections in Kerala. Today Asianet is the largest cable network services company in the state touching over half a million homes and has a large number of direct subscribers.
“It has been a long period of growth. During my period, we also started Internet services and established Asianet Cable Vision, a cable channel,” Nair tells Indiantelevision.com.
Kumar, who has taken over from Nair, will face new challenges in the industry. “We are planning to roll out digital services in September. We are deciding what technology we will be using,” he says.
Kumar has a finance background and was subsequently made in-charge of cable services division. In Asianet, his task will also be to increase the Internet subscribers.
Also on Kumar’s agenda will be to take the company public at the right time. Asianet’s initial public offering (IPO) was upset after the 9/11 incident as the valuation of cable companies went tumbling. The company raised debt from financial institutions to fund its expansion plans.
Explains Nair, who was masterminding the IPO plans at that time, “The valuation was as high as Rs 5,000-6,000 per subscriber. But after the tragic incident in the US, the entire market crumbled and we shelved our plans for an IPO as we would not get that valuation.”
Asianet Satellite Communications is owned by Rajan Raheja who also has a 74 per cent stake in Hathway Cable & Datacom while Star Group owns the rest.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
