KR Skandraaj joins Dinamalar as GM, Marketing
Tamil daily Dinamalar, which recently turned 60, has brought on board Skandraaj to head its marketing initiatives. He is well-known for his marketing strategies and will look after pan-India for the paper’s Chennai, Madurai, Puducherry, and Coimbatore editions.

KR. Skandraaj, who was earlier the COO of Sovereign Media Marketing (SMM), a marketing division of Malar Publications, and has handled space marketing for Daily Thanthi, Maalai Malar, and Rani Publications, has moved to Tamil daily Dinamalar as General Manager, Marketing. In his new role, which he assumed on September 30, 2011, he will be handling markets pan-India for the four editions of Dinamalar – Chennai, Madurai, Puducherry, and Coimbatore.
Commenting on Skandraaj’s appointment, L Adimoolam, Chief Marketing Officer, Dinamalar, said, “It’s an absolute honour to have Skandraaj wield the baton for our marketing initiatives. A man who has been instrumental in changing the marketing landscape for Tamil dailies, he has to his credit, pioneering branding initiatives. So, having him on board is certainly good for our publication. It cannot be a better, more opportune time, since Dinamalar has exciting new branding options for advertisers, which will now gain a new dimension with Skandraaj joining the ranks. We’re looking forward to a successful working association with the stalwart of marketing strategies.”
Speaking to exchange4media about his new role, Skandraaj said, “Dinamalar has a fantastic readership that is skewed towards the A&B segments. For most advertisers, this is very important as they are more focused on response rather than on relationship marketing. The key points on my agenda are to increase the revenues across all markets, provide a boost to the Chennai edition in terms of advertisements, circulation, and readership, and come out with image building exercises as part of the branding initiatives.”
With Dinamalar planning to unveil some inventive new marketing and branding possibilities in the coming months, a lot is being expected from the new head honcho. When asked about the initiatives and strategies that he would employ in his new role, Skandraaj remarked, “With six decades of publication history behind it, Dinamalar has a media standing that can be matched by very few media houses in the country. It has crossed numerous milestones and I consider it an honour to be part of the team that is poised to change the way brands start utilising the marketing possibilities that the oldest news dissemination medium has to offer. We’ve already started exploring unthought-of possibilities; it should just be a matter of time before you see the new, intuitive prospects that Dinamalar will be opening up for brands this time around.”
Skandraaj has spent more than 20 years in the print media with publications such as The Hindu, Deccan Herald, and the ABP Group. He started out as a sales executive in Getit Yellow Pages, Chennai in 1988, where he worked for three years. About the most significant initiatives taken up in his career, he elaborated, “I was appointed Senior Manager, Marketing in Deccan Herald in 1997 and worked out of Chennai. When I moved to Bangalore as the All India Marketing Head for the paper in 2001, I changed the landscape of retail advertising, re-launched the ‘Classifieds’ and ‘Appointments’ sections, and also the Real Estate supplement. They are all doing very well now as brands.”
Speaking on his six-year stint at SMM, Skandraaj said, “I handled all India and expanded the value of the Tamil daily. We made in-roads into new client as well as non-advertising client categories. We got clients who wanted to advertise only in P1 markets such as Chennai to look at multiple editions. We came out with a lot of innovations, with several annual deals for clients and agents.”
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ABP Network appoints Ananta Natha Jha to lead UnCut
He has been roped in as Associate Vice-President of ABP Live
ABP Network has onboarded Ananta Natha Jha as the Associate Vice-President of ABP Live. With a rich experience in handling digital content and an in-depth understanding of video and radio content, he will take charge as the Editor of the UnCut team. Ananta Natha Jha will lead a young team of journalists who put out digital content for Gen-Z and millennials, the network said.
Jha has experience working at several reputable organisations in crucial roles. A well-recognised voice, he has donned various hats being a radio jockey, a news anchor, voiceover artist, producer, programming head, and a talk show host, stated a release.
Ananta Natha Jha will play a key role in reshaping UnCut and rechanneling focus towards the younger generation with a focus on high-quality content, the release stated.
UnCut is a Gen-Z/millennials-focused vertical of ABP Network.
