Simon Spanswick Chief Executive AIB – Association for International Broadcasting @AIBnews
In the hunt for ratings can truth survive? Does the desire for fast-moving stories exclude slow burn stories like climate change?
Shravan Garg Senior Journalist & Advisor, Mass Communication Department Prestige Institute of Management & Research, Indore
"Media massages the message &TRP is the sole TRUMPet today."
Rana Yashwant Managing Editor India News
Time and taste of viewers are indicating that news broadcast industry has to change gear and direction to make the society more responsible and government more accountable.
Archana Datta Ex - Director General All India Radio & Doordarshan
"News is not views, neither opinion-mongering. Viewers look for facts, information in a news broadcast, not coloured opinion. Should a news channel run after TRP at the cost of losing its credibility?"
Junior Anand Gupta Founder SHE & Ninja Girl Bags CEO - Homespice Decor
"News reporting should dig to the real story beneath the surface and give accurate information to the viewer"
Sanjay Gupta Managing Director, Star India
A post graduate from IIM Calcutta, he brings in more than 20 years of experience across various aspects of marketing and sales in major consumer industries. Prior to Star, Sanjay was the Chief Marketing Officer with Bharti Airtel where he was instrumental in driving marketing, sales and distribution for the $6 bn mobile business. Before Bharti, he was with Hindustan Unilever where he drove marketing for two of its largest segments; Oral care and Home care and worked with powerful consumer brands like Close-up, Pepsodent, Wheel, Vim and Domex at HUL.
Sanjay had been Star Network’s Chief Operating Officer from 2009 and its Managing Director from 2016. He oversees the operations of its portfolio of over 25 channels and its movies business, Fox Star Studios, which is jointly owned by Star India and 21st Century Fox. Sanjay has been a primary driver of Star’s growth story by exploring new content genres, introducing multiple platforms for content delivery and expanding the portfolio of channels. He brought in a fresh perspective to Hindi General Entertainment, when he led the refresh of Star Plus brand identity. He has been instrumental in expanding traditional television content to digital platforms through Hotstar and StarSports.com, spearheading the growth of HD channels and creating India’s first media company with a completely digitized back end. He has been deeply involved in key milestones for the sports business: rebranding of the Star Sports portfolio, sports content acquisition and re-invention of a range of new sports to the country through the launch of domestic leagues like Pro Kabaddi League.
He thrives on the changing and challenging dynamics of the media business and is constantly on the look-out for the next big leap for Star, which will set the benchmark for the industry. He is married to Ruchi. Their son Aman; is 17 years old.
Alok Mehta Chief Editor Outlook Hindi
Alok Mehta Chief Editor, Outlook Hindi
Alok Mehta is a multi faceted professional. He is an Editor, a T.V. Broadcaster, a Political & Social Commentator and a writer. He has been honoured with the prestigious Padma Shri Award for contribution to Hindi Journalism and to Hindi Literature. He is also an ex-President and Secretary General of Editors Guild of India. Alok Mehta has a wide Experience of 44 years in Print and audio Visual Media. He has anchored the popular show ‘Encounter’, a TV Interview program for Zee News for close to 5 Years. He has also been active participant across Hindi news channels and also did a number of Independent TV Programs for Doordarshan. Alok Mehta has been the Editor of leading publications – Hindi Outlook , Nav Bharat Times, Hindustan, Nai Dunia, Dainik Bhaskar, National Duniya, Governance Now Hindi Edition. He was known for his vitriolic write ups in Nav Bharat Times on con man Chandra Swami, the then President Jail Singh and V.P. Singh, exposing them to the hilt. The front page story in NBT, as to how the President’s house during Gyani Jail Singh tenure, had become a den of terrorists is still included in list of rare stories on the block. As for Chnadra Swami, the conman, Alok Mehta stood his ground despite legal threats as well as dire consequence for his life, namely, would be run over by a truck. Speaking of Alok Mehta, being the president of Editor’s Guild of India (for the first time in 50 years a Hindi editor was bestowed upon by this rare prestige) reminds us for his scintillating journalistic career. He served Editors Guild of India as President for 2 years and Secretary General for 4 years This speaks a volume about his credibility among editors of India. Besides, he has been member of National Integration Council (Govt. of India ) Press council of India, Trusty of Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation , National Library Advisory Board, and Prem Bhatia Memorial Trust. His laurels include Padam Shri, D.Lit. by Vikram University, Ujjain, Bahrtendu