?I don?t have a role model as that is self-limiting. I am impressed with individual traits in people,? says Uday Shankar, chief executive officer of Star India and president of Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), who was recently declared the ?Impact Person of the Year 2010?. Impact Person of the Year is an award which felicitates someone from the Indian media, advertising and marketing industry who has made a big difference to the industry in a year.
When Shankar was offered the role to take over the reins of Star India in 2007, he had to fill in the shoes of two individuals who were an integral part of shaping up the Indian television story ? Sameer Nair and Peter Mukerjea. It was a tough lead to follow but he accepted the challenge and has most definitely come out with flying colours. ?My journey at Star has been full of excitement, challenges and strengths. When I came in, there was the challenge of ensuring growth in the existing businesses and the challenge of expanding into new markets. I have had an exceptional experience at Star that not many people have and I am truly privileged to have come under the circumstances that I came in. It forced to bring out the best in me and I got to work with one of the most exceptional team in the business. When I joined, Star Plus, the main channel, was under fire but it has been a learning experience to contribute to its glory,? says Shankar.
Star Plus, the flagship channel of the group, which faced a tough competition from Viacom18?s general entertainment channel ‘Colors’, has indeed regained its lost glory and is now back at the top under Shankar?s leadership. He has also been spearheading Star Group?s expansion into new regional markets like East, South India and Maharashtra. In the last few years, Star has also ventured into new arenas like home shopping (Star CJ) and movie production (Fox Star Studios).
Before Star, Shankar was the CEO of Media Content and Communication Services (MCCS), a joint venture between Anand Bazar Patrika Group and Star Group, that runs Hindi news channel Star News. Prior to this, he was the editor and news director at TV Today where he was part of the team that launched Aaj Tak and Headlines Today channels and was also instrumental in launching the news division of the Sahara Group. He has also contributed to the launch of an environment magazine ?Down to Earth?. Being a journalist earlier has helped him tremendously in his role as a media manager, he feels. ?As a journalist, you observe society and its various stakeholders. You look at new situations everyday and make sense out of everything to explain it to your viewers. That training has enabled me to handle new situations in my role as a media manager. I just put my journalistic hat on when required and break things into tiny components and that is how I deal with difficult situations,? he says.
When asked about the best part of his job, he is quick to say that he gets to watch a lot of television and ?observe various behavior and trends on TV?. In fact, the two main activities that Shankar loves to do to de-stress himself are watching television and travelling and he is more than happy that both are an integral part of his job. His favourite shows are all the shows on Star but he is partial towards any newly launched show because ?it is like a baby which needs to be nurtured and showered with affection.?
Even though the Indian television market is really dynamic, Shankar has a clear vision for Star. ?I want Star to be the most relevant source of connecting with everybody in this country and to add value to their lives,? he says.