Board of Directors

Dr. Mahendra Mohan Gupta (79 years) is the Chairman and Managing Director of the Company and also holds the position of Editorial Director of Dainik Jagran. He has been associated with Jagran Prakashan Limited since its inception.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce. Dr. Gupta has more than 60 years of experience in the print media industry.

He has held various key positions in the industry including being the Chairman of United News of India (“UNI”), President of The Indian Newspaper Society (“INS”), President of Indian Languages Newspaper Association (“ILNA”), Council Member of Audit Bureau of Circulations, Member of Press Council of India and Member of Film Censor Board of India, Member of the Board and Chairman of Press Trust of India (PTI) besides holding senior honorary positions in various social and cultural organisations. Dr. Gupta was a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) from April, 2006 to April, 2012 and is presently member of Executive Committee of PTI, INS and Non-Executive Chairman/ Director of Jagran Media Network Investment Private Limited. In May, 2018, the Jharkhand Rai University, Ranchi has conferred an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in recognition of his outstanding contribution to media leadership and public life. His work for the cause of society, Indian trade and industry in general and newspaper industry in particular has been recognised by various social, cultural and professional bodies in India.

He is responsible for all strategic decisions within the guidelines given by the Board as well as he is responsible for monitoring the Company’s performance periodically however his responsibility also includes formulating corporate strategy, Finalisation of business plan in consultation with CEO, CFO and President, Decision on taking new initiatives and representation of the Company in the industry and at various other forums, for finalising Editorial Policy and its implementation.

Mr. Sanjay Gupta (57 years) is a Whole-time Director of the Company and also holds the position of Editor in Chief of Dainik Jagran and CEO of the Company. Mr. Gupta has been a Director of the Company since 1993.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Science. He has more than 35 years of experience in the print media industry. Mr. Gupta is a director of Midday Infomedia Limited, MMI Online Limited and Member of Executive Committee of The Indian Newspaper Society. He has been appointed as the Chairman of Society and Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Amritsar. He is responsible for implementation of business plan. He is responsible for regular monitoring of the operations, participates in strategy formulation, and is involved in expansion plan including M & A and JV opportunities. He represents the Company in various industry bodies. Mr. Gupta is the head of Editorial department and complete editorial team works under his guidance and supervision.

Mr. Dhirendra Mohan Gupta (76 years) is a Whole-time Director of the Company. Mr. Gupta has been a Director of the Company since its inception. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Arts. He has 54 years of experience in the print media industry. He is also the Director of Jagran Media Network Investment Private Limited. He is the Director-in-charge of our operations in the western regions of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Mr. Sunil Gupta (58 years) is a Whole-time Director of the Company. Mr. Gupta has been a Director of the Company since 1993. He holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Commerce. Mr. Gupta has more than 35 years of experience in the print media industry. Mr. Gupta is in charge of our operations in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Mr. Shailesh Gupta (51 years) holds a bachelor's degree in commerce. Mr. Gupta has 30 years of experience in the print media industry. He is President of The Indian Newspaper Society, past Chairman of Council of Audit Bureau of Circulations and is currently member of the Council, Director of Rave Real Estate Private Limited, MMI Online Limited, Midday Infomedia Limited. In December, 2017, The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) nominated Mr. Shailesh Gupta as INS Nominee on the Board of WAN-IFRA. He has been a Director of JPL since 1994.

Mr. Gupta participates in strategy formulation and is involved in expansion plan including M&A and JV opportunities. He represents the Company in various industry bodies. Mr. Gupta is Director-in-charge as representative of JPL for Mid-day Infomedia Limited and Music Broadcast Limited (Subsidiaries of JPL). He is also Director-in-charge of Jagran Engage (OOH advertising division), Jagran Solutions (activation business), Digital business and Dainik Jagran, I-next as well as heads advertisement, marketing and branding activities of the Group.

