NEW DELHI: It's not only TV Today Network which is witnessing organizational changes, additions and promotions are in the offing at the Indian Today Group (ITG)- the hub of media baron Aroon Purie's print medium business venture- too.
Apart from internal promotions, people outside the group, like Satish Menon from Sahara group's entertainment division, are being brought in to strengthen the developmental process of existing brands and prepare ground for new products as and when they are launched. Two niche magazines are expected to be launched by ITG later this year.
Says ITG chief executive Aroon Purie, "As part of our ongoing organisational restructuring process, I am pleased to inform about some significant and impending changes in The India Today Group."
Effective 1 April, 2004, Mohini Bhullar, who has been part of the ITG team since India Today magazine was conceptualized over two decades back, will be redesignated as executive director, corporate affairs and will be a group resource reporting to Purie.
"She will be responsible for looking at new business opportunities for the group, seeking synergies within the group activities and continue to be the India Today Conclave director and public relations director," Purie points out.
From April itself, Ashish Bagga, will be responsible for the India Today mega brand as publishing director and will take charge from Bhullar.
In his additional capacity as executive director of the group, Bagga will continue to supervise the group's shared services of news stand sales and distribution, subscription service and CRM fulfillment and related businesses.
An old ITG hand, Bagga, has previously done stints in Hindustan Times and Business Standard Ltd. where he spent few months looking after BSL's attempted forays in the electronic and Internet media .
After the reorganization takes effect in ITG, Bagga will also assist Purie with the Reader's Digest, Today (an afternoon tabloid published for the Delhi market) and the business group as and when required.
As part of other significant and impending changes in The India Today Group, Ajay Shukla (40) will joins from 1 March 1, 2004 as publishing director and head of the newly-acquired Reader's Digest business.
Shukla will be based in Mumbai where Reader's Digest is headquartered and will take over from Sanjay Johri after he is duly oriented into the business. According to ITG, Johri is likely to take up a senior position with the Tata's once Shukla is firmly in saddle.
Shukla , a B Tech from IIT Roorkee and a MBA from FMS, Delhi, was with American Express TRS for 12 years, followed by a stint as vice-president and head of direct marketing and cards with ABN Amro Bank, which was his most recent responsibility.
Starting 6 March, Satish Menon (47) joins ITG as publishing director and head of the Business Group.
Menon, a multi-skilled publishing and media professional, has spent over 24 years in the media business with a large share of it coming from print publishing.
His significant positions of responsibility have been with The Week (as a senior manager), Sunday Mail (as general manager) and Mid-Day, Mumbai (as publishing director).
Moving from print in 1999, Menon joined Zee Telefilms as deputy chief execuitve of Zee News, where his responsibility was later expanded to the CEO position for Zee Sports and he was also given an active role in the strategic planning for the Zee group.
A graduate in economics, Menon has attended professional publishing programme at Stanford. He will join ITG from the Sahara group where, at present, he is a president looking after the marketing activities of the Sahara channels, apart from other responsibilities.
