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Initiative Media’s Suresh Balakrishnan to join The Hindustan Times
MUMBAI: Lowe Lintas’ Initiative Media (IM) executive vice president and Linterland general manager Suresh Balakrishnan will be joining The Hindustan Times group as vice president, media and marketing, from 2 January 2003. He will be involved with various functions such as marketing, new initiatives and strategic planning. He will be reporting to HT group executive president Rajan Kohli.
Balakrishnan had joined Lintas way back in 1996. Within Lintas, he is considered to be one of the stalwarts responsible for the transition of media from being a mere ‘function’ to a profitable and independent ‘business’ (as he calls it).
Balakrishnan was head of buying between April 1996-98; head of the strategic marketing for IM between 1998-99; started Millennium Media in April 1999; and started Linterland, the rural communication arm of IM in November 2000.
Talking to indiantelevision.com, Balakrishnan claimed that Linterland was the highlight of his career. Balakrishnan has been through the entire gamut of rural marketing including outdoor media, mobile vans, melas, ground promotions and sampling exercises.
Balakrishnan stated: “Rural marketing was a new field and very unstructured at that point of time. However, IM’s foray into rural marketing was a significant one as the urban market was getting too crowded and market shares were getting fragmented. Today, Linterland and O&M’s rural marketing wings are the top two players in this space.”
Balakrishnan also emphasised that the attitude of advertising agencies and media planners towards the rural market has changed considerably in the last few years.
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.
