Uday Shankar is first-ever media executive to lead oldest industry body

Uday Shankar is the President-Elect, FICCI for the year 2020-21. Shankar will be succeeding Dr. Sangita Reddy, President, FICCI, and Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group during FICCI’s 93rd AGM on 11,12 & 14 December 2020.

Shankar is the President of The Walt Disney Company for the Asia Pacific and the Chairman of Star and Disney India. He is the first-ever media and entertainment executive in India to lead a national industry chamber such as FICCI, which is India’s oldest industry body.

Shankar presently leads Disney’s direct-to-consumer business in over 30 countries. He has been credited with the creation of path-breaking entertainment shows and bringing world-class sports broadcasting to India. He also envisioned the digital transformation of Star by creating Hotstar, which has now expanded globally as Disney+ Hotstar.

In addition to his leadership at Disney and Star, Shankar has played a key role in shaping the growth trajectory of the media and entertainment sector in India, to benefit industry stakeholders as well as consumers.

He has been at the forefront of landmark initiatives in television broadcasting, such as self-regulation of content and digitization of the broadcasting sector. He has earlier been the President of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) and the Chairman of FICCI’s Media and Entertainment Committee.

A trained journalist, Shankar also pioneered the development of the television news ecosystem in India.

Prior to Star India, he was the CEO and Editor of Star News, the country’s first 24-hour news channel. He has also been the Editor and News Director at TV Today Group, where he spearheaded the launch of Aaj Tak in 2000 and Headlines Today in 2003.

Shankar holds an MPhil in Economic History from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.