The Board of Directors of the Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation (IBDF) on Friday elected JioStar CEO Kevin Vaz as its president at the 25th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in New Delhi. The AGM was chaired by Rajat Sharma in his capacity as vice president of IBDF after the resignation of K Madhavan as president of the Foundation.
Rajat Sharma addressed the gathering at the AGM and highlighted the IBDF's 25-year journey, emphasising the Foundation's role in shaping the Indian broadcasting landscape. "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," he said.
Rajat Sharma also expressed gratitude to the outgoing president K Madhavan for his leadership, which was instrumental in navigating the organisation through crucial times.
JioStar CEO Kevin Vaz addressed the gathering and said, "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 stated 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.
Kevin Vaz further 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.
Key appointments to the IBDF Board:
During the AGM, the following appointments to the IBDF Board were 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:
1. Sumanto Bose, JioStar
2. John Brittas, Kairali TV
The Board also elected the new office bearers of IBDF:
1. President: Kevin Vaz
2. Vice Presidents: Rajat Sharma, Gaurav Banerjee and R Mahesh Kumar
3. Treasurer: I Venkat
