News Broadcasting
DK Pandey to head Sahara news project
MUMBAI: Sahara India Media & Entertainment (SIME) seems to be making a serious attempt at pulling up its socks and make a fight of a seemingly losing news battle.
With a view to beef up the channel management of its news channels — five at the moment, including the national news channel — Sahara has roped in a media veteran in DK Pandey as senior vice-president.
Pandey, whose appointment comes into effect from 28 January, will be overseeing the overall management of the existing and future news channels, apart from being the head of all Sahara media properties’ bureaux.
He has also been named to undertake the areas of content pertaining to broadcast as well as the print medium.
Pandey will be reporting to SIME senior vice president and former print medium journalist Ambikanand Sahay.
Contacted by indiantelevision.com today, Sahay, who has had a long stint at The Times of India in various senior positions, says, “Mr Pandey is a seasoned professional who has the right sort of experience to undertake the mandate given to him.”
Sahay pointed out that all the bureaux of Sahara properties — both TV and print — have now been merged to bring in a synergy. This also means that all channel and bureau heads will be reporting to Pandey.
Pandey is an alumina of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. His association with media companies includes heavyweights like Times of India, Zee Telefilms (where he headed MSO Siti Cable at one time) and Reliance Infocomm. At Reliance, Pandey spent spent several years and is considered to have been part of the core team that set up Reliance Infocomm.
The appointment of Pandey is significant as it points to the renewed efforts being put in to beef up content and other aspects of marketing and distribution. Recently, as reported by indiantelevision.com, SIME got itself a senior distribution professional, Tapas Roy, from Siti Cable.
Roy had been recruited to look after the north and eastern markets, but after the departure of Mohan Raj, who looked after the western and southern markets, Roy has been named the national distribution head for all Sahara channels, including the entertainment one.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
