CEO, ABP Network President, News Broadcasters & Digital Association (NBDA) President, International Advertising Association (India Chapter)
Having served the ABP Group since 2005 in various roles, Mr. Avinash Pandey donned the mantle of CEO of ABP Network in January 2019. Previously, he served for over 7 years as the Group's Chief Operating Officer. He steered the transformation of the channel from Star News to ABP News in 2012, along with its rebranding and repositioning in 2020. With over 26 years of experience in the Media sector, his illustrious career includes a stint with the Indian Express Group and TV Today Group. He is the serving President of the News Broadcasters & Digital Association (NBDA). He is also the President of the International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter. A true industry specialist, he is the Director of the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) and a former Director of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation. He is also the Chairman of the National Council on Media & Entertainment of Assocham. Additionally, he has been a member of several committees, including the Media & Entertainment Committee of FICCI, Panel Advisory Committee of the Bureau of Outreach & Communication for the release of government advertisements, and the Committee of Experts appointed by the I&B Ministry on ethical standards in media coverage. An alumnus of Harvard Business School, Mr. Pandey also holds a degree in History and a postgraduate degree in Modern Indian History from Delhi University. Mr. Avinash Pandey has won numerous awards and accolades, most notably the CEO of the Year Award at ENBA 2022 and the CEO of the Year Award at the National Awards for Excellence 2022. He has been honoured as the Media Person of the Year by the Indian Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA). Among many other honours, he is also a recipient of the Business Leader of the Year - 2018 Award and The News Television CEO of the Year - 2019 Award. Under his leadership, the ABP News Channel won the Most Popular Hindi New Channel Award at the ITA Awards in 2022.
To know more about Avinash, log in to www.avinashpandey.in
Chief Operating Officer
A media veteran, Saurabh Yagnik brings with him an illustrious career spanning over 27 years. He is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of ABP Network, where he carries P&L responsibilities for the business with direct oversight of its Digital Business and Technology, Operations, Distribution and Marketing functions. Though a Chartered Accountant by profession he has been in diverse roles across top companies. He was most recently Executive Vice President – Monetisation Strategy and Consumer Insights at Sony Pictures Network India. He has held key leadership positions in prestigious organizations beginning with ITC Ltd, Hindustan Unilever Ltd, STAR and Sony Pictures Networks. He transitioned from finance to general management while in STAR. He is a Commerce graduate from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, holds a degree in Chartered Accountancy, Cost Accountancy and Company Secretaryship. This multidisciplinary knowledge further amplifies his ability to navigate the intricacies of the media industry deftly. Beyond his remarkable professional achievements, Saurabh’s mission in life is guided by the principle - "Live life with a purpose, invest your best efforts in whatever you do and do not carry the burden of anxiety over outcomes, or regrets from the past." This belief underscores his unwavering commitment to excellence and relentless pursuit of success.
Chief Revenue Officer
Rupali Fernandes is a highly accomplished media professional with over two decades of experience in the industry. She currently serves as the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at ABP Network, where she brings a wealth of expertise in driving revenue growth and forging strategic partnerships. Throughout her career, Rupali has held key leadership positions at renowned organizations, including Matrix Talent Management, HT Media, Disney Star, BAG Network, and The Indian Express. Her previous role as Head of Brand Partnerships at Matrix showcased her exceptional ability to manage brand partnerships and celebrity endorsements across diverse sectors such as films, music, and sports. Rupali's skill set extends to driving digital associations and executing short-term engagements with influencers for direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands. With her profound understanding of the evolving media landscape and extensive industry network, she consistently delivers outstanding results and nurtures enduring client relationships. Rupali is known for her exceptional leadership, team building, strategic thinking, sales strategy, and business acumen. She completed the Effective Leadership program at the Indian School of Business in 2014 and holds a degree in Business Management in Marketing from SVKM's Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS). She holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree from Mumbai University.
