MxMIndia

Tag: Karan Bajaj

  • Discovery has collaborated with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for Project C.A.T.

    Anushka Sharma to promote Tiger Conservation Movement for Discovery

    By A Correspondent

     

    Actor Anushka Sharma has joined hands with Discovery to promote a global awareness movement to save tigers from extinction. Anushka will promote Project C.A.T: Conserving Acers for Tigers, aimed at raising awareness to preserve the habitat of the declining numbers of the wild tiger. Discovery has collaborated with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for Project C.A.T.

     

    Said Karan Bajaj, Senior Vice President & General Manager – South Asia, Discovery Communications India: “It is disturbing to know that the population of tigers has shrunk 96 per cent over the last century and only as few as 3900 are left in the wild across the world. We are excited to partner with Anushka Sharma to ignite awareness about tiger conservation and help promote the global movement to save them. We will use the collective power of our media brands to amplify the message of tiger conservation.”

     

     

  • To showcase eight India centric shows over the next four months

    Discovery intensifies focus on India-centric shows for festive season

    By A Correspondent

     

    Discovery Communications India has intensified focus on India-centric programming in the lead-up to the festive season. The network will showcase eight India-centric shows over the next four months on Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and TLC. The India specials will be in addition to the premiere of 20-plus global IPs on the three network channels.

     

    Said Karan Bajaj, General Manager, Discovery Communications India: “We are excited with the growth that we have been able to garner this year. All our core channels – Discovery, Animal Planet and TLC – are now undisputed leaders in their respective genres while Discovery Kids has emerged as the fastest growing channel in the kids genre. Our aim is to further build on it and accelerate the growth over the next four months. It is a conscious strategy to increase India centric pipeline with original production or programming acquisitions.  With the unmatched line-up of Indian and Global IPs till the end of the year, we are confident to deepen our local connection while further extending the lead over competition for all of our network channels.”

     

    Over the next three months, Discovery channel will showcase five new India-centric shows including Women Fighter Pilots (Premiers August 24),  a new Military tentpole High Altitude Warfare School (October), India’s Citizen Squad (November) and Moon Bound (November) – a special about Team Indus’s attempt as a part of Google Lunar XPrize and a special documentary on Sunny Leone’s life Mostly Sunny (December). TLC will showcase an Indian original production which has shaken the digital space with its promise of a TLC travel scholarship – The Calling (October). Animal Planet will showcase Mission Big Cat – an anthology focused on Big Cats including Lions, Leopards and Tigers in the month of October celebrating World Animal Day.

     

     

  • The channel will bring together Discovery’s unique storytelling and the best of real-life entertainment through stories aimed at inspiring millions

    Discovery appoints Taproot Dentsu to create promos for Jeet

    By A Correspondent

     

    Discovery Jeet, which is set to launch on February 1, has roped in Taproot Dentsu to create promos for the channel’s marquee shows.

     

    Commenting on the association, Karan Bajaj, Senior Vice President & General Manager – South Asia, Discovery Communications India said: “We are delighted to have Taproot Dentsu on board. Taproot Dentsu’s team grasped the communication briefs in total and delivered clutter breaking creative ideas capturing Discovery Jeet’s ethos of ‘Hai Mumkin’. Simultaneously, the agency was also very impactful in bringing to the fore the protagonist’s journey of overcoming all odds.”

     

    Said Ayesha Ghosh, General Manager – Taproot Dentsu (Mumbai) said: “Discovery Jeet’s programming content and quality is quite refreshing. Their philosophy is inspiring and we are excited to be part of this launch. The vision for the promos of their lead shows is an extension of this fresh approach. The intention is to engage the Hindi GEC audience in a way that has never been done before. And I think we have successfully risen to this challenge.”

     

    Added Yogesh Rijwani, Associate Creative Director – Taproot Dentsu (Mumbai) said: “While Baba Ramdev is an exceptionally well-known personality, most people have only seen him either teaching Yoga or in Patanjali ads. Therefore, to show his rise above the opposition he faced, we needed to present him in a different avatar. By using shadow play, we could depict him metaphorically defeat every baddie that came his way, like a superhero of sorts.”