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Network Advertising appoints Rahool Talukdar as Group Creative Director, Digital
Rahool previously worked at Dentsu iProspect
Network Advertising has announced the appointment of Rahool Talukdar as Group Creative Director, Digital. Rahool, previously at Dentsu iProspect, brings over 15 years of rich experience, having worked across both mainline and digital agencies.
Rahool is captivated by the digital medium and the innovative ways in which brands can connect with audiences through new media storytelling. At Network, he shares, "I resonate with the creative freedom provided by an independent venture, where transparency and clear direction foster professional growth. I am thrilled to be a part of their growth story."
During his tenure at Dentsu iProspect, Rahool led a team responsible for award-winning work on a diverse range of accounts, including State Bank of India, Essilor, Fossil Luxury Watches, Biba Apparels, Angel One, Finolex Pipes, Switzerland Tourism, ICICI Direct, and Shaze Luxury, among others.
Akashneel Dasgupta, CCO, Network Advertising, expresses enthusiasm about Rahool's addition to the team, stating, "Rahool will help shape our future as a fully integrated agency. He possesses extensive experience in nurturing young talent and guiding them towards greater accomplishments. We look forward to an exciting future and exceptional work with him on board."
Vinod Nair, Managing Director, Network Advertising, underscores the significance of digital communication for the agency, saying, "Digital Communication is a crucial element in our integrated offering to clients. Under Rahool's creative leadership, I am eager to see him add value to our clients' businesses alongside his dynamic team."
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Times Network digital head Shouneel Charles to quit after 4+ years
Sources have told e4m that Charles is currently serving his notice period
In his previous assignment, Charles was leading the digital business at NDTV Convergence as Chief Sales & Marketing Officer and Chief Revenue Officer. He has also worked with multinational companies like Yahoo, Turner Broadcasting, Star India and National Geographic where he launched multiple channels and media properties.
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CNBC’s Latha Venkatesh to “transition” out of daily anchoring schedule
Venkatesh is taking the ‘break’ from August 1 to plan son’s wedding
Latha Venkatesh, Executive Editor with CNBC-TV18, will be “transitioning” out of the daily anchoring schedule and play much more of a supervisory role.” The arrangement will come into effect on August 1.
Venkatesh will continue to be the Executive Editor, and “only take a break from the daily activities.” She will be taking the break to plan her son’s wedding.
“Latha mam has kept the fire burning for almost two decades. She has brought her heart to work every day. Never once complained about the long hours, the stress, the pressure, because she loves what she does with a passion that is undeniable. As is the case with her, she doesn’t do anything half-heartedly and so as she gets ready to plan a BIG FAT INDIAN WEDDING for her son, she is keen to free up her time and mind space to focus on a wonderful life altering moment,” read an internal communication at CNBC accessed by exchange4media.
“She will continue to do her special shows and come in to do links/interviews etc even on daily shows as necessary and appropriate. But from Aug 1, she will not be anchoring Bazaar as a regular feature or fixing the show etc,” the read the communication.
Sonal Bhutra will take over from Venkatesh.
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OMD India ropes in Udhayakumar Pasupathi to lead Chennai office
Pasupathi has spent the last 9 years at Mindshare where his most recent role was that of cluster lead in Bangalore...
OMD India has onboarded Udhayakumar Pasupathi as new Lead at the company’s Chennai office, reporting to Sulina Menon, Chief Client Officer, OMD India.
“Udhaya is an MBA graduate in marketing and joins with 12 years of diverse and prolific industry experience. He spent the last 9 years at Mindshare where his most recent role was that of cluster lead in Bangalore. Udhay has also worked with Lodestar UM, and has worn multiple hats as a planner, team lead, strategist, and media consultant. His roles have pivoted around providing integrated strategic solutions to brands, including marquee names such as Max Fashion, Lifestyle, Home Centre and Eenadu, among many others,” the agency said.
Commenting on the new appointment, Sulina Menon said, “We’re extremely pleased to have someone like Udhaya, with his experience and expertise, join our Chennai team, and are confident that we will benefit greatly from the insights he brings to the table. I’m especially excited about the growth journey ahead and look forward to collectively pursuing a host of new opportunities.”