Mr. Devendra Mohan Gupta (70 years) is a Non-Executive Director of the Company. Mr. Gupta has been a Director of the Company since September 04, 2008.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical). Mr. Gupta has a vast experience in handling Product Design, Research & Development, Production, Purchase & Sales (Domestic & Overseas). He is pioneer in introducing D.C. Micro Motors technology in the country and Indian Standard Institution (I.S.I.) took Mr. Gupta on its Panel in the year 1979 for D.C. Micro Motors. Mr. Gupta has helped I.S.I. in formulating the specifications for D.C. Micro Motors & bringing out its first Standard IS: 9670 in the year 1980. He is the Managing Director of Jagmini Micro Knit Private Limited, and a Director of Jagran Micro Motors Limited and Jagran Media Network Investment Private Limited. He is the recipient of Export Award of Electronics & Computer Software Export Promotion Council (sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India), New Delhi for the year 1995-96 from Hon’ble Minister of Commerce.

Mr. Shailendra Mohan Gupta (69 years) is a Non-Executive Director of the Company. He has been a Director of the Company since September 04, 2008.

Mr. Shailendra Mohan Gupta holds a Bachelor’s degree in Science. He has over 40 years of experience in administration, sales and marketing fields in Sugar, Alcohol and Electronics industries. He was a Joint Managing Director of Jagran Micro Motors Limited and Managing Director of Shakumbari Sugar & Allied Industries Limited. He is also the Director of Jagran Media Network Investment Private Limited, Jagran Micro Motors Limited, Om Multimedia Private Limited, Grinns Capital Private Limited.

Mr. Satish Chandra Mishra (56 years) is a Whole-time Director of the Company. Mr. Mishra has been a Director of the Company since July 31, 2013.

Mr. Mishra completed his B.E. (Electronics) in 1983 from Madhav Institute of Technology, Gwalior, P.G. Diploma in Human Resource Management from IMT Ghaziabad, in 2006 and MBA (Major-Marketing Management, Minor-Operations Management) from Punjabi School of Management Studies, Punjabi University, Patiala, in 2009. He has over 35 years of experience in Newspaper industry. Mr. Mishra heads production department and is the Occupier under Factories Act, 1948 for the printing centers of the Company.

Mr. Amit Dixit (47 years) is a Non-Executive Director of the Company. Mr. Dixit has been a Director of the Company since September 28, 2012.

Amit Dixit is a Senior Managing Director, Co-Head of Asia Acquisitions, and Head of India for Blackstone Private Equity. Since joining Blackstone in 2007, Mr. Dixit has been involved in various investments in India and South Asia. Previously, Mr. Dixit was a Principal at Warburg Pincus. Mr. Dixit completed MBA from Harvard Business School, MS in Engineering from Stanford University, and a B.Tech from Indian Institute of Technology Mumbai where he was awarded the Director’s Silver Medal for graduating at the top of his program. He currently serves as a Director of several companies including Mphasis, TaskUs, Aadhar, Essel Propack, Aakash Education, Sona Comstar, IBS Software, Jagran Prakashan and Mid-Day Infomedia.

Mr. Anuj Puri (54 years) is an Independent Director of the Company. Mr. Puri has been a Director of the Company since January 31, 2013.

Mr. Puri is Group Chairman of ANAROCK and is widely acknowledged with revolutionizing the real estate sector with his visionary outlook and technology-based solutions. He has been for decades advisor to developers, occupiers, and investors. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, is an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute -UK, Associate of Insurance Institute of Surveyors & Adjusters (India) and an Associate of the Insurance Institute of India. Until February 2017, he was Chairman & Country Head of international property consultants - JLL India, overseeing a team of over 9000 employees in 11 cities. He was also a key member of JLL’s Asia Pacific Leadership Group and Head of its Global Retail Leasing Board. Mr. Puri set up ANAROCK in 2017 which is now the largest independent residential properties agency in India with 1,800 staff across 16 offices in India and a significant presence in GCC countries including Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Under his leadership, ANAROCK has added Commercial, Retail, Hospitality, Investment Banking, Land Services, Strategic Consulting, Warehousing, Industrial & Logistics Services to its portfolio and is in aggressive expansion mode into newer geographies and real estate business verticals. He has held various key positions in the real estate industry including Member of Advisory Committee of Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry & Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (MCHI-CREDAI), Member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO), Member of Construction Week India National Advisory Board, Member of Hotelier India Magazine’s Advisory Board and Advisory Board Member of CREDAI MCHI Forum for Real Estate Marketing Experience & Innovations. He is also Fellow Member of Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, UK (FRICS).

