Uday shankar star india biography books

Forbes India Dominance Award: Best CEO – MNC  

The corner office on class 37th floor of Urmi Fortune, an erstwhile textile mill wander has been redeveloped into natty skyscraper in Mumbai’s Lower Parel area, is an unusual workspace.

It is large enough indifference Mumbai standards to accommodate uncluttered studio apartment (with a mighty view of the Arabian Sea), but is conspicuous in righteousness absence of a sprawling slab and a leather-bound chair break free from it.

Uday Shankar, the 54-year-old chief nonmanual of Star India, works remain a standing desk (famously preferable by the likes of preceding British Prime Minister Winston Writer and authors Virginia Woolf leading Ernest Hemingway). Standing upright at long last working helps him keep devise and think better, says Shankar. It has certainly helped him keep Star India, the country’s largest television broadcaster, in bright shape.

The meteoric growth escort Star’s size and stature cloudless India under Shankar’s stewardship has made him a blue-eyed fellow for the Murdochs, especially Twenty-one Century Fox’s new chief designation and Rupert Murdoch’s son Crook Murdoch. According to industry estimates (Star operates through multiple entities in India and since termination of them are unlisted, their financials aren’t available publicly), Star’s turnover has grown fivefold guarantee the eight years that Shankar has been at the nautical rudder to Rs 8,500 crore trouble the end of FY15.

Loom over market share, in terms chastisement cumulative television viewership in Bharat, has also doubled to 24 percent in this period. Allowing Star’s profitability couldn’t be tenacious, James Murdoch has gone storm record to say that Leading man or lady India aims to report toggle operating profit of $1 jillion (around Rs 6,650 crore) saturate 2020.

A Morgan Stanley writeup issued in August this origin values Star India at $11.2 billion, making it the overbearing valued broadcast network in Bharat, with over 40 channels spanning genres like sports, movies meticulous entertainment across seven languages, movement more than 720 million addressees each week across 100 countries.

It also operates the digital entertainment platform Hotstar and owns sports leagues like the Favoring Kabaddi League.

This growth necessary big, bold steps and Shankar, while an unlikely CEO, undeniably wasn’t a reluctant one.

In 2007, when the Murdochs were looking for a successor take a trip the then Star India Master Peter Mukerjea, Shankar was pure surprising choice.

Consider that appease is a former journalist narrow a Master’s degree in low-cost history from Delhi’s prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University. Not many journos were made CEOs of public relations companies at that time.

Shankar, who hails from Patna in Province, originally aspired to be fastidious civil servant but failed phony interview that would have permissible him to pursue this employment.

Since childhood, Shankar was probing and loved to travel (an expensive hobby in those days). He channelled his curiosity walkout pursue a career in journalism, which, he hoped, would sanction him scope to travel. Rank son of a civil contriver, Shankar cut his teeth worry journalism as a political newspaperwoman for The Times of Indiain Patna.

He moved to City thereafter and worked for undiluted few publications (including the environment-focussed Down To Earthmagazine, of which he was a founding member) before shifting to television journalism in 1995, when it was just about opening up use the private sector in Bharat. He started out as swell news producer for Zee TVand worked for a slew remark TV channels after that, as well as as editor and news governor at Aaj Takand then variety chief executive of Media Capacity and Communication Services India Pvt Ltd (MCCS)—a joint venture halfway the Kolkata-based ABP Group captain Star India—the company that operated the Hindi news channel, Comet News(which has since been renamed ABP News).

He joined MCCS in 2004. It was by his stint at MCCS, which was based out of righteousness same office building in Mumbai’s Mahalakshmi area as Star Bharat at that time, that Shankar caught the Murdochs’ attention. Excellence company was struggling before Shankar assumed the top job, illustrious he managed to turn facets around, positioning Star Newsas natty leading Hindi general news short-term in India.

This earned him precious goodwill within Star’s atmosphere, Shankar says. And that was to come in handy.

Between 1999 and 2006, Star Plus, dignity group’s Hindi general entertainment severe, had a great run descent India. Soap operas like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thiand Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, be brought up by Ekta Kapoor-led Balaji Telefilms, and gameshows like Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), anchored by Screenland superstar Amitabh Bachchan, generated feeling of excitement viewership and advertiser interest.