Priti Murthy, CEO OMD India welcomed Udhaya Pasupathi on board saying, “All of us at OMD are eagerly looking forward to Udhaya’s fresh new perspectives combined with the rich repertoire of industry knowledge he’s gathered over the years. There are some exciting growth avenues ahead, and we can’t wait to unlock them together.”
Speaking about this new step in his career, Udhaya Pasupathi reflected, “It’s been over a decade of experience, learnings and leadership in the realm of media strategy & planning, and surely there’s no better place to mark 12 years than OMD. With its vast global network and its growth-driven environment, I’m delighted to be in a space where together we quite literally make better decisions, faster!”
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OMD India ropes in Udhayakumar Pasupathi to lead Chennai office
Pasupathi has spent the last 9 years at Mindshare where his most recent role was that of cluster lead in Bangalore
OMD India has onboarded Udhayakumar Pasupathi as new Lead at the company’s Chennai office, reporting to Sulina Menon, Chief Client Officer, OMD India.
“Udhaya is an MBA graduate in marketing and joins with 12 years of diverse and prolific industry experience. He spent the last 9 years at Mindshare where his most recent role was that of cluster lead in Bangalore. Udhay has also worked with Lodestar UM, and has worn multiple hats as a planner, team lead, strategist, and media consultant. His roles have pivoted around providing integrated strategic solutions to brands, including marquee names such as Max Fashion, Lifestyle, Home Centre and Eenadu, among many others,” the agency said.
Commenting on the new appointment, Sulina Menon said, “We’re extremely pleased to have someone like Udhaya, with his experience and expertise, join our Chennai team, and are confident that we will benefit greatly from the insights he brings to the table. I’m especially excited about the growth journey ahead and look forward to collectively pursuing a host of new opportunities.”
Priti Murthy, CEO OMD India welcomed Udhaya Pasupathi on board saying, “All of us at OMD are eagerly looking forward to Udhaya’s fresh new perspectives combined with the rich repertoire of industry knowledge he’s gathered over the years. There are some exciting growth avenues ahead, and we can’t wait to unlock them together.”
Speaking about this new step in his career, Udhaya Pasupathi reflected, “It’s been over a decade of experience, learnings and leadership in the realm of media strategy & planning, and surely there’s no better place to mark 12 years than OMD. With its vast global network and its growth-driven environment, I’m delighted to be in a space where together we quite literally make better decisions, faster!”
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For more updates, be socially connected with us onInstagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp
OMD India ropes in Udhayakumar Pasupathi to lead Chennai office
Pasupathi has spent the last 9 years at Mindshare where his most recent role was that of cluster lead in Bangalore
OMD India has onboarded Udhayakumar Pasupathi as new Lead at the company’s Chennai office, reporting to Sulina Menon, Chief Client Officer, OMD India.
“Udhaya is an MBA graduate in marketing and joins with 12 years of diverse and prolific industry experience. He spent the last 9 years at Mindshare where his most recent role was that of cluster lead in Bangalore. Udhay has also worked with Lodestar UM, and has worn multiple hats as a planner, team lead, strategist, and media consultant. His roles have pivoted around providing integrated strategic solutions to brands, including marquee names such as Max Fashion, Lifestyle, Home Centre and Eenadu, among many others,” the agency said.
Commenting on the new appointment, Sulina Menon said, “We’re extremely pleased to have someone like Udhaya, with his experience and expertise, join our Chennai team, and are confident that we will benefit greatly from the insights he brings to the table. I’m especially excited about the growth journey ahead and look forward to collectively pursuing a host of new opportunities.”
Priti Murthy, CEO OMD India welcomed Udhaya Pasupathi on board saying, “All of us at OMD are eagerly looking forward to Udhaya’s fresh new perspectives combined with the rich repertoire of industry knowledge he’s gathered over the years. There are some exciting growth avenues ahead, and we can’t wait to unlock them together.”
Speaking about this new step in his career, Udhaya Pasupathi reflected, “It’s been over a decade of experience, learnings and leadership in the realm of media strategy & planning, and surely there’s no better place to mark 12 years than OMD. With its vast global network and its growth-driven environment, I’m delighted to be in a space where together we quite literally make better decisions, faster!”
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