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Green TV to go the AFP way, soon
MUMBAI: India’s first agriculture oriented private TV channel launched on 21 October has already managed to penetrate 11 per cent of the total TV homes in the country.
However, the channel headed by Nomad Films managing director Junaid Memon, has not been able to get any advertiser on board but it soon plans to change that. “Within the next few days you will see some advertiser funded programmes on Green TV,” says Memon. However, unlike other channels, they won’t be entertainment or news shows but awareness-based programmes that will educate farmers.
It is looking at one year tie ups with brands wherein shows will be created on ground first and then aired on the channel. Though he did not wish to reveal the names, he says that talks are on with FMCG brands. Memon says that the channel is not going by conventional advertising since is very limiting. “What we can offer is allowing brands to meet their buyer. We are beyond just a TV channel, we can offer two-way communication,” he says.
“We are picking people from agriculture institutes and then teaching them how to talk to the farmers and how to create shows for TV,” he adds. Currently, the channel has about 160 people which he soon looks to increase to 250.
The primetime bands are morning 9 am to 12 pm and evening 4 pm to 7 pm with about six hours of original content being produced now. It will be soon taken up to eight hours. Morning shows consist of business, commodity market and daily updates on crop, afternoon is targeted to women with health and education programmes and evening is dedicated to information based technical shows. Memon advises that ‘agriculture’ is just a word but the channel’s scope involves a variety of things including horticulture, pisciculture, etc. All programmes are being shot in HD but currently telecast only in SD.
The research team consists of 13 people, which he will be increasing to 23 by January. The group CEO is Ravi Bhatnagar, programming head is Nitin Sukheja, sales head is Sudeep Bhattacharya, and distribution head is Devinder Verma.
It is soon going to bring on board an ad sales company. The marketing for the channel will begin in January with creatives being done by Guava Creative Solutions.
So far, its distribution team has seeded about 2000 of the targeted 8000 boxes to LCOs.
It is also closing in on deals with two DTH operators.
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.
