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Viacom18’s Sudhanshu Vats new BARC India chairman
MUMBAI: BARC India board has elected Viacom 18 group CEO Sudhanshu Vats as its new chairman. The move comes after Zee Entertainment MD & CEO Punit Goenka successfully completed his tenure as the chairman.
BARC India, the Joint Industry Company (JIC) of broadcasters, advertisers and advertising agencies, launched TV measurement currency and expanded measurement of TV viewership to rural India. BARC India recently also launched monitoring of geo-targeted ads through its split beam monitoring service.
Vats heads Viacom18 which is one of India’s fastest growing media organisations with a 40X growth in topline since inception. Under Vats’s, leadership the group has expanded its channel footprint from six to over 36 channels and has set up three new lines of business. A management graduate from the Indian Institute of Management – Ahmedabad, Vats is a Hindustan Unilever (Unilever India) veteran and invested around 20 years in the organisation in varied roles.
Vats has been associated with BARC India since its inception and has been a part of all the developments as a member of the Board of Directors.
“It is indeed an honour to be elected as the chairperson of BARC India. In a span of two years, BARC India has been able to build a strong TV viewership measurement system. I feel privileged because this comes at a time when our industry is about to enter its next growth orbit and a robust, comprehensive measurement system will only accelerate this transition. Finally, measurement and analytics is an area of personal interest and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to learn more about it,” said Vats.
“Being the chairman of BARC India has been a great experience. We started off with certain ideologies of being transparent, robust and being able to measure “What India Watches”. We brought in a lot of changes in the TV viewership measurement system in order to make it comparable to global standards and, to a great extent, have been able to achieve that. I wish Sudhanshu (Vats) all the best for all the future endeavours,” said Goenka.
“We welcome Sudhanshu as our new chairman. Being a veteran in the industry, Sudhanshu will bring in his larger perspective in the media and entertainment space. Punit, as the first chairman, has given the team the right thrust and the BARC team thanks him for his whole-hearted support,” added BARC India CEO Partho Dasgupta.
BARC India is a joint venture bringing together the three key stakeholders in Television Audience Measurement, Broadcasters, Advertisers and Advertising & Media Agencies. Their respective apex bodies, the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) and the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), represent the three industries.
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.
