After six years of championing Amar Chitra Katha’s (ACK) legacy and growth, the comic book powerhouse’s CEO and president Preeti Vyas is stepping down from her position.
“Being chosen to lead a brand that has profoundly impacted generations of Indians was an incredible honour,” she told AnimationXpress. Vyas joined ACK in 2019 as president & chief operating officer and was promoted to president & chief executive officer by the board in 2020. She has led ACK’s transformation into a profitable, future-facing company with a modern voice all while staying true to the soul of the brand and the legacy.
“I always saw myself as the “current CEO”—just one link in a long chain of past and future leaders. Over the past six years, I’ve worked harder, created more, and learnt more than ever before in my career. This journey taught me how to lead transformation with sensitivity, balancing heritage with innovation. Each year brought its own challenges and breakthroughs,” she shared.
Under her leadership the company launched transmedia products including apparel, toys, games, and educational tools, formed powerful partnerships with leading publishers, ministries, and brands and made the brand visible again. The company also achieved massive growth in digital businesses with lakhs of users globally, and scaled content creation to an all-time high, including the launch of two new imprints and many new language editions.
“What’s been most remarkable is the bond I share with the team, and the lessons I’ve learned from them every day,” she expressed. “From stalwarts like our ACK executive editor Reena Puri, our group art director Savio Mascarenhas and our Tinkle editor-in-chief Gayathri Chandrasekaran to our youngest team member Abhishek T, just 21, each member of our team has inspired me deeply. Without their trust, in ACK and in me, none of this would have been possible.”
ACK is yet to announce who will be replacing Vyas as the president & CEO. As she bids farewell to the company, she advises the new leadership team to believe deeply in the brand, stay on top of technology and create exponentially more content without losing sight of the purpose of the company, which is putting Indian stories into the hands of every Indian child, regardless of family income or geography.
Vyas’ own publishing house FunOKPlease, an independent, award-winning company which publishes children’s books on contemporary Indian themes, will continue to be in operation. While she moves on from ACK to new adventures, she will continue to work in the media and content space to carry everything that she learnt at ACK ahead.
Her tenure has been marked by bold leadership, significant milestones, and a deep commitment to storytelling. She leaves behind a legacy that defined a pivotal era in the company’s history. Having played a key role in the company’s transformation, she now prepares for the next chapter of her career. We wish her the best of luck!
