WASHINGTON, DC -- India's leading media and entertainment executives will discuss their country's rapid growth in the entertainment industry on Wednesday, April 16 during the NAB Show in Las Vegas. The super session, titled "Tune-in to India's Entertainment Economy- From Emerging to Surging," will be led by Farokh Balsara, the National President of the Indo-America Chamber of Commerce (IACC) and industry veteran.
The session will focus on the state of India's entertainment economy, including a discussion of the issues, challenges and opportunities in India in TV, radio, film and new media. A report on the Indian entertainment industry, prepared by Ernst & Young, will also be released during the session.
As session leader, Balsara will provide an update on the business opportunities available in India as a result of economic growth and technological expansion. Balsara is currently the National President of the IACC, which links the business communities of India and the United States, and a partner with Ernst & Young in India where he leads the firm's Media & Entertainment practice. Balsara's work at the IACC has led to closer communication between U.S. and Indian businesses and has helped strengthen the connection between Hollywood and Bollywood.
Other panelists include:
A.P. Parigi, managing director and CEO of Entertainment Network (India) Limited (ENTIL). Parigi's role at ENTIL, owned by Time's Group, helped the company expand their FM radio broadcasting, out-of-home advertising and filmed entertainment. Under his leadership, ENTIL-owned Radio Mirchi emerged as India's largest private FM radio network.
Jagdish Kumar, COO of STAR TV, the leading media and entertainment company in Asia. As part of the senior executive management team, Kumar helped STAR TV expand into filmed entertainment, television production, and wireless and digital services. STAR currently broadcasts more than 61 television services to more than 300 million viewers.
Sunil Lulla, Group CEO, Alva Brothers Limited. Alva Brothers is the holding company for Miditech, the second largest TV Production House in India, as well as TV Entertainment Network, through a separate partnership with Turner Broadcasting. A veteran of the media industry, Lulla’s contributions include the introduction of MTV to India and the turnaround of India's premiere music label, Sa Re Ga Ma.
Anurag Batra, promoter & CEO, exchange4media. An entrepreneur, media expert and journalist, Batra serves as the managing director of exchange4media group, owner of PITCH and IMPACT magazines. Both publications are focused on the media, entertainment and advertising sectors of India. Batra is also on the Executive Committee of the Association of Indian Magazines (AIM), and serves as chairman of the advisory board at Furturistic Media Communications Center, India's leading media and communication school.
The NAB Show is recognized as the global event where content professionals unite to learn about new technology. International participation continues to play an important role, with nine new delegations and more than 27,000 international attendees expected to attend this year's show. Additional information about international services and delegations is available here.
About the 2008 NAB Show
The NAB Show will take place April 11 - 17, 2008 in Las Vegas (exhibits open April 14). It is the world's largest electronic media show covering the development, management and delivery of content across all mediums. Complete details are available at www.nabshow.com.
About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is a trade association that advocates on behalf of more than 8,300 free, local radio and television stations and also broadcast networks before Congress, the Federal Communications Commission and the Courts. Information about NAB can be found at www.nab.org.