TVASIA
K. Madhavan has been appointed as president of The Walt Disney Company India and Star India, effective immediately.
The appointment comes following the exit of longtime Star India head Uday Shankar at the end of last year. Madhavan will oversee the Disney, Star and Hotstar businesses in India, including channel distribution and advertising sales, local content production and a thriving direct-to-consumer business.
“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,” said Rebecca Campbell, chairman of international operations and direct-to-consumer at The Walt Disney Company. “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.”
“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,” said Madhavan. “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 has been country manager of Star and Disney India since 2019, overseeing the television and studio. businesses. He joined Star India in 2009 to oversee the southern Indian portfolio.