Harishchandra Award by Government of India, Ganesh Shankar Vidhyarthy Award of Kendriya Hindi Sanstahn of Govt. of India, Patrakarita Bhushan Award of U.P. Government, Patrakar Sahityakar Samman of Hindi Akademi Delhi, Haldighati Samman, Sharad Joshi Samman of M.P. Government for literary and Journalism work, Delhi National Harmony Awards for Journalism in 1993, National Tulsi Award 1996. His corpus of creative 17 books includes Bharat Me Patrakarita, Patrakarita Ki Lakshman Rekha, Safar Suhana Duniya Ka, Nami Chehre Yadgar Mulakaten (Interviews of Prominent personalies of India and other countries), Bharat Ke Rashtrapati (From Rajendra Prasad to Pratibha Patil), Bird did not Sing Yet Again ( Chidia Fir Nahi Chahaki -Collections of Short Stories ), Tab Aur Ab, Rhine Ke Kinare (German life and culture), and more. The last book Indian Journalism – Keeping It Clean (Published by Rupa & Co.), rated as one book which will serve as ideal Ethics book of journalism for young journalists. In literary short stories he has raised several social issues of India.
Junior Anand Gupta Founder SHE & Ninja Girl Bags CEO - Homespice Decor @SHE_AgainstRape
Junior Anand Gupta Founder SHE & Ninja Girl Bags, CEO - Homespice Decor
Junior Anand Gupta was instrumental in the passage of the Juvenile Justice Act 2015. He is an entrepreneur and a social activist.
He is the founder of SHE – Seeking Her Empowerment and seeks to change laws and social attitudes towards women. He owns several businesses including a social enterprise – Ninja Girl Bags which donates profits towards Women’s Safety and Victims.
Currently he is working to pass the SAFE Act, The Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Act in Parliament which will standardize forensic evidence collection across India
Archana Datta Ex - Director General All India Radio & Doordarshan @ArchanaDatta54
Archana Datta Ex - Director General, All India Radio & Doordarshan
Archana was a member of the Indian Federal Civil Service. She has led both the information and broadcast wings of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting of the Union Government at different levels. Archana worked as the OSD to the Governor of Karnataka and also as the Press Secretary to the President of India. She was the Director General of All India Radio and the Director General Doordarshan, the National Broadcaster.
Her core competence is in the fields of Public Service, Mass Media and Organisational Management. Archana is a post- graduate in Sociology. She has PG Diploma in Human Rights Law and Certificates in Cyber Law and Intellectual Property Rights. Her hobbies are creative writing and photography.
Devi Cherian Columnist & Social Activist @devicherian
Devi Cherian Columnist & Social Activist
Devi Cherian is a widely read columnist with trenchant views, a social activist with a conscience that ignores any partisan line, and a causarati with enviable creative energy. Hailing from a family that has been in politics and social work since three generations, Devi has a good knowledge of national politics and has keen interest in journalism focused on social and political issues. This has made her a respected voice on the subjects in influential circles, leveraging a vast network of well-wishers to help political workers and the common citizen, irrespective of caste and region. Devi’s columns are published in premier national publications like The Pioneer, The Tribune, The Asian Age, Punjab Kesari (the largest selling newspaper in North India printed in Hindi, Punjabi & Urdu), Outlook magazine and Punjab Times (the only International magazine from India). As a result of her efforts to address the social & political issues on many platforms (national & international), she was honored with the prestigious ‘Amar Shaheed Lala Jagat Narayan Memorial Award’ in 2012. Her activism and social intervention roles, both via media and NGO got her the Rajiv Gandhi Rashtriya Ekta Samaan, Journalism Award in 2006. This revered award is conferred upon men & women for their outstanding contributions to national integration. In 2006, she was also honored with the ‘Sarv Sresth Suputri’ ("most honour-worthy daughter") award, the highest award recognized by the government of Himachal Pradesh, for her efforts & commitment for women's empowerment & girl child education. Devi is a trustee on the board of Action India, an NGO that works in the area of providing relief to those afflicted with AIDS. Devi has held various positions over time, which includes being appointed as a Consultant by United Nations Ops at New Delhi. She spends a lot of her time at educational institutions, as she is on the board of various colleges at Delhi University and also delivers lectures at various prestigious schools in the country. Recently, she has been appointed the Member of Board of Directors for Himachal Pradesh Tourism and Civil Aviation. She is married to India's image guru Dilip Cherian who is founding partner of Perfect Relations, South Asia’s largest communications consultancy.