Mr. Dilip Cherian (64 years) is an Independent Director of the Company. Mr. Cherian has been a Director of the Company since January 31, 2013.

He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Economics and has been a Chevening Fellow at the London School of Economics. Mr. Cherian is Founder & Consulting Partner of Perfect Relations, South Asia’s leading image management consultancy. He advises CEOs on Communications, Crisis and Public Affairs. Among Mr. Cherian’s other affiliations are included serving on the Governing Board of Advertising Standards Council of India and the Governing Council of the NID. Mr. Cherian has also spent time on the Apex Committee of Shareholder Grievance of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. He serves on the Boards of a number of Companies and Social Organisations.

Mr. Shashidhar Sinha (61 years) is an Independent Director of the Company. Mr. Sinha has been a Director of the Company since September 04, 2008.

Mr. Sinha is CEO – India, IPG Mediabrands, manages the second largest Media Agency Group that includes Lodestar UM, Initiative Media, Interactive Avenues, Mediabrands, BPN, Reprise, Rapport, Cadreon, Orion, Society& Magna Global in India. The group manages approximately 20% of the overall media spend in the country and is widely recognised for its strategic approach to media solutions across a wide portfolio of over 100 blue chip clients such as – Samsung, Amazon, Amul, Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson. Mr. Sinha is also actively involved in various industry bodies such as the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), The Ad Club, Readership Studies Council of India (RSCI). He also chairs the technical committee of the Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC). He is an alumni of IIT Kanpur and IIM Bangalore where he was recently conferred the “Most Distinguished Alumni Award”. An industry veteran with over 30 years of experience, where he has built a highly awarded team of professionals and organisations that today form the country’s leading media network.

Mr. Vijay Tandon (76 years) is an Independent Director of the Company since November 18, 2005.

Mr. Tandon is a Chartered Accountant and fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Qualifying in 1969, Mr. Tandon was associated with Thakur Vaidyanath Aiyar & Co., a leading firm of Chartered Accountants in New Delhi and was a partner of the firm between 1977 and 1999. As a chartered accountant and financial management consultant, with over 46 years of professional experience in various capacities, He has been associated with number of private and public sector companies and banks in the capacity of auditor. Mr. Tandon has extensive knowledge of the corporate laws and was heading the Corporate Division of the firm. Mr. Tandon has been associated with print media industry in various capacities, as publisher auditor, auditor representing the Audit Bureau of Circulations and as director of the National Herald Group of publication. As a management consultant, Mr. Tandon has been associated with a number of consulting services in diverse sectors of economy, industry and public utilities funded by the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the UK Department of International Development and others, in India as well as in South & Central Asia. Between 2000-16 Mr. Tandon was Principal Consultant/Director India with GHK Consulting Limited (now ICF Consulting Group) a UK-based development consultants. Presently, Mr. Tandon is an advisor on Urban Governance and Management and is also an Independent Director and Chairman of Music Broadcast Limited, a listed subsidiary of the Company.

Mr. Jayant Davar (58 years) is an Independent Director of the Company. Mr. Davar has been a Director of the Company since September 30, 2014.