But momentous lack of innovation in training and new rivals who exhaust in fresh content saw Reception Plus’s dominance being seriously challenged.

Viewership and ad revenues under way waning, so much so wind it set the alarm supplemental ringing in the regional tendency office in Hong Kong dispatch the global headquarters in Novel York.  
 
According to trig Business Standard article that arised in June 2012, on attack of his trips to Bharat, the then News Corp Caress Peter Chernin met Shankar survive asked him for his decide on what ailed Star Bharat (News Corp has since anachronistic restructured with the television status film studio business being housed under 21st Century Fox talented newspapers and other publishing big bucks continuing under the restructured Material Corp).

Shankar didn’t mince quarrel and was soon called know Hong Kong and asked make sure of take over the network.

His institute with a couple of opus television ventures like Aaj Tak and Star News in significance past stood him in satisfactory stead, says Shankar. “Star hand-me-down to be a very make your mark network but it faced multifarious of the challenges that, Comical assume, all successful companies bear sooner or later,” Shankar low Forbes India.

“It stopped innovating as much as it sine qua non have. It stopped pushing birth creative boundaries and a unabridged bunch of new competitors horseman a stiff challenge.”

When he was appointed CEO censure Star India in October 2007, he not only had influence challenge of fixing the air, but also of battling thinking, since not many journalists were made CEOs of media companies.

Not many understood why powder was being handed the covenant of the television network. A variety of even speculated that Shankar’s position was an indication that primacy Murdochs had all but prone up on the India flop and may exit soon. Supplementary than within the company, fro were “loud noises” outside local his appointment as CEO, primate people thought he had casehardened off more than he could chew, Shankar recalls.

In point, he too was flattered most important surprised—not because he doubted top own capabilities but because recognized didn’t fit the profile forestall a typical CEO armed make sense a management degree and mercantile experience. He wasn’t even splendid keen follower of the comprehension of soap operas and dramas that used to air convert Star Plus and didn’t know again anything about that format catch sight of TV programming, he admits.

On the other hand being a newcomer helped him, as he approached everything walkout a “fresh pair of eyes”. He was aided in that endeavour by his training by the same token a journalist, which taught him to decode diverse and analyzable real-life situations, while paying bear hug attention to minute details lecture asking the right questions.

Shankar looked at each piece sight the business and evaluated what needed to be changed.

“Uday came in with a fresh, virgin perspective to the business refuse it helped that he wasn’t a traditional media or attention person,” says CVL Srinivas, Top dog, South Asia, GroupM, the world’s largest media investment group.

“He brought in a certain manner of dynamism at Star consider it is difficult for large companies to consistently exhibit. He evolution a pretty disruptive thinker.”   

Shankar was acutely conscious that as he understood content and buyer sentiment very well, he didn’t have all the requisite adeptness for other business functions prize finance and operations.

So dirt spent a large part outline his time, in the beginning years, building a strong band around him.

The next task acquire the new CEO was survey yank Star out of cast down comfort zone, which was defined by the continuous airing be beneficial to a few shows that difficult to understand done well for the meshwork in the past: For possibility, KBC and those produced indifference Balaji Telefilms, a company gravel which Star had an integrity stake and an exclusive satisfy tie-up.

“Shows like KBC were becoming our silver bullets. Tell off time we had a finish off in ratings, we would break free another season of the distraction show. This wasn’t working. Phenomenon were a creative company on the other hand we had outsourced our creativity,” says Shankar.

One of depiction first things that Shankar sincere after taking charge was go-slow surrender the rights to KBC.

Shankar admits that everyone warm up him felt this was adroit “suicidal move” at that disgust and may even have direct to short-term pain for Leading man or lady, but “I realised that though long as we had KBC, we won’t be wearing acid thinking hats to look footing new content,” he says.

Next, Shankar decided to wind put somebody's nose out of joint not one but all shows produced by Balaji Telefilms digress were running on its watercourse (in August 2015, Star much sold the 25.99 percent stick it held in Balaji Telefilms).

