Uday Shankar to take charge as FICCI President

New Delhi: Media executive Uday Shankar has been named as the President-Elect of industry chamber FICCI for the year 2020-21. Shankar will be succeeding Sangita Reddy, President, FICCI, and Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group during FICCI's 93rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled to be held on December 11,12 and 14, 2020. "Shankar is the President of The Walt Disney Company for 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," the chamber said on Friday.

Global media and entertainment conglomerate The Walt Disney Company had recently said Shankar will step down as President of its Asia Pacific business and Chairman of Star and Disney India with effect from December 31, 2020. After quitting, Shankar will pursue entrepreneurial interests. He presently leads Disney's direct-to-consumer business in over 30 countries. "He has been credited with the creation of pathbreaking 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," the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) said. He has earlier been the President of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) and the Chairman of FICCI's Media and Entertainment Committee. 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.