Press Release

Uday Shankar: Star Performer

26 December 2015

When he took over as the chief executive officer at Star India in 2007, former journalist Uday Shankar faced twin challenges—to boost the sagging popularity of Star in the face of tough competition, and  prove himself as he was not from a traditional media/advertising background.

Under Shankar’s leadership in the last eight years, the channel’s yield has grown five times. According to a Morgan Stanley report, published in August 2015, Star India has become the most valued broadcast network in the country, with its numerous channels reaching out to more than 720 million people every week.

According to estimates, Star’s turnover has grown fivefold in the eight years that Shankar has been at the helm to `8,500 crore at the end of the last fiscal. Its market share, in terms of cumulative television viewership in India, has also doubled to 24 per cent in this period.

Ever since he became the top boss, Shankar has been innovating and doing away with old formats. By investing in new ventures such as Hotstar, Star’s newest digital entertainment platform, under Shankar, the company is next eyeing the online viewership space, and with much success.
Did you know?

Shankar works behind a standing desk as “standing upright while working” helps him stay fit and think better

Source: newindianexpress.com

Show me everything from anytime

Life OK charts a winning strategy

“Life OK was supposed to be a challenger to the No. 1 slot within the network. We had the full backing of the management in terms of intent and investment. But the proof that we can actually do it has come only in the last 6-8 months. We have grown to 14 per cent share and reached No. 4. But more importantly, people are taking notice that in terms of reach, we are as good as the top channel! Having said that, we are getting as many failures as we are getting hits. So there is more we need to do

Life OK: Rising Star

Sanjay Gupta, COO, Star India, "Star One wasn't sharply positioned. It didn't make much sense to either viewers or advertisers. There was an opportunity to talk to conservative India, where people believe in the importance of tradition and family. The revenues of Life OK are much more than five times those of Star One. It has the potential to be the next No 1."

Those epic good old days

Classic stories like Mahabharat are evergreen.

Imagine more
Id: 7223