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Uday Shankar to step down as Star & Disney India Chairman
Our Bureau
New Delhi, October 08
Uday Shankar, President, The Walt Disney Company APAC and Chairman, Star & Disney India has decided to step down effective December 31. The veteran media and entertainment industry executive, will be ending his more than a decade-long stint at the company, to pursue his entrepreneurial endeavors.
“As I look back on this journey, I take pride in having set ambitious goals in my professional career, and achieving all that we set out to do. For some time now, I have been contemplating the question of how I give back to the country, community and the industry that have given me so much,” Shankar said in a statement on Thursday.
“I think the best way to express my gratitude to all of them will be to support and mentor a new generation of entrepreneurs as they set out to create transformational solutions that will have a positive impact on countless lives. I intend to partner with global investors and pioneers to achieve this,” he added.
To identify the successor
Over the next three months, Shankar will be working closely with the company to identify his successor to ensure a smooth transition, the statement added.
Since February 2019, Shankar has served as the President, The Walt Disney Company APAC and Chairman, Star & Disney India. Previously, he was serving as the President of 21st Century Fox for Asia and the Chairman & CEO of Star India. Rebecca Campbell, Chairman of Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment said,” “I want to thank Uday for his leadership and dedication to our APAC business. With the successful launch of Disney+ throughout the region, he has helped put The Walt Disney Company in a commanding position in this dynamic and incredibly strategic part of the world. His vast experience and expertise have been invaluable in bringing together a strong, cohesive APAC leadership team to chart a path forward for our streaming businesses in the region and beyond.”
Shankar, who has been at the helm of Star India since 2007, has been credited with transforming Star's business into one of the leading media and entertainment companies in Asia. During his stint, he led the broadcaster’s aggressive forays into regional and local language programming and also consolidated Star’s sports broadcasting operations through 21st Century Fox’s acquisition of its joint venture with ESPN. Under his leadership, Star also made big bets on sports and launched multiple domestic sports leagues in kabaddi and football. In addition, he also played a significant role in the launch of OTT platform Hotstar.
In his previous stints, Shankar served as CEO and Editor at Star News and also spearheaded the launch of news channels- Aaj Tak in 2000 and Headlines Today in 2003.
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