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MUMBAI:
Balaji Telefilms Ltd. is putting in place a team as it plans
to firm up a growth strategy after snapping ties with Rupert
Murdoch's Star Group.
The latest catch is Nachiket Pantvaidya who is slated to join
soon to head the television content business, the main source
of revenue for the production company.
Pantvaidya
has put in his papers at BBC Worldwide where he was serving
as general manager for Global Channels in South Asia.
When
contacted, Pantvaidya declined to comment. But sources confirmed
that he would join Balaji Telefilms to take care of the TV
content business.
Late
last year, Balaji Telefilms appointed Puneet Kinra from PricewaterhouseCoopers
as Group CEO. The plan is to have vertical heads for the TV
content and movie businesses who would be reporting to Kinra.
UTV Television COO Ajit Thakur was earlier roped in as CEO
of Balaji Motion Pictures.
"We
are in the process of firming up our growth plans. We would
be ready by early next fiscal to announce some of them. We
are filling up the heads before that," a source in the
company said.
In
August 2008, Star and Balaji announced they were terminating
their agreements relating to the regional languages joint
venture. This would have allowed the content production company
to foray into the broadcasting space. Balaji also had the
option of buying out the 25.99 per cent stake Star held in
the company, but did not exercise it as the stock markets
tumbled in the wake of a global economic turmoil.
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