     

     

  • Built on the thesis of ‘Hai Mumkin', Discovery JEET to go live on February 12

    Discovery Jeet to launch on Feb 12

    By A Correspondent

     

    Discovery Jeet announced its launch plans for February 12. With the credo of ‘Hai Mumkin’, the channel has got its distribution and programming act together along with signing on Netflix as its OTT platform partner. The channel will launch with five hours of programming band daily out of which three hours will be original programming built on the thesis of underdog winning. It will be available in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

     

    Said Karan Bajaj, Senior Vice-President & General Manager- South Asia, Discovery Communications India: “Discovery Jeet is the biggest ever attempt with ‘purpose at scale’ in the Indian entertainment space. We have done our research, evaluated India’s zeitgeist and created an entertaining yet purposeful content philosophy which will touch the heart of Indians across the country. The exciting content proposition, the never-before reach at launch, and a disruptive marketing campaign makes us confident about the success of the channel. It is heartening to note that the content slate for Discovery Jeet is attracting so much interest and attention even before the channel is on air.”

     

    Added Sameer Rao, VP-Head of Mass Entertainment-South Asia, Discovery Communications India: “Discovery Jeet’s differentiation comes from our lineup of dramatic, compelling stories of real, relatable characters presented in a cinematic, larger than life format. It is a representation of a strong emotion of ‘hai mumkin’ which is palpable in Tier II and III towns across the country.”

     

     

  • Geetanjali will work closely in association with Vikram Tanna

    Discovery appoints Geetanjali Bhattacharji as the Head of Brand Partnerships & Content Integration

    By A Correspondent

     

    Geetanjali Bhattacharji

    Discovery Communications India has appointed Geetanjali Bhattacharji, erstwhile CEO of Spatial Access as the Head of Brand Partnerships & Content Integration, based out of Mumbai.

     

    In her new role, Bhattacharji will work in close association with Vikram Tanna (VP, Advertising Sales & Business Head of Regional Clusters), and will focus on creating engaging content partnerships with brands.

     

    Said Karan Bajaj, Senior Vice President & General Manager, South Asia, Discovery Communications India: “It is an opportune time to have a content and media optimiser like Geetanjali on board. Discovery Jeet’s content is under development, besides we have been working to make the brand proposition of each of our marquee channels more focussed towards specific target audiences. Geetanjali’s skills and understanding for this space will help deliver impactful, purpose-driven partnerships to Discovery’s valued brand partners in their quest to reach diverse and evolving audience communities.”

     

    Said Bhattacharji: “I am extremely excited about being part of a journey that delivers to millennials meaningful content that entertains and yet provokes thought. Given the fragmentation of consumers, Jeet fills a clear gap in the Hindi GEC space: providing relevant content choices to male millennials and Tier II & III families who aspire to be a part of the change around them but are missing out on the action.

  • Lucha Undergroundis based on the lucha libre style of wrestling popular in Mexico

    Lucha Underground makes its India foray with DSport

    By A Correspondent

     

    Discovery network’s sports channel DSport has acquired the exclusive broadcast rights of Mexican Pro-Wrestling series, Lucha Underground. DSport will broadcast all the three seasons of Lucha Underground, 98 episodes across three seasons, every Friday at 8pm starting September 1, 2017.

     

    Commenting on the acquisition, Karan Bajaj, Senior Vice President and General Manager, South Asia, Discovery Communications India, said: “We are working towards creating a bouquet of Wrestling properties on DSsport. Lucha Underground is a significant addition to ‘Ring of Honour’ and helps us offer a wholesome experience to the Wrestling fans in India. We are also targeting to develop a specific timeslot on DSPORT for the Wrestling fans.”

