K. Madhavan who is currently the president of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) and as chairman of the National Committee of Media & Entertainment CII (Confederation of Indian Industry), has also been appointed as the President at The Walt Disney Company India and Star India, effective immediately. The announcement was done by Rebecca Campbell, chairman, International Operations and Direct-to-Consumer, The Walt Disney Company. Madhavan takes over from Uday Shankar who had stepped down as president, the Walt Disney Company APAC and chairman, Star and Disney India, last October.
As a president, Madhavan will drive the strategy and growth of the Company in India, with responsibility for the vast Disney, Star and Hotstar businesses and operations spanning across entertainment, sports and regional channels, and direct-to-consumer. This includes oversight of channel distribution and advertising sales, as well as a thriving local content production business that currently is responsible for the creation of 18,000 hours of original content across fiction, non-fiction, sports, and movies in eight languages.
Speaking about Madhavan’s appointment, Campbell said, “For the past several months, I have had the pleasure of working directly with KM and have seen firsthand how he has adeptly managed our India business, which has been and will continue to be critical to our global and regional strategy. A skilled leader with an extensive background in media, KM has taken our vast Star networks and local content production businesses to new heights despite continued industry evolution and significant challenges due to the pandemic.”
On taking up the new role, Madhavan said, “I am very proud to have the opportunity to lead the incredibly talented and passionate team we have in India, and to further build upon our strong portfolio of channels and high-quality programming that is a favorite with viewers across the region. We have an exciting journey ahead of us. I am committed to continuing to move our business forward, working more closely together with colleagues across Disney to enhance our global and regional offerings.”
Madhavan is no stranger to the company, he has served Star & Disney India as Country Head since 2019, where he was responsible for overseeing company’s television and studios business in India. In 2009 he joined Star India as its South Head, where he spearheaded the building of company’s regional entertainment portfolio. Prior to joining Star India, he served as MD and CEO in 2000-2008 at Asianet, he was the driving force behind Asianet’s growth as the leader in Malayalam with more than 50 percent of market share.