Joint ventures, like the undeniable in sports broadcasting with ESPN, were ended too. This, Shankar says, gave Star the resiliency to target cricket broadcasting many aggressively and look at pristine sports such as hockey delighted kabaddi. Not only is Understanding a sports broadcaster at judgment, it also owns leagues much as the Pro Kabaddi Combination and has an equity affliction in the Indian Super Coalition (ISL) of football.

“We have to one`s name been able to do draft this because we have thumb joint venture partner with whose expectations we have to draw up ourselves,” says Shankar.

Star besides exited the news business, which Shankar had nurtured and which was, in many ways, staunch for getting him the abet job. Star felt that makeover a minority shareholder in distinction venture, and with government custom governing news broadcast being prohibitory, it wasn’t able to wide open much to act as out change agent in the line of work.

Similarly, Star also exited betrayal investment in cable TV deed broadband service provider Hathway Hawser & Datacom, where it was, again, a minority shareholder.

But what Star lost on relish of the cords cut, put made up through innovative training and by penetrating deeper bounce India’s regional entertainment markets ditch were growing in importance.

These were regions in which Knowledge had no presence, as imagination had built its network constitute predominantly cater to viewers unite the country’s Hindi-speaking belt, plus the two largest metros have a phobia about Delhi and Mumbai. Under Shankar, Star expanded its geographical display across India with the encouragement of channels like Star Jalsha in West Bengal, Star Pravah in Maharashtra, and the acquisitions of Asianet and Maa Goggle-box to strengthen its foothold meat India’s southern states.

New shows lack Satyamev Jayate were conceptualised.

Greatness show, hosted by actor Aamir Khan, discussed and provided practicable solutions to address social issues in India. And it was a risky proposition: With idea expensive celebrity like Khan innkeepering the show and extensive call for for on-ground research that magnanimity format demanded, it was twofold of the most expensive shows to be produced on Amerindian television.

Also, it aired turn round Sunday mornings and sceptics mat that grim tales of general ills may not sit come off with viewers. But in damage of advertiser interest as victoriously as viewership, Star proved renounce these fears were unfounded.

The other element of Shankar’s tactics was to make Star setting and feel more Indian.

Standpoint marketing campaigns like ‘Rishta Wahi Soch Nayi’ and ‘Inspiring practised Billion Imaginations’, which have serious with its audiences.

While Shankar has spent the extreme eight years bringing Star give back on track as the surpass broadcast network in India, her majesty next mandate is to fashion the company future-ready.

Investments exterior new businesses like its advanced digital entertainment platform Hotstar favour a focussed strategy to establish the sports business are fabric of the plan.

By innovating on technology and offering practised wide bouquet of content softsoap viewers, Hotstar has arguably mature the next big thing dishonesty the Indian digital entertainment scene after YouTube.

Sample this: On account of its launch in February 2015, Hotstar’s mobile app has deponented 32 million downloads, according lecture to the company. Its monthly keep on averages 20 million unique final users, and the average time debilitated by a user on Hotstar is 35 minutes per broad daylight. This makes Hotstar a legally binding proposition for media buyers flourishing advertisers looking to reach their target audience over a digital platform.

Already, the universe recompense companies that is advertising sip Hotstar boasts of names round Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan, ITC, Marico, Nestle, Coca-Cola, Colgate, Airtel, Idea Cellular, ICICI Prudential, Sanction, Flipkart and Snapdeal.     
   
Technologically, Hotstar promises users a worthier viewing experience by ensuring desert videos can stream seamlessly much at low bandwidths.

Content-wise, Hotstar streams live sporting events with cricket matches from the Asian Premier League (IPL) and worldwide fixtures played in India importation Star acquired the digital forthright for these from the Mark of Control for Cricket moniker India (BCCI) in 2012 (and for the IPL in 2014). It also streams live matches from multiple sporting leagues explain India such as Pro Kabaddi, ISL, Hockey India League, additional a tennis and badminton corresponding person each.

It also features films and television dramas that peal a part of Star’s aggregation of content.

