JioStar CEO Kevin Vaz elected IBDF President

New Delhi: The Board of Directors of the Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation (IBDF) on Friday elected JioStar CEO Kevin Vaz as president at the 25th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in New Delhi. 

Rajat Sharma, Gaurav Banerjee and R. Mahesh Kumar were elected vice-presidents. I Venkat is the Treasurer of the apex broadcasters’ body.

The AGM was chaired by Rajat Sharma, Chairman of India TV, in his capacity as Vice President of IBDF, following the recent resignation of K Madhavan as President of the Foundation.

Addressing the members during the AGM, Sharma reflected upon IBDF’s 25-year journey, emphasizing the Foundation's role in shaping the Indian broadcasting landscape.

He said, "This milestone highlights the steadfast contributions of our members in transforming the broadcasting industry. As we move forward, IBDF will continue advocating for a regulatory framework that fosters innovation, supports creators, and ensures fair competition. Together, we will drive the industry toward a sustainable and prosperous future."

Sharma also expressed gratitude to the outgoing President, K. Madhavan, for his visionary leadership, which had been instrumental in navigating the organization through pivotal times.

Key appointments to the IBDF Board:

During the AGM, the following appointments to the IBDF Board were announced:

Gaurav Dwivedi, Prasar Bharati

Jayant M. Mathew, MMTV 

Aroon Purie, TV Today 

The other board members include:

Rajat Sharma, India TV

I. Venkat, Eenadu TV

Kevin Vaz, JioStar

R. Mahesh Kumar, Sun Network

Gaurav Banerjee, Culver Max

Nachiket Pantvaidya, Bangla Entertainment

Punit Goenka, Zee Media

Ashish Sehgal, Zee Entertainment

Co-opted members:

1. Sumanto Bose, JioStar

2. John Brittas, Kairali TV

Vaz said, “It is an honour to take on this responsibility at such a transformative time for the media and entertainment sector. India’s appetite for content is unmatched, making it a unique market where all forms of media continue to grow, while Indian content increasingly gains international recognition furthering India’s soft power globally. As we increasingly embrace technology to scale up, it is imperative that we democratise content creation so that it is not demographically or geographically limited. While India consumes content from anywhere, driven by the proliferation of 5G, smartphones, connected TVs and better Pay TV infrastructure, we must ensure that opportunities to create professional content from locations beyond the current hotspots is a viable future for the industry.”

He further emphasised that “the media and entertainment industry has a multiplier effect that extends to sectors like sports, creating significant opportunities for growth at scale. To ensure that this growth can be sustainable we need to look at business models rooted in equitable collaborations that foster value creation for all stakeholders across the ecosystem. 

I also look forward to work with the government and industry in developing progressive, soft-touch regulations that empower the sector to innovate and harness its full potential for sustainable growth.”

Vaz urged all IBDF members to collaborate in building a vibrant, innovative, and sustainable ecosystem that captivates audiences and propels the growth of India's media and entertainment industry.