News Broadcasting
CNBC-TV18 and PwC India present ‘GST Decoded – 1 Year On’
MUMBAI: The introduction of GST regime has been India’s boldest tax reform since Independence. To mark the completion of the first year under this act, CNBC-TV18, the country’s foremost business news brand, in association with PwC India has announced a unique initiative called “GST Decoded – 1 Year On.” This first-of-its-kind conclave is being planned with an intent to analyse and review the critical journey of the implementation of GST over the last year as well as explore the opportunities and challenges that lay ahead. The prestigious event will be held on June 28, 2018 at Hotel Taj Diplomatic Enclave in New Delhi.
The conclave will welcome notable delegates bringing together decision-makers & policy architects from the centre, states, leading CEOs, CFOs, top tax consultants, economists and other corporate dignitaries under one roof for a discourse around GST, sharing their in-depth experience, insights and varied perspectives.
On the policy front, the States viewpoint will be articulated in a special panel with representation from some of the key State finance Ministers & members of the GST Council such as Thomas Isaac, Minister of Finance – Govt. of Kerala, Manpreet Singh Badal, Minister of Finance – Govt. of Punjab, Mauvin Godinho, Panchayat Minister – Govt. of Goa. Dr. Hasmukh Adhia, Union Finance Secretary will be sharing the perspective of the Union government on the GST achievements in the past year and the anticipated challenges during the current financial calendar in a special Townhall session.
India Inc will be represented by leading corporate voices including Kabir Ahmed Shakir, CFO – Microsoft, Niranjan Gupta, CFO – Hero MotoCorp , Ashok Tyagi, Whole-time Director & Board Member – DLF, Nitin Saluja, Founder – Chaayos, Rohan Shah, leading Lawyer & Tax Expert and Shyamal Mukherjee, Chairman – PwC India. These luminaries will be participating in a thought-provoking panel discussion, addressing how the corporate world, including sectors like software enterprises, automotive real-estate, and hospitality amongst many others has been impacted since the introduction of GST in India. The panellists will also highlight the advantages along with key challenges faced by the industry professionals during the first year of implementation of GST in the country.
The informative and riveting discussion will be followed by the launch of a special report from PwC India titled ‘365 days of GST: A Historic Journey’ and an address by PwC Indirect Tax Leader, Pratik Jain.
TV18, CEO Forbes India & President – Revenue, Joy Chakraborthy said, “As the undisputed leaders in the Business News space, we at CNBC-TV18 constantly keep our finger on the pulse of the economic policy environment & India Inc’s reactions to it. ‘GST Decoded – 1 Year On’ is one such unique initiative focused on gauging the impact of GST rollout – one of the most ambitious fiscal reforms in the recent history of our country. It will be great to understand the effects of this tax regime from such an august gathering.”
CNBC-TV18, Managing Editor, Shereen Bhan said, “The Channel has been the forefront of educating viewers about the GST. We launched the GST Helpline ahead of the July 1 rollout to help India Inc make the transition. Over the past year, through our GST Town halls and Ground reports, we have engaged with key stakeholders with an aim to assess and evaluate the implementation of this much-awaited reform. We have also put the spotlight on the changes needed to make the execution and administration more effective. As we start the journey into year two, we intend to continue our efforts to inform, engage and empower.”
PwC, Partner and Leader Indirect Tax, Pratik Jain said, “Completion of one year of GST is a good time to reflect what has worked for India Inc and what not. More importantly, it’s time to understand how businesses are changing on the ground and what Industry now expects the Government to do so that we are able to realize the real benefits that GST can potentially offer. Having worked with hundreds of leading corporates in GST transition and now technology led compliance management, we at PwC are excited to be part of this momentous reform. Through this event, we look forward to continue playing a constructive role in consultations between the industry and policymaker.”
News Broadcasting
Senior media executive Madhu Soman exits Zee Media
Former Reuters and Bloomberg leader says he leaves with “no regrets” after brief stint at WION and Zee Business
NOIDA: Madhu Soman, a veteran of global newsrooms and media sales floors, has stepped away from Zee Media Corporation after a short stint steering business strategy for WION and Zee Business.
In a reflective LinkedIn note marking his departure, Soman said his time within the network’s corridors was always likely to be brief. “Some chapters close faster than expected,” he wrote, signalling the end of a nearly two-year spell in which he oversaw both editorial partnerships and commercial strategy.
Soman joined Zee Media in 2022 after more than a decade abroad with Reuters and Bloomberg, returning to India to take on the role of chief business officer for WION and Zee Business. His mandate was ambitious: bridge the newsroom and the revenue desk while expanding digital and broadcast reach.
During the stint, Zee Business reached break-even for the first time since its launch in 2005, while WION refreshed programming and strengthened its digital footprint across platforms such as YouTube and Facebook.
But Soman suggested the cultural fit proved uneasy. Describing himself as a “cultural misfit”, he hinted at deeper tensions between editorial instincts shaped in global newsrooms and the realities of India’s television news ecosystem.
Before joining Zee, Soman spent more than seven years at Bloomberg in Hong Kong as head of broadcast sales for Asia-Pacific, expanding the company’s news syndication business across several markets. Earlier, he held senior editorial roles at Reuters, overseeing online strategy in India and managing Reuters Video Services from London.
His career began in television and wire reporting, including a stint with ANI during the 1999 Kargil conflict, before moving into digital publishing as India’s internet media landscape took shape.
Now, after nearly three decades in broadcast and digital media, Soman is leaving Delhi NCR and returning to his hometown, Trivandrum.
Exhausted, he admits. But unbowed. And with one quiet line that sums up the journey: he didn’t sell his soul — because some things, after all, are not for sale.
