Whatever Uday Shankar takes up next will be a game-changer in the industry: Arnab Goswami
The Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV says few can match Uday Shankar’s depth of understanding the Indian media business
With Uday Shankar stepping down as President of The Walt Disney Company (APAC) and Chairman of Star & Disney India, we at exchange reached out to some of the top industry leaders for their thoughts on the big exit.
Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami had this to say: “Uday and I go back a long way and I am hundred per cent sure that whatever he takes up next he is going to turn it into magic. Uday is one of the few professionals in this country today whose understanding of both the content and the business side is very well evolved.”
“Few can match his depth of understanding the Indian media business. He is going to be a great leader, a great entrepreneur and whatever he takes up next. I am sure it’s going to be a game-changer in our industry,” Goswami further said.
Shankar took over as President, The Walt Disney Company APAC and Chairman, Star & Disney India, in February 2019.
Prior to that, he was President of 21st Century Fox for Asia and the Chairman & CEO of Star India. He took over the leadership of Star India in 2007 and transformed not only the Star business into one of the largest and most successful media companies in Asia but has also played a significant role in revolutionizing the media landscape of the region with a great team, audacious strategy and meticulous execution.
A believer in the power of local execution, Shankar led Star’s aggressive foray into regional and local language programming, transforming Star into a content powerhouse, which now broadcasts more than 30,000 hours of content every year.
He also consolidated Star’s sports broadcasting operations through 21st Century Fox’s acquisition of its joint venture with ESPN. Today, Star Sports is India’s largest sports broadcaster and is fundamentally redefining India’s sports ecosystem. In a notoriously single sport country, Star has launched multiple domestic sports leagues like those in Kabaddi and Football and has pioneered the agenda of creating a thriving multi-sports culture.
Under Shankar’s leadership, Star has also made strides in disrupting the country’s digital landscape with the launch of Hotstar, which is now India’s largest over-the-top (OTT) platform for professionally produced content and has gone global in its footprint with offerings in the US, Canada and the UK.
