What's-On-India ropes in Airtel's Sugato Banerji as COO

Mumbai based What's-On-India, a TV search and Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) technology company, has appointed Sugato Banerji as its chief operating officer (COO). Banerji will lead the company's growth strategy in the TV search, EPG and recommendations space, and consolidate key partner and client relationships. Under him, the company will also look at expanding into newer international markets (similar to the company's What's-On-Arabia in the Middle East).

Atul Phadnis, founder and CEO, What's-on-India, said, " Banerji brings in experience in the TV and media business, which would be valuable as What's-On-India charts a new growth and expansion agenda in the coming months."

Banerji joins in from Bharti Telemedia Ltd (Airtel), where he held the position of Chief Marketing Officer, DTH & Media. Prior to that, he has held key positions including director, business development at Visa, head, marketing and alliances, Standard Chartered Bank, India and head, portal marketing, Aptech Internet Ltd. He holds PGDBM degree in marketing from IIM, Bangalore, and a B Tech degree in chemical engineering from IIT, Banaras Hindu University.

"Digital TV would mean more programmes, more channels, increase in regional and local content, greater diversity of set-top-boxes, recorder devices, increased viewing of TV on wireless devices- all leading to an explosion in the demand for sophisticated TV search, recommendations and personalisation," said Banerji.

What's On India Media Pvt Ltd (originally set up as Aarohan Media Software Pvt Ltd) was founded by Phadnis in 2005 and the company launched India's first consumer TV guidance channel, What's-On-India. Its technology vertical powers EPG metadata content for more than 500 TV channels and into set top boxes and devices across cable, DTH, IPTV and mobile TV. The company had raised an undisclosed amount in Series B funding from Intel, Nexus VP and Sequoia Capital in September 2011.

(Edited by Prem Udayabhanu)