Current Star India chairman/CEO and 21st Century Fox Asia-Pacific (only Asia) president, Uday Shankar has been named as the vice president (VP) of The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
Shankar has been a leading voice in the Indian media and broadcasting sector, shaping reforms for the industry and its consumers. As the chairman of the FICCI Media & Entertainment Committee and former president of the Indian Broadcasting Federation, he has been at the forefront of landmark changes in self-regulation and pushing access for consumers to the digitised distribution.
Holding an M. Phil in Economic History from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, Shankar entered the media sector as a political journalist with The Times of India. He rose to become the CEO and editor of Star News, after spearheading the successful launch of the country’s first 24-hour Hindi news channel- Aaj Tak in 2000 and Headlines Today in English in 2003, as editor and news director of the TV Today Group.
While Apollo Hospitals joint managing director Sangita Reddy has now been elevated as the senior vice president of FICCI for 2018-19, Shankar is the first ever Indian media and entertainment executive to assume the leadership position in a national industry chamber like FICCI, which is also the oldest in the country.
A trendsetter in the media and entertainment industry for over two decades, Shankar has played a leadership role in making Star India, one of the largest media and entertainment companies in India, reaching over 720 million viewers a month, across the country and more than 100 other countries.
FICCI has also elected HSIL vice chairman and managing director Sandip Somany as its president for 2018-19, after the conclusion of its 91st Annual General Meeting on 14-15 December.
With this coveted industry acknowledgment, Somany will be working closely with Government and business leaders towards spearheading the country’s economic growth and promote inclusiveness. He was previously working as the senior VP of FICCI.
