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Disney Star India’s K Madhvan & the IBF presidency
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures India MD & CEO NP Singh has handed over the baton of president of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) to Star and Disney India MD & president K Madhavan during its most challenging phase. The broadcasting industry – like many other industries – is going through one of its most difficult phases thanks to the Covid2019 associated lockdown with revenues plummeting for almost every player. Profitability has shrivelled for most and salary cuts and layoffs have been resorted to right size companies.
Additionally, broadcasters have been fighting to stave off what they call the ‘draconian’ NTO 2.0 regulation which has been imposed on them by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
The industry has been fighting the implementation of that regime for some months in India’s courts. The TRAI had imposed NTO 1.0 hardly a year before promulgating its second version.
Singh completed two years in the office of IBF president which is the maximum duration a head can hold office.
Previous leaders of the IBF include: Zee TV’s Punit Goenka, Sony Pictures Man Jit Singh, Jawahar Goel, Star India’s Uday Shankar, Prasar Bharti’s KS Sarma, Rajiv Ratna Shah, and Anil Baijal, .
Madhavan is probably best suited to drive the IBF during this phase. A banker, he was instrumental behind making Asianet, an ailing channel, a huge success, which was later acquired by Star India. Madhvan then went on to build Star India’s southern bouquet, making it a major revenue contributor to the Star India group.
He was appointed as MD of Star and Disney India when COO Sanjay Gupta departed for Google, leaving a void in the company. The then CEO Uday Shankar was elevated to president Walt Disney Co APAC and chairman of Star India and Disney India.
Since taking over Madhavan has taken the group’s leading GEC Star Plus to the top of BARC’s viewing sweepstakes.
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.
