The Economist has appointed Mahesh Nambiar as sales director for India, based in Mumbai. Nambiar has worked across variousmedia platforms: television (mass and niche channels), radio and print (broadsheets & magazines), in media sales and business development. His last two assignments have been with MSM India (erstwhile Sony Entertainment TV) and Star India Pvt Ltd, spanning five and seven years respectively. He joins The Economist from MSM, where as vice president - sales, he was responsible for heading all India sales for AXN.
A note announcing the appointment said: "As India rises up the economic superpower ladder, its companies are becoming increasingly ambitious. From being largely internally focused,they are now increasingly looking at the entire world as their playing field. At the same time, international brands facing shrinking home markets are increasingly looking at the Indian market to prop up their growth charts. Mahesh joins The Economist to add impetus to the sales efforts to take advantage of this twofold opportunity."
The Economist will continue to run its advertising sales operation in partnership with Business India. Ashok Dey and his Economist sales team at Business India will work closely with Nambiar.
Suprio Guha Thakurta, managing director, The Economist, India, said, “Our first task of establishing the brand in India is well under way. In two and a half years, we have grown from a circulation of 17,000 copies to 29,000 copies this October. Our worldwide growth continues unabated amazing all industry watchers. Advertisers and media agencies in India have started recognising the power of this extremely refined, highly influencing mediavehicle for targeting both domestic and international audiences. I am confident that Mahesh’s expertise and experience will help us further establish ourselves in the Indian advertising sales market.”