  • ESL India Premiership will be aired for the first time on Indian TV

    DSport partners Nodwin to broadcast Indian eSports league

    By A Correspondent

     

    DSport, a sports channel launched by Discovery Communications India, has partnered with Nodwin Gaming to showcase the flagship esports tournament in the country – ESL India Premiership. As a part of the partnership, DSport will telecast 90 minutes of action everyday starting yesterday (July 19), and will continue until December 2017.

     

    “We are excited to showcase eSports for the first time on television in India. The 90-minutes of intense gaming broadcast daily on DSPORT, for over 6 months, will catapult the popularity of eSports further in the country,” said, Karan Bajaj, Senior Vice-President & General Manager, Discovery Communications India.

     

    Added Akshat Rathee, Managing Director, Nodwin Gaming: “eSports is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and this broadcast of the ESL India Premiership on DSportis sure to elevate their popularity to a new level. eSports has been already announced as a medal event for the 2022 Asian Games and will also hopefully make it to the 2024 Olympics, so we hope this initiative will act as a first step towards bringing glory to the country on global multi-sports platforms.”

     

  • To be launched later this year, Discovery Jeet will air larger than life inspirational stories including a 65-ep biopic series on Baba Ramdev

    Now Discovery to launch a Hindi GEC

    By A Correspondent

     

     

    Discovery Communications has announced its plan to roll out Discovery Jeet, a new entertainment channel across India, starting in late 2017. The new channel will be the flagship for the network’s ambitious investment into original local productions in India around a range of programme genres including “true crime investigations, small-town heroes and gritty survival”.

     

    Discovery is scaling up investment in over 200 hours of local content originals which will premiere on this new channel. Said Karan Bajaj, SVP and General Manager, South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific:

     

    “We are excited to launch Discovery Jeet, which will bring a new style of entertainment, in a truly local, bespoke, ground-up offering. It borrows the best of Discovery’s ethos, seeded in fact and purpose-driven content, and leveraging global resources to mount it at a scale that delivers larger-than-life stories.”

     

    Arthur Bastings, President & MD, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific, further elaborated on the importance of this evolutionary step, leveraging new ways to extend the reach and relevance of Discovery across the subcontinent. “The expansion into general entertainment with JEET redefines how Discovery will connect and interact with new young audiences across the heartlands of India. JEET is fun, relatable, and exciting and brings to life the captivating, real stories of India’s own in a manner never seen before!”

     

    The line-up of shows planned included Swami Baba Ramdev: The Untold Story, a scripted biopic series tracing Baba Ramdev’s journey from a life of anonymity to what it is today. There is also Gangs of Mumbai,  a series on the colourful, larger-than-life characters from the Mumbai underworld.

     

  • It elevates Discovery's 20-year history in India, ensuring a new generation have access to the best in live sports content

    Now, Discovery steps foot in sports arena with DSPORT

    By A Correspondent

     

    With a commitment to deliver the biggest and best sporting moments from across the world, Discovery Communications has announced the launch of DSPORT, an all-new sports channel in India.

     

    Said Karan Bajaj, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific: “Discovery has been entertaining Indian audiences for over two decades with a well-entrenched portfolio of unique content channels. We are excited to add yet another flagship brand to our growing offering with the launch of DSPORT, whichis set to redefine sports entertainment. Combining India’s passion for sports with our global expertise in sports production, DSPORT will offer a daily dose of 10+ hours of live content for viewers across the country.”

     

    R C Venkateish, former MD of ESPN Star and former CEO of Dish TV India, will be working closely with DSPORT especially in areas related to content acquisition for the channel.

