ZEE veteran Laxmi Shetty exits after 21-year stint with broadcaster

MUMBAI: Laxmi Shetty has stepped down from ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) after a 21-year run with the broadcaster, marking the end of one of the company’s longest-serving sales leadership tenures.

Her exit comes less than a year after she was elevated to the role of head, advertisement revenue, broadcast and digital, a position that further expanded her influence across ZEEL’s monetisation and sales strategy operations. Shetty has played a central role in strategic sales planning, business intelligence, pricing analytics and revenue optimisation across ZEEL’s network.

Over the years, she became closely associated with several of the broadcaster’s commercial growth initiatives, particularly in managing high-value advertiser relationships, improving inventory utilisation and strengthening sales processes through analytics-led decision making.

According to her professional profile, Shetty was instrumental in developing pricing matrices, tech-led data analytics systems and CRM-driven sales operations aimed at boosting efficiency and revenue generation across the organisation.

She also worked extensively with key clients and media agencies, helping ZEEL deepen advertiser relationships while identifying new revenue opportunities across broadcast and digital platforms.

Before joining ZEEL in 2005, Shetty spent 15 years at The Times of India Group, where she held the position of deputy chief manager.

During her time there, she contributed to the development of the company’s early MIS systems and business warehouse infrastructure, while also helping design a two-dimensional pricing structure for print publications.

Her move comes at a time when media companies across India are recalibrating their advertising and revenue strategies amid shifts in television viewership, digital consumption and advertiser spending patterns.

While there has been no official announcement yet regarding her next move, Shetty leaves behind a long legacy in media sales strategy, having spent more than three decades across two of India’s biggest media organisations.

In an industry obsessed with fresh eyeballs and new metrics, Shetty’s career stands out as a reminder that old-school relationship building still remains one of media’s most valuable currencies.