Zee Board appoints Divya Karani as Independent Director and Saurav Adhikari as Non-Executive Director

Shareholders of ZEE Entertainment approved the appointment of Divya Karani as an Independent Director and Saurav Adhikari as a Non-Executive Director on the board of the company, with an over-whelming majority on Tuesday.

Regarding the announcement, R Gopalan, Chairman of Zee, said, “Karani’s and Adhikari’s sharp business acumen, coupled with their creative expertise from respective sectors, will only strengthen the board’s directional guidance to the management team.”

Karani comes with over three decades of experience spearheading major advertising and media agencies across India, South Asia, UK and Asia Pacific. She served as the CEO of Dentsu Media, South Asia, leading the agency for over 12 years as a prominent media agency network in the region. Karani currently serves on the Board of Kulfi Collective, a media network that builds brands and studios that focus on content, commerce and culture, as its Chairperson and Executive Director.

“Karani will bring in her valuable insights in the realm of advertisement revenue, leveraging her vast experience in the media & advertising landscape,” said the company in a press release.

Adhikari has over three decades of deep domain expertise in global businesses/markets across technology, FMCG and consumer durables sectors as an operations, general management and investment specialist. His prior experience includes several senior global leadership and executive roles across HCL, Unilever and PepsiCo amongst others. Adhikari is currently the Founder and senior Partner at Indus Tech Edge Fund I, a growth fund focused on globalising India’s technology ecosystem. Being a technology advisor and investor, Adhikari will look at operations and investment in the company.

The addition of Karani and Adhikari will enable the board to offer well-rounded guidance on all aspects to the management team to ensure effective execution of the strategic growth plan, said the company.

Published on July 8, 2025