     

    DSPORT will cover a wide repertoire of properties from across the world of sports. These will initially include:

    • Horse Racing: exclusive rights to telecast daily live racing from the best of UK and Irish tracks totaling over 7000 races/ year
    • Football: Brazilian League, Chinese Super League, Portuguese League, Major League Soccer (USA)
    • Golf: British Open (The Open Championship), US Open, PGA Championship, LPGA
    • Motorsports: NASCAR, FIA World Rallycross Championship
    • Rugby: 6 Nations Rugby
    • Cycling: Tour de France (a property of Eurosport)
  • Tanna will be based out of Mumbai and will report to Karan Bajaj, SVP and GM-South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific

    Discovery appoints Vikram Tanna as VP Ad Sales & Biz Head of Reg Clusters, S Asia

    By A Correspondent

     

    In line with its ambition to expand and accelerate growth in India through new investment and leadership, Discovery Networks has appointed VikramTanna as Vice President, Head of Advertising Sales and Business Head of Regional Clusters, South Asia. The current product suite has 11 content channels in the factual and lifestyle genres. Tanna takes over from KaramjitDua who moves into a new role as head of new businessand mergers and acquisitions in line with Discovery’s focus on inorganicgrowth opportunities in both linear and channel business with immediate effect.

     

    Tanna will be based out of Mumbai and will report to Karan Bajaj, SVP and GM-South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific.

     

    Said Bajaj on the appointment: “India is a high-priority market for us and we have very aggressive growth ambitions here aswe look to future-proof our business and build a broader product eco-system. I am thrilled to have someone of the calibre of VikramTanna joining our team. He bringsthe relevant product and revenue experience and strategic planning ability that will be integral to our efforts in re-defining our ad sales, improving workflow and growing our business nationally and across regional clusters.”

     

    Tanna joins from Star India where was the Senior Vice President leading Product & Revenue strategy for three of the major channel clusters- Hindi Movies & Music and HSM Regional Channels (West Bengal &Maharashtra).

     

  • Content development leader brought on to forge a new direction for Discovery with millennial audiences across various platforms

    Sameer Rao appointed VP at Discovery Networks

    By A Correspondent

     

    Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific has appointed Sameer Rao as Vice President, Real World Products-South Asia with effect from November 25. Rao will lead content curation, audience development, creative and original content for Discovery’s Real World product suite which includes Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Tamil, Discovery HD World and Animal Planet HD World.

     

    Based in Mumbai, he will report to Karan Bajaj, SVP & GM South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific. He will lead the development of the Real World vertical and expand the networks’ existing category leadership.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Bajaj said: “I am delighted to have Sameer join our team to transform our Real World product suite with visceral content, compelling local franchises and digital offerings that resonate with millennial audiences. Sameer’s depth of experience and network will be a catalyst in developing an omni-platform content strategy appealing to the masses.”

     

    Rao brings with him over two decades of experience in movie, broadcast and consulting industries.

     

  • Brings strong brand and product development experience and digital acumen to diversify Discovery's India product offering

    Discovery appoints Karan Bajaj as SVP & GM

    By A Correspondent

     

    Karan Bajaj

    In a bid to drive aggressive growth and expand its existing asset base, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific has appointed Karan Bajaj as Senior Vice President and General Manager of South Asia with effect from October 17, 2016. Bajaj will focus on re-formulating Discovery’s product suite in line with accelerating demand for regional and digital offerings. He will also be responsible for executing on the company’s stated ambition to step outside of its current category leadership to build broader flagship brands and actively seek out inorganic growth opportunities.

     

    Bajaj will be based in Mumbai and report to Arthur Bastings, President and Managing Director of Discovery Networks Asia Pacific. Commenting on the appointment, Bastings said, “India has quickly become one of Discovery’s top-priority global markets. These are exciting times as we strategically step up our investments to take advantage of very dynamic growth in both TV and digital. Karan brings that rare combination of creative flair, a strong instinct for the Indian millennial zeitgeist and a cutting-edge leadership style. His proven track record of scaling businesses and brands speaks for itself.”

     

    Bajaj brings over 15 years of brand management and digital strategy experience across Asia and North America. Bajaj was most recently with baby specialist Aden and Anais in New York where he spearheaded marketing, design and advertising as Chief Marketing Officer, specialising in digital approaches. Prior to that, he was in a variety of senior strategy and brand leadership roles with Kraft, Boston Consulting Group and Procter & Gamble.