Walt Disney to restructure India operations

By Gaurav Laghate, ET Bureau | Updated: Dec 23, 2016, 10.36 AM IST

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/walt-disney-to-restructure-india-
operations/articleshow/56129407.cms

MUMBAI: World's largest media and entertainment conglomerate, The Walt Disney Company, is set
to restructure its India operations under new managing director Mahesh Samat, who rejoined the
company on October 25, 2016 after a gap of four years. Under Samat, the company has been working
towards the new lean structure, more aligned to the international organisational set-up. Disney India
will now focus on its core strengths - Hollywood films and consumer products business.

The Hindi film production business has been suspended after suffering major losses. Already, two top
level executives from the India leadership team, Nikhil Gandhi (head of revenue - media networks)
and Sameer Ganapathy (head of interactive) have put in their papers. Also, according to multiple
sources in the company, Disney India will retrench its workforce and trim it down to 350 people in the
next two months, from the current strength of 680 people.

For some time there were feelers that Disney India is going to cut on employee count. A lot of UTV
(which Disney acquired from Ronnie Screwvala) employees are set to lose jobs. Disney will be
focussing on Hollywood and consumer products business only," said a highly placed source in the
company, who did not wish to be identified. Globally, Disney has merged their consumer products
business with interactive and is now headed by one person. "With global change, Disney was bound
to merge the consumer products and interactive business in India too.
Disney — the world's largest media and entertainment company with over $22 billion in annual
revenues —has not been able to replicate the same success in India. Its other business, be it media
networks (Bindass, The Disney Channel, Hungama TV, Bindass Play, UTV Action), interactive,
licensing and merchandising or live events, have not given the company a scale that it deserved, feel
media observers.

Fox deal set to make Disney India’s biggest broadcaster

Last Published: Fri, Dec 15 2017. 01 54 AM IST
(http://www.livemint.com/Companies/sdRdjtYGZyJXQadZwTl0LL/Fox-deal-set-to-make-Disney-Indias-biggest-
broadcaster.html)

New Delhi: In a deal that could reshape the entertainment business globally, Walt Disney Co. has
agreed to buy Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox Inc. for about $52.4 billion in stock on Thursday.
In India, the deal means that Murdoch-owned Star India’s businesses, including 49 entertainment
channels and 10 sports channels would be absorbed by Disney along with its digital streaming
platform Hotstar. Not just that, Disney would also acquire Star’s stake in direct-to-home platform
Tata Sky in India. This would catapult Disney, currently known for its children’s channels and
distribution of Hollywood films, into India’s biggest broadcaster.

“This is the mother of all media and entertainment deals and will overnight make Disney the number
one network in the country. Both Star and Disney will complement each other with missing portfolios
in each others’s offerings,” said Raj Nayak, chief operating officer of rival network Viacom18. “The
combined entity can bring many synergies to the table and leverage advertising, distribution, licensing
and over-the-top (OTT) revenues besides saving costs on some fronts. The merger will make Disney a
formidable powerhouse in the region,” he added.

Ten days ago, 21st Century Fox named Uday Shankar, chairman and chief executive of Star India Pvt.
Ltd, as president, 21st Century Fox for the Asia region. In September, Star India Pvt. Ltd won
television, digital, Indian and global media rights to the India Premier League (IPL) for the next five
seasons for Rs16,347.50 crore. The company also operates a movie production and distribution
company since 2009.

Star India chairman Uday Shankar to head Disney-Star

merged entity in India
By Gaurav Laghate, , ET Bureau | Dec 13, 2018, 10.21 PM IST

(https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/media/star-india-chairman-
uday-shankar-to-head-disney-star-merged-entity-in-india/articleshow/67081427.cms)

MUMBAI: Uday Shankar, currently chairman and CEO of Star India and president of 21st Century
Fox, Asia, will lead the India and Asia Pacific business of The Walt Disney Company once it
completes the acquisition of 21st Century Fox’ assets.

Disney, world’s largest entertainment company, announced Thursday the new organisational structure
of the direct-to-consumer and international (DTCI) business, keeping executives of both companies in
key leadership roles.

“The planned restructuring of our business units outside of the US will result in a stronger, more agile
organisation, one that is better able to pivot and capitalise on the many opportunities present in
today’s fast-changing and increasingly complex global marketplace,” said Kevin Mayer, chairman,
DTCI, at The Walt Disney Company.

In his new role, Shankar will report in to Mayer, while Luke Kang, EVP and MD, Greater China,
Japan and Korea; Kylie Watson-Wheeler, MD of Australia and New Zealand; and Chafic Najia, SVP
and MD of Middle East will report to Shankar. The other regions under DTCI – EMEA and Latin
America - will continue to be led by Rebecca Campbell and Diego Lerner, respectively.
“Once the acquisition is complete, all three regions will be led by exceptional, highly experienced
executives who will combine the 'best of the best' talent from both organisations,” Mayer
said. According to Mayer, the new structure is clear demonstrations of the company’s “strong
commitment to integrating operations” and “thoughtfully executing” strategic priorities around the
globe.