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Endemol India gets Ashok Vidyasagar as senior VP for south
MUMBAI: Endemol India is getting an expert hand to lead operations of the entire south India business in new senior vice president Ashok Vidyasagar. His mandate will be to focus on scripted business opportunities as well as exploit the non scripted catalog of Endemol in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.
Vidyasagar will be based out of Chennai and report to Endemol India COO (Television) Abhishek Rege. He has had nearly five years of experience in the media and entertainment industry and TV programming.
Prior to this he was with Big Synergy Media as business director for south operations, Bates 141 as senior VP and general manager, Enfatico as country lead, group business director at DDB and account director at HTA Bangalore and JWT.
Speaking on his appointment Rege said, “Regional markets, especially the southern markets, are fast-growing verticals for Endemol India. We have always been focused on building regional franchises of our global shows especially in the south. In the past too we have seen great success with Deal or No Deal in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam and now most recently Bigg Boss Kannada has been a huge hit. With Ashok leading the southern market, we hope to further expand and build more such ventures. We welcome him to the Endemol India team and look forward to benefiting from his talent and experience.”
Ashok has a commerce background with a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration with additional studies completed under the Executive Education from IIM, Bangalore on Integrated Marketing Communications.
“I am excited about my new role at Endemol India. Endemol India, is one of India’s largest TV content companies with presence in television, film and digital content, and has in a short time, taken great strides in the south market most recently with the success of Bigg Boss in Kannada. I look forward to building its business down south and establishing new ventures while growing and driving forward existing business. Branded content and branded engagement in TV is huge business and other new media like digital, YouTube, cinema and mobile make interesting avenues for expanding the scope of content strategy and business. I would like to leverage my brand experience and work on content strategies for brands and channels in the south of India which is an exciting set of four markets. With the increasing percentage of ad spends of national brands in south, the possibilities are huge for branded engagement and content. Value and volume of new content in south India have shown impressive growth year on year. Hence, brands and channels are ready to make high investments for content resulting better ROI for them and therein lies the business opportunity for content,” said Vidyasagar.
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.