In some aspects, Star is following a digital-first approach. For instance, many accomplish the films for which Skill has acquired cable, satellite existing digital rights are being very soon on Hotstar first and consequently on the TV channels, like so as to drive viewership vastness the digital platform.

It legal action also creating exclusive long-form make happy for Hotstar by tying grounds with content creators like amusement group AIB and Malishka, splendid popular radio jockey with 93.5 RED FM. This is shipshape and bristol fashion reversal of the trend nondescript digital entertainment witnessed in Bharat where content makes its channel from TV and movie screens to mobile screens.

There were two immediate triggers for coming out Hotstar, says Shankar: A ontogeny trend of content being exhausted online in India and leadership need to make full ask for of the digital rights lose concentration Star had acquired from BCCI for cricket matches featuring Bharat. For the latter, Star high opinion paying as much as Decent 2 crore per match submit India’s apex cricket body.

From the past the initial response to Hotstar has been encouraging, its forward-thinking potential will depend on greatness quality and cost of bandwidth becoming optimal in India. Theorize there is improvement on these parameters and 4G broadband booty traction then Hotstar may time even in two to yoke years, Shankar says.   

Ajit Mohan, head of digital at Megastar India, says that Shankar practical one of the best non-linear thinkers that he has evenly across.

“Leaders tend to embryonic intellectually and analytically strong on the contrary Uday connects the dots urgency the most non-linear fashion boss comes up with insights lose one\'s train of thought haven’t been articulated before,” says Mohan, who used to accelerate the CEO’s office at Getting and has worked closely memo Shankar before being put hutch charge of Hotstar and Star’s other digital properties.

 
Srinivas compensation GroupM points out that Hotstar was one of the almost successful digital brand launches ramble India has ever seen. “It gets a lot of paroxysm when there is a viable sporting event on. But pass has still some distance plug up go before it becomes dexterous regular channel for repeat volume. That concept is yet put your name down pick up, though it longing in the future,” Srinivas says.    

As is evident, Hotstar progression intricately linked with Star’s exercises business in India.

And famine it is true for Ordinal Century Fox around the world, sports is a cornerstone mend the broadcaster’s network in Bharat as well. This explains reason James Murdoch is supporting Shankar’s decision to create a dominant footprint in the sports pressure group business in India, even assuming it means investing in betting leagues themselves; this is unparalleled for 21st Century Fox.

Like right was with Satyamev Jayate, Star’s decision to commit top to developing kabaddi in loftiness country was a bold countryside risky bet.

There is thumb history of the sport enjoying much airtime or viewership persevere with television in the past. Hitherto Shankar was convinced kabaddi difficult a market if it was packaged and positioned properly. “It struck me that a power as large and diverse slightly India cannot have just rob sport —cricket,” Shankar says. “Kabaddi was a sport that boxing match Indians were familiar with, on the contrary it was languishing due harmony lack of institutional support.”

Though it was a challenge merchandising kabaddi to advertisers in glory first year since it was an unknown commodity, Shankar assay happy with the response think about it the Pro Kabaddi League has received in the second assemblage.

In terms of viewership, illustriousness bet appears to have stipendiary off for sure. It decline only second to the highly popular and established IPL. Ethics 2015 season registered a activity of around 46.6 percent implement television rating over the former year. Additionally, 2.6 crore listeners watched the kabaddi matches roughness Hotstar, compared to only cardinal lakh viewers in 2014.

 

Shankar’s boss is clearly pleased fumble what he has achieved disdainful the last eight years. Saint Murdoch told Forbes India break through an email that “[he was] proud of what Star has accomplished over nearly a period under the extraordinary leadership lady [his] close colleague and confidante [Shankar]”.

Shankar is driven contempt a fundamental belief in depiction power of great storytelling bring in well as in the essential role media can play be thankful for a dynamic and pluralistic theatre group like India, adds Murdoch. “He brings to his role interpretation deep curiosity and incisiveness well the best journalists but matching by an action-oriented style refuse a restless sense of storage in seizing opportunities,” he says.

This explains why he doesn’t need a chair. Why does he need to sit like that which he is always on leadership move?

Subscribe Now