HT Media appoints new business head for HMVL and Mint

HT Media has got Vivek Khanna to head its Hindi business and K Venkataramani as the new business head of Mint.

HT Media has promoted Vivek Khanna as head of its Hindi business division, HMVL. Khanna was spearheading the Mint and Ad for Equity businesses for the past few years.

Khanna replaces Amit Chopra, who left the company in December 2012 to steer STAR India's sports strategy.

HT Media has also roped in a new hand, K Venkataramani as the business head of Mint.

While Khanna will report to Benoy Roychowdhury, executive director, HT Media, Venkataramani will report to Rajiv Verma, CEO of HT Media.

Under the leadership of Khanna, Mint entered the markets of Southeast Asia with the launch Mint Asia in Singapore. He has been associated with HT Media since 2008. An alumnus of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, Khanna has spent more than 11 years in Hindustan Unilever and subsequently, was director, marketing at insurance multinational Aviva.

Venkataramani joins HT Media from Bharti Walmart, where he was vice-president, Hardlines and Home Entertainment and was responsible for the top line and profits of consumer durables, IT products and automobile accessories business of the company.

He started his career as a management trainee with Hindustan Lever in August 1993 and was later promoted as area sales manager, beverages. He then moved on to become senior brand manager and regional sales manager of the ice-creams and frozen desserts division at the company.

During his tenure with HUL, Venkataramani was also manager, sales processes and IT solutions and national key accounts manager. He has also been associated with International Bestfoods as marketing manager, Branded Staples, Levi Strauss & Co as its marketing director and Madura Garments as the brand director for Peter England.

Venkataramani holds an MMS (Marketing) degree from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies.

For the record, HT Media publishes three newspapers in English, Hindi and business news segments including Hindustan Times, Hindustan and Mint. The company also has four FM radio stations - Fever 104 FM in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. It also made a foray into the internet space through its subsidiary, Firefly e-Ventures, and has launched www.Shine.com, www.HTCampus.com and www.Desimartini.com, in addition to its existing news websites livemint.com, livehindustan.com and hindustantimes.com.