Dheeraj Jain Managing Director Redcliffe Capital
Dheeraj Jain Managing Director - Redcliffe Capital
Dheeraj is currently Managing Director of Redcliffe Capital driving its core business in LBO investments and HY bond advisory business. He is also an active early stage investor and holds a robust portfolio of 28+ businesses in USA and India. At Redcliffe since inception, he structured and financed numerous cross border acquisitions in the mining, metal, technology, security services, manufacturing, shipping, oil, renewable power sectors coving India, USA, UK, Africa.
Prior to his current role he worked at Nokia Mobile phones in various roles including CIO office, Markets Strategy and Global Finance for almost a decade. Before Nokia, he was management consultant at Zensar Technologies (Fujitsu services JV) where he consulted British Gas Transco and Cisco on product development.
He started his career in Norway at a telecom start-up. He was the guest lecturer for under graduates at City University, London UK. He is recently known as the most prolific Indian angel investor of 2016 by Economic Times, leading Indian daily newspaper.
Dheeraj holds a computer science degree from Delhi University, as well as an Executive MBA from Cass Business School, London UK. He currently resides in India, earlier lived in UK and Finland.
Jaishree Misra Author @jaishreemisra
Jaishree Misra Author
Jaishree Misra is the author of eight books published by Penguin and Harper Collins. She has also edited an anthology of writings on motherhood for Zubaan and Save the Children. A non-fiction book on Kerala is due to be published in 2017. Jaishree has also worked as a broadcast journalist at the BBC and as a film classifier at the British Board of Film Classification.
Shravan Garg is a Senior Journalist of the print media. His journalistic footprints — over more than four decades, with leading Hindi, Gujarati and English newspapers have afforded him a ringside view of India in action.
An alumnus of Thomson Foundation, London, UK and Salzburg Seminar, Salzburg, Austria — he has made forays into TV debates, mass media education, consulting, and teaching journalism at the university levels.
His time-line includes the who’s who of print media ranging from The Indian Express Group to Dainik Bhaskar Group to Dainik Jagran Group (NaiDunia) to Free Press Journal Group to Prestige Institute of Management and Research, Indore, amongst others.
He has been an editorial head for the better part of his career and has served as a member of the National Integration Council, Press Council of India, Editors Guild of India, Indian Institute of Mass Communication Society, etc.
His passion for excellence and his unstinted drive for creative journalism are well known hallmarks in the industry. His personal integrity and loyalty to journalism have afforded him a well earned stature as a national media person.
His website shravangarg.com has his writings, poetry and detailed CV.
Sudhir Mishra Founder & Managing Partner Trust Legal, Advocates & Consultants @advsudhirmishra
Sudhir Mishra Founder & Managing Partner – Trust Legal, Advocates & Consultants
One of the eminent Lawyers of the country, Mr. Mishra has delved into sectors including Environment, Healthcare, Infrastructure and Media for over 16 years now. He has represented clients before the Supreme Court of India, State High Courts, National Green Tribunal and various statutory bodies.
Mr. Mishra has been adjudged as the Best Environmental Lawyer of the Year, 2013 by Legal Era Magazine in collaboration with CNBC TV 18 and Business Standard newspaper.He has also been awarded the “Med Achievers Award” in 2014 by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) for his outstanding contributions in the Healthcare Sector among other awards. He had been selected for the most prestigious International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP) sponsored by the United States of America (May 2005) for his contribution to the field of Environment, Forest and Wildlife. Mr. Mishra has been invited to participate in many conferences and events as a Speaker, Faculty or a Jury Member.
Mr. Mishra is also an active member of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) and was appointed as the “India Coordinator” and “Co-chair, New Delhi” of the International Section of NYSBA.