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Finance Officer , Mr. Pushan Chakravarty has been with ABP Network since 2013 and has played a significant role in the financial management of the entity. He has over 21 years of experience with companies such as A. F. Ferguson, Tata Motors, Organon India, and ABP Group, among others. Currently heading the Finance ,Supply Chain Management Commercial, Legal and Regulatory functions at ABP Network, he attended St. Xavier's College, Kolkata. He is a Chartered Accountant. He enjoys movies, music, and sports when he is not working on ground-breaking advancements in the media domain. Pushan’s main mantra in life: ‘Don't be too serious about life.’
Chief Digital Officer
Mr. Vijay Jung Thapa, the Chief Digital Officer at ABP Network, has worked in the digital, television, and print media for over 25 years. Previously, he has held different leadership positions at The Times of India, India Today, Star News, Hindustan Times, and Star India. He was a member of the team that launched Hotstar and helped it become a global brand. He holds a B.A. (Hons) from Hindu College, Delhi University, as well as a Gordon Fisher Fellowship from the University of Toronto in 2000.
Senior Vice President – Distribution
Mr. Sanjay Roy has been associated with ABP Network since 2005. With 25 years of rich experience, he has made some path-breaking inventions in the media industry. A professional lawyer, he has completed his LLB and BSc. hons. He also holds a master's in Business Administration. He is a cricket aficionado, loves to play chess and travel. His mantra in life is "To be an individual who can make a difference everywhere I can and inspire others where I cannot; at the same time also stand out from the crowd instead of being cool or trendy."
Executive Editor – Outreach
Mohit Roy Sharma, Executive Editor, Outreach at ABP Network since 2021, has 23 years of combined work experience in the PR and Media industry. He started his career in public relations rising quickly, within a short period of time, to become principal consultant with what happened to be one of India's top public relations at the time.
After almost 6 years in PR, Mohit moved to India Today and the TV sector. Here too he immediately began handling projects and took on responsibilities that set precedents and benchmarks for the profession. He was a key member of teams that launched the Aaj Tak and later the Headlines Today/India Today News Channels, India Today Conclave, Red FM radio station, TV Today IPO, and a slew of other Group firsts.
In between Mohit took a sabbatical from his career to study public relations and marketing at the University of Winnipeg in Canada. He had brief stints at BARC India (Broadcast Audience Research Council) and The Wave Group after leaving India Today Group in 2019. Mohit is fond of tracking current affairs and reading biographies.
Executive Vice President – News & Production, ABP News and ABP Majha
Mr. Rajiv Khandekar is renowned for being one of the first few journalists who highlighted the draughts in Maharashtra and the instances of farmer’s suicide in Vidarbha. Rajiv is the Executive Vice President of News & Production, ABP News and ABP Majha. A widely acclaimed Marathi journalist with over 30 years of work experience in both print and electronic media. He has worked with Indian Express group as political correspondent for Loksatta in Delhi and then Resident Editor in Mumbai. He also worked as Bureau Chief of ETV in Mumbai. He is an alumnus of Ranade Institute of Journalism and Mass Communication, Pune. A prolific writer and an accomplished author in Marathi, he has gained much fame and recognitions for his stylish writing and in-depth reporting.
Senior Vice President - News & Programming, ABP Ananda
A legend of the Bengali news broadcasting industry, Mr. Suman De is known to have revolutionised the regional news space with a Midas touch, covering Nandigram to Suchitra Sen and everything in between. He has been associated with ABP Ananda as its Senior Vice President since over a decade. Having spent over 23 years in the media industry, Suman has grown up the ranks through companies such as Zee News, Star News, and Star Ananda. When he is not busy dissecting news down to the smallest details, he could be found travelling and writing, which is evident through the several books he has authored based on his travels.
Senior Vice President - News & Production, ABP News
A seasoned professional, Sant Prasad Rai, is presently the Senior Vice President – News & Production of ABP News. Having worked with news channels like TV9, Zee News, India TV, News24, Sahara Samay, and ETV UP, Sant has earned rich industry experience spanning over 24 years. He is instrumental in employing new and distinctive techniques to foster a taste and unrivalled curiosity for international news. With his vast expertise, he established a new trend in the television industry as a result of which both important and trivial international events are now comprehensively covered. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He likes indulging his time in reading, writing, traveling, and playing cricket. His main motto in life is “Keep going till you reach your goal. It's because nothing in the universe is impossibly difficult if your intention is strong.”
