Walt Disney names K Madhavan as India unit chief after Uday Shankar's exit

Media major Walt Disney has named K Madhavan as president of its India unit with immediate effect. Madhavan, earlier country manager of Star and Disney India, takes over from Uday Shankar who stepped down as president, the Walt Disney Company APAC and chairman, Star and Disney India, last October.

As president of Walt Disney and Star India, Madhavan will drive strategy and growth, with responsibility for all businesses. This includes entertainment, sports, regional channels and direct-to-consumer, the firm said in a statement on Wednesday.

"For the past several months, I have had the pleasure of working directly with KM and have seen firsthand how he has adeptly managed our India business, which has been and will continue to be critical to our global and regional strategy," Rebecca Campbell, chairman, international operations and direct-to-consumer, the Walt Disney Company, said.

“A skilled leader with an extensive background in media, KM has taken our Star networks and local content production businesses to new heights despite continued industry evolution and significant challenges due to the pandemic," she added.

Madhavan was the country manager of Star and Disney India since 2019, responsible for the company’s television and studios businesses in the country. He joined Star India in 2009 as its south head, supervising its regional entertainment portfolio. Previously, he served as the managing director and chief executive officer for the firm’s Malayalam language channel Asianet from 2000-2008. Prior to his media career, Madhavan was in the banking and corporate finance sector.

“I am proud to have the opportunity to lead the incredibly talented and passionate team we have in India, and to further build upon our portfolio of channels and programming," Madhavan said. “We have an exciting journey ahead of us. I am committed to continuing to move our business forward, working more closely together with colleagues across Disney to enhance our global and regional offerings," he added.