“IF IT is to be, it is up to me.” Barun Das, the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of TV9 Network, is often heard quoting this life-changing adage to his family, friends and colleagues.
A MAN of purposeful action, Barun firmly believes in taking charge and delivering the desired outcome by building centres of excellence and nurturing talent. Under his leadership, TV9 Network, a news platform popular down South, has, in just three years, not just become the biggest broadcast news network in the country but has disrupted the digital news media space as well. He is a restless creative leader who knows best how to disrupt. Under his leadership, TV9 Digital scaled up in record time to levels that took legacy media brands nearly two decades to reach. In his earlier stint as CEO of ZEE News Ltd, too, he brought in his Midas touch to take the company to the pinnacle of this genre. Barun is a transformational leader, the news industry looks forward to the growth of the genre.
HIS PROFESSIONAL journey mirrors the growth of Indian media. In the backdrop of his highly successful experience featuring an unrivalled sense of optimism about the India story and its ever-rising global appeal,Barun is dedicated to creating a global voice for the country by taking Indian media to foreign shores. Driven by data, lover of logic and a fitness fiend, Barun believes that “to be ordinary is extraordinary”. Infusing his “ordinariness” and energy into building businesses and brands, Barun is now busy piloting News9 Plus, India's first OTT News proposition, an idea that has already been received exceptionally well even as it aims to set a new industry benchmark. Another pioneering idea from him – Money9 – India’s first multimedia multilingual Personal Finance platform – that seeks TV9 Network to transcend domains and move beyond a mere media product – is gaining huge traction. Barun is now contemplating a dash for global leadership for TV9 Network.
WITH CLOSE to 30 years of successful experience in the media sector -- both in India and abroad – in top managerial positions and as an entrepreneur, Barun happened to be the youngest CEO in the news TV industry when he was piloting Zee News Ltd to leadership positions. For Barun even the sky is not the limit as he picks up his own challenges. His show 'Duologue with Barun Das' on News9 Plus has crafted a new conversation paradigm as it features an eclectic mix of leaders - Indian and global. Global and Indian media has hailed the show like never before even as it originates from a media stable.
AN ALUMNUS of IIT-Madras, IIM Calcutta and London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE London),he has had successful stints at Zee, MCCS (owner of the erstwhile Star group’s news operations in India), India Today Group, and ABP Group etc. He worked as the Head of International Business Development at Astro All Asia Networks Plc., Kuala Lumpur. After his stint in Zee, Barun turned entrepreneur and built his start-up focusing on the convergence of technology, content and healthcare. The start-up has now been acquired by TV9 Network.
BARUN DAS was a member of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and was once a juror for finals of the International Emmys for News Television. Barun currently serves on the board of News Broadcasters Federation (NBF) as its vice-president. Earlier he was part of the founding team of the News Broadcasters & Digital Association (then known as NBA). An avid sportsman, Barun was also selected for the Junior National team in Bridge during his college days.
Amit is a well-established media sales leader in the news genre in India. He has worked in leadership roles across major television news brands including Zee News/Zee Media, Sify, Times Network and Network 18. Amit joined TV9 Network in June 2020 and prior to that he worked with Network 18 as Executive Vice President, leading the government revenue function there.
Having more than three decades in the television industry, Badari has been part of several pioneering initiatives in the sector (including launch of 13 channels) His experience encompasses several operational and strategic initiatives. Having started his career with Sony, he made broadcast technology his key strength area. He has served in senior positions with leading media platforms like ETV including setting up the film VFX division at Ramoji Film City. He joined TV9 Network in 2003 and has been part of the Network's rich journey being its go to man for anything to do with technology.
An experienced media professional having been on the business side for almost two decades, Bhushan Khot has been working as Business Head for TV9(Marathi) since 2019. Bhushan has served in varied functional roles in Brand Marketing & Business Development with well-known FMCG Brands & Media organizations. He has worked with leading Media houses like Times of India, Zee Media, DNA and Sakal Media in senior capacities.
Devleena comes with over 20 years experience of successfully executing leadership roles in HR domain. She has led TV Today Group's Human Resource function, served as Head of HR- Colors & Corporate at Viacom 18, Head of HR for Zoom & Movies Now- part of Times Television Network and was Chief of Staff at Culture Machine Media Pvt Ltd where she managed overall Business Operations besides HR in her previous roles.
A technology leader, Hemant drives competitiveness bringing upfront out of box ideas and innovations. He has about two decades of experience in the media industry. Prior to joining TV9, he worked for NDTV as the Senior VP of Technology and CEO of NDTV Labs. Among his main interests are cloud computing, data analytics, and artificial intelligence in journalism. Working with TV9's editorial, product, and SEO teams, he provides robust technology support to run TV9's successful digital presence.
Raktim brings with him over two decades of rich experience in leadership positions. Known for driving future growth agendas and turning around incumbent businesses, his expertise runs through key functional areas ranging from Business Strategy, Content Planning to Brand management & Marketing to Ad Sales and Branded Content. He successfully launched many global media brands in India including the iconic Harvard Business Review and has to his credit many industry-first and award-winning initiatives. With a sparkling career featuring stints at top organisations like Zee Media, Zee Entertainment, Network 18, India Today Group and The Times of India, Raktim straddles diverse media formats from Print to Television to Digital with equal ease.
An industry veteran with more than 25 years of proven experience across businesses in financial management, regulatory framework and leveraging financial data for business transformation, Sivananda is an established financial leader in Consultancy, Manufacturing, and Media & Entertainment industry. As an effective business partner, he brings with him a strategic and operational focus with an optimum balance in an increasingly global and volatile business environment. In the ever changing media and entertainment business landscape, he has led from the front collaborating with relevant competencies in identifying opportunities for top-line and bottom line growth with the right investment prescriptions.
A recognized business leader in the news media Industry, Vikram has a well demonstrated experience in driving revenue across broadcasting, publishing, FM, Outdoor and the Digital. He has held senior positions at top media brands including the Times of India. Currently heading TV9 Network-South as its COO, during his 18 years journey with TV9, Vikram been one among the core members in the network from the channel inception days. He has been part of the growth story from a regional channel network to being India's biggest news network.
