Factual
Nimar Sarkaria joins Network18 as VP-content solutions
MUMBAI: Veteran media professional Nimar Sarkaria has stepped into a new role as vice president – content solutions & network campaigns at Network18 Media & Investments Ltd, bringing over two decades of industry experience to one of India’s leading media conglomerates.
Sarkaria joins Network18 after a brief but impactful nine-month stint as national sales head – branded content at India Today. Her appointment signals Network18’s aggressive push to bolster its content monetisation strategies across its vast portfolio of television and digital assets.
Before her India Today chapter, Sarkaria spent over a decade in two separate stints at NDTV, most recently serving as senior vice president – brand solutions (sales) for more than four years. During her tenure, she led a 12-member team and developed monetisation strategies that significantly boosted the network’s revenue streams.
Sarkaria’s CV reads like a who’s who of Indian media houses, with previous roles at Bennett Coleman and Co. Ltd. (Times Group), Hindustan Times, CNBC TV18, Buena Vista Television, and Sony Pictures Networks India. At Hindustan Times, she handled an impressive portfolio as general manager of ad For equity.
Throughout her career, Sarkaria has earned a reputation for exceeding sales targets. Her trophy cabinet includes accolades such as “CNBC TV18 Awaaz Super Achiever,” “Quarter Cracker For Highest Revenue Generation,” and “The Most Promising Team Leader,” underscoring her exceptional performance in the cut-throat world of media sales.
Based in New Delhi, Sarkaria will be tasked with spearheading Network18’s content solutions initiatives and orchestrating network-wide campaigns in an increasingly challenging and competitive media landscape.
DUBLIN: Ireland is betting big on reality television. In a move that has Hollywood scouts scrambling for their passports, Dublin has unveiled Europe’s first tax credit dedicated solely to unscripted programming—think The Traitors rather than Game of Thrones.
The scheme offers producers a juicy 20 per cent rebate on qualifying expenditure, capped at €15 million ($17.5 million) per project. It’s a cultural credit with strings attached: programmes must pass a test proving they genuinely promote Irish and European culture. No word yet on whether Love Island derivatives need apply.
Ireland tánaiste and minister for finance Simon Harris says the incentive will cement Ireland’s reputation as a “centre of excellence” for audiovisual production. His colleague, minister for culture, communications and sport Patrick O’Donovan, insists Ireland has “the talent, creativity and production expertise to lead” in unscripted television. Bold claims for a nation that has spent decades exporting scripted drama.
The timing is canny. Unscripted production costs have soared globally, making Ireland’s existing infrastructure—and now its tax breaks—increasingly attractive. Fox Entertainment Studios already churns out shows like Beat Shazam and The Floor from Irish studios. Whether these American productions will pass the cultural test remains to be seen.
Producers must secure an interim cultural certificate before filming begins, allowing them to claim credits during production rather than waiting until wrap. A final certificate follows completion. The European Commission has blessed the scheme through December 2028.
Minimum thresholds apply: productions must cost at least €250,000, with eligible expenditure above €125,000. Only one season per project can claim relief in any 12-month period, though producers can juggle multiple projects.
Britain, take note. The UK industry has clamoured for similar support for 18 months, but Westminster has dithered. India’s ministry of information and broadcasting pay heed. Its incentive scheme for co-productions excludes unscripted television. To what end, no one knows! Ireland, meanwhile, is already rolling out the red carpet—or should that be green?
The message from Dublin is clear: when it comes to backing reality TV, Ireland isn’t messing about. Lights, camera, tax action.
