Sugato Banerji quits Airtel; joins What's-On-India as COO

What's-on-India, India's premier TV Search & EPG (Electronic Program Guide) technology company, today announced the appointment of Sugato Banerji as its Chief Operating Officer.

Sugato has called it a day as CMO at Airtel DTH & Media to join Intel-Sequoia-Nexus funded TV start-up What's-on-India.

At What's-on-India, Sugato will lead the company's growth strategy in the TV Search, EPG and Recommendations space and consolidate key partner and client relationships. Under him, What's-On will also look at expanding into newer International markets just as the company set up, What's-On-Arabia, in the Middle East in 2012.

Sugato Banerji's move from a large corporate set-up to the new, racy, disruptive world of start-ups comes in as What's-On-India rapidly expands into International markets as well as launches new solutions in the Domestic TV sector, in the wake of the ongoing Government efforts to digitize cable.

Says Atul Phadnis, CEO & founder, What's-on-India, "What's-On-India is at an exciting crossroads of TV Search and new TV devices in an increasingly digitalizing television sector. Sugato brings in tremendous experience in the TV and Media business that would be extremely valuable as What's-On-India charts a new, growth and expansion agenda in the coming months."

"I am excited to join What's-On-India at the cusp of a transformation of the TV industry into digital. Digital TV would mean more programs, more channels, increase in regional and local content, greater diversity of set-top-boxes, recorder devices, increased viewing of TV on wireless devices, leading to anexplosion in the demand for sophisticated TV Search, Recommendations and Personalization. What's-On-India with its suite of new products is perfectly poised to ride this digital wave, from both ends- the broadcaster & distributor. I am looking forward to lead the market expansion operations in this direction", says Sugato.

What's-On-India has been in the news in recent times - first with its Series B funding round with Intel, Nexus VP and Sequoia Capital in September 2011, followed by the acquisition of TV STEET MAPS, a TV Channel Distribution Monitoring company in December 2011. The company also launched a series of TV Search and Preview apps on Android, iPad, iPhones, Windows Mobile and other platforms. The most recent announcement was that of an expansion in the Middle East via an acquisition in Jordan.