TV9 Group has appointed Barun Das as Chief Executive Officer to lead its plans for becoming a national player in the broadcast and digital news space.  Mahendra Mishra, who was acting as the interim CEO of the group, would now be Principal Advisor to the Board of TV9.

The TV9 Group, which enjoys a leadership position in multiple languages in the South and West of India, recently launched TV9 Bharatvarsh in Hindi -- its first national news channel.

Barun, a veteran of the media business, will be charged with the responsibility of driving synergies among all the channels and to build future-ready new businesses of the Group.

Barun is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata and the London School of Economics. His last corporate assignment was as CEO of Zee Media Limited where he worked for over five years.

Barun has over 25 years’ experience and before Zee News, Barun worked in leadership positions in ABP News, India Today Group, Astro All Asia Network in Kuala Lumpur and ABP Group, among others.

Commenting on Barun’s new role, Singa Rao, Wholetime Director and member of TV9 Board, said: “Our group is committed to the roles and responsibilities of the Fourth Estate. Given our leadership position in the southern and western parts of the country, we are now aiming at achieving similar success in the rest of the country and in the new media domain. We are confident that Barun, with his all-round and vast experience and track record, will power this foray. We welcome Barun on board.”

Das  said he was looking forward to the honor and challenges of the assignment. “I am excited about this new opportunity has given the Group’s vision. Every new opportunity comes with fresh challenges and I wish to contribute my bit along with the team. Since TV9 has impressive leadership in the regions of its current operations, it will be my pleasure and privilege, to drive its expansion in the national arena.”

Mahendra Mishra, Principal Advisor to the Board of TV9, commented, “I am delighted to be a part of the next big leap that the organization is going to take in the national arena. I welcome Barun on board and I am confident that under his leadership our team would scale new heights.”