At the 25th Annual General Meeting of the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation concluded in New Delhi today, JioStar’s Kevin Vaz has taken over the reins of IBDF President from K. Madhavan and taking up the VP role at the foundation are India TV’s Rajat Sharma, SPNI’s Gaurav Banerjee and Sun TV Network’s R. Mahesh Kumar, and Treasurer- Eenadu’s I Venkat.
The AGM was chaired by Rajat Sharma, Chairman of India TV, in his capacity as Vice President of IBDF, following the recent resignation of K. Madhavan as President of the Foundation.
Key Appointments to the IBDF Board:
During the AGM, the following appointments to the IBDF Board were also announced:
- Gaurav Dwivedi, Prasar Bharati
- Jayant M. Mathew, MMTV
- Aroon Purie, TV Today
The other board members include:
- Rajat Sharma, India TV
- I. Venkat, Eenadu TV
- Kevin Vaz, JioStar
- R. Mahesh Kumar, Sun Network
- Gaurav Banerjee, Culver Max
- Nachiket Pantvaidya, Bangla Entertainment
- Punit Goenka, Zee Media
- Ashish Sehgal, Zee Entertainment
Board Meeting and Election of Office Bearers:
Following the AGM, a meeting of the IBDF Board of Directors was convened, during which the following members were co-opted to the Board:
- Sumanto Bose, JioStar
- John Brittas, Kairali TV
The Board also elected the new office bearers of IBDF:
- President: Kevin Vaz
- Vice Presidents: Rajat Sharma, Gaurav Banerjee and R. Mahesh Kumar
- Treasurer: I. Venkat
Addressing the members during the AGM, India TV’s Rajat Sharma reflected upon IBDF’s 25-year journey and emphasised on the Foundation’s role in shaping the Indian broadcasting landscape.
He said, “This milestone highlights the steadfast contributions of our members in transforming the broadcasting industry. As we move forward, IBDF will continue advocating for a regulatory framework that fosters innovation, supports creators, and ensures fair competition. Together, we will drive the industry toward a sustainable and prosperous future.”
Having said that, he also expressed gratitude to the outgoing President, K. Madhavan, for his visionary leadership, which had been instrumental in navigating the organisation through pivotal times.
Additionally, the newly elected President, JioStar’s Kevin Vaz, remarked, “It is an honour to take on this responsibility at such a transformative time for the media and entertainment sector. India’s appetite for content is unmatched, making it a unique market where all forms of media continue to grow, while Indian content increasingly gains international recognition furthering India’s soft power globally. As we increasingly embrace technology to scale up, it is imperative that we democratize content creation so that it is not demographically or geographically limited. While India consumes content from anywhere, driven by the proliferation of 5G, smartphones, connected TVs and better Pay TV infrastructure, we must ensure that opportunities to create professional content from locations beyond the current hotspots is a viable future for the industry.”
He further went on to emphasize that the media and entertainment industry has a multiplier effect that extends to sectors like sports, creating significant opportunities for growth at scale.
“To ensure that this growth can be sustainable we need to look at business models rooted in equitable collaborations that foster value creation for all stakeholders across the ecosystem.
I also look forward to work with the government and industry in developing progressive, soft-touch regulations that empower the sector to innovate and harness its full potential for sustainable growth,” he said.
Concludingly, Vaz also urged all IBDF members to collaborate in building a vibrant, innovative, and sustainable ecosystem that captivates audiences and propels the growth of India’s media and entertainment industry.