Executive Editor - ABP Asmita
The Executive Editor of ABP Asmita, Ronak Patel has over 21 years of experience. He began his journalistic career with Zee Telefilms’s Alpha Gujarati, a regional Gujarati channel as a representative of Surat and surrounding areas (2000-2003). In the year 2003, he joined Star News as a reporter for Surat and South Gujarat. During his stint with Star News, he broke many exclusive news stories pertaining to Gujarat and nearby Maharashtra districts. From Star News to ABP Network, he continued to be with the group till 2014 as a representative of South Gujarat bureaus. He briefly left organization and worked with Sandesh News as an associate editor (2014-15) and then re-joined ABP Network group (2015) with the launch of regional Gujarati news channel ABP Asmita as producer and assignment lead.
Output Editor - ABP News
Rohit Saval, currently holding the position of Output Editor at ABP News channel, is a highly accomplished media professional with over 20 years of experience in the industry. He was earlier associated with the Network’s Hindi regional channel ‘ABP Ganga’ as Vice President of News & Programming. His exemplary leadership skills and in-depth industry knowledge have been instrumental in establishing ABP Ganga as one of Uttar Pradesh & Uttrakhand’s premier news channels. Throughout his career, Rohit has held key positions in renowned organisations such as the eTV group and the iTV Network. He has a proven track record of launching and establishing regional news channels as market leaders. Rohit’s extensive industry knowledge, combined with his association with prominent media organisations, positions him as a respected figure in the media landscape. His unwavering commitment to journalistic integrity and his dedication to excellence continue to contribute to the growth and reputation of ABP News.
Executive Editor - ABP News
The laureate of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, Jagwinder Patial, currently holds the esteemed position of Executive Editor on ABP News. Prior to this, he held the position of Associate Vice President at ABP Sanjha, where he played a pivotal role in driving the success of the Punjabi news channel to new heights. With a remarkable career spanning over 24 years, he started his career with print media, and moved to ABP News in 2005, and has been associated with the channel ever since. He holds a Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication. In addition to his professional achievements, Jagwinder is known for his adventurous spirit and passion for fitness. He also has a keen interest in reading literature related to terrorism, conflicts, and the CIA. His passion for journalism goes beyond his job, as he firmly believes that it is his true calling and lifelong passion.
Head – Digital Content Strategy
Tushar leads online content and audience growth for ABP Network's digital arm and has been a key member of the ABP family since 2019. He has extensive experience in content production and digital products management spanning over 12 years. He has contributed immensely towards the success of media groups such as ABP Network, NDTV Convergence, BBC World Service and Quintillion Media. A news junkie at heart, Tushar attended Stanford Graduate School of Business' "Design Thinking" programme for digital leaders in 2020. Other than shaping the future of news, he likes mentoring young talent and solving complex business problems."
Editor - ABP Nadu
With more than 26 years of experience in Journalism, K. ShanmugaSundaram aka SS is leading ABP Nadu. He is a seasoned professional who has worked with Dinamani – the oldest Tamil daily, NDTV, Sun News and BBC before his stint with ABP Nadu. He holds a B.Sc. degree in Physics from the New College, Chennai that's affiliated to the University of Madras. Apart from family & work, other sources of inspiration for him include music, sports, books, and films. His mantra for life & work is: ‘Mountains to Climb, Challenges to win’.
Digital Editor - ABP Desam
Having an experience of 18+ Years in the field of journalism, Nagesh has been with ABP Since May 2021. He led the launch Of ABP Desam, a digital news media platform, the first venture of ABP In Telugu. Before his stint at ABP, he worked in Eenadu -ETV Group for 17+ years climbing to key positions over time. In that time,he oversaw 4 general elections in the Telugu States and state Elections In Karnataka. He has completed his diploma in journalism from Eenadu Journalism School & Master of Science and public Relations degree from Sri Venkateswara University.