He holds degree of Mechanical Engineer and is also an alumni of Harvard Business School and has been conferred with the distinguished alumnus award by his engineering college. He is the founder, Co-Chairman & Managing Director of Sandhar Technologies Limited. The Company manufactures a diverse range of automotive components. He was the President of Automotive Skills Development Council, Govt. of India, Governing Council Member – Innovation Council, Govt. of Haryana, Governing Council Member – National Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRIP), Govt. of India, Executive Committee Trustee- Raman Munjal Vidya Mandir and Founder Trustee of Sandhar Foundation. He is also Past President of ACMA & Past Chairman CII Northern Region and is also a member of Advisory Committee of Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Germany. He was also a nominated member of the Governing Council VLFM Program, National Committee for Public Policy and Affirmative Action & Trade Fairs. Presently, he is on the Boards of several reputed companies, Training Institutions and Non-Government (social) organisations.

Mr. Ravi Sardana (54 years) is an Independent Director of the Company. Mr. Sardana has been a Director of the Company since September 30, 2014.

He is a Chartered Accountant and a Chevening Scholar. He has over two decades of experience in investment banking and corporate finance and has contributed to more than a hundred successful transactions. He is currently Executive Vice President in ICICI Securities Limited. Mr. Sardana has worked extensively in the media sector advising companies on advisory and fund raising assignments.

Mr. Vikram Sakhuja (58 years) is an engineer from IIT Delhi and MBA from IIM Calcutta. Mr. Sakhuja has been a Director of the Company since April 15, 2016.

Mr. Sakhuja joined Procter & Gamble in 1988 and held positions in Marketing Research and Media over a period of 9 years. He then joined Coca-Cola where in over 5 years he went on to manage the brand marketing portfolio. Mr. Sakhuja spent a year with the Star TV Network (Newscorp) setting up their marketing department as the Executive VP Marketing for India. From 2002 onwards he was with GroupM. He began his association as the Managing Director of MindShare Fulcrum, went on to become the Managing Director of MindShare South Asia and then he was the CEO of GroupM South Asia for 7 years. Thereafter, he took up global role of world-wide CEO for Maxus for two years, following which he was GroupM’s Global Strategic Development Officer, with a remit of driving data and technology deeper into the Media practice. Since 2016, he has partnered with Mr. Sam Balsara and is the Group CEO of Madison Media and OOH. Mr. Sakhuja has served on several industry body boards/ committees including ASCI, ABC, RSCI, BARC, AAAI committees with ISA, INS and IBF, and is currently Head of IRS Tech Comm, MRUC Board member, ABC Board member, BARC Disciplinary committee member, CO-chair of IBF-AAAI subcommittee on payments and Ad Club ManCom member. He has consistently been voted one of the top most influential persons in Indian Media by the Economic Times.

Mr. Shailendra Swarup (75 years) is an Independent Director of the Company. Mr. Swarup has been a Director of the Company since September 27, 2019.

Mr. Swarup holds a Bachelor’s degree in Arts and is also a law graduate. He is a Corporate Lawyer and has also been practicing as an Advocate in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court for 53 years. Mr. Shailendra Swarup is a Director of JK Paper Ltd., Bengal & Assam Company Ltd., Gujarat Fluorochemicals Ltd., The India Thermit Corporation Ltd., Inox Infrastructure Ltd., Vis Legis Consult Pvt. Ltd., Subros Limited, Sterling Tools Limited, Kangaroo Properties and Services Pvt. Ltd. and Dev Valley Devcon Pvt. Ltd. He is also Member of the Audit Committee of Gujarat Flurochemicals Ltd., The India Thermit Corporation Ltd., and Inox Infrastructure Ltd. He is also a Director of Eros International Plc, and is a member of its Audit Committee. Mr. Swarup was a Member of the Task Force on Corporate Governance constituted by the Confederation of Indian Industry. He was a member of Ganguly Committee constituted by the Reserve Bank of India in the year 2002 on Corporate Governance of public sector Banks and financial institution with particular emphasis on role of Independent Directors.

Ms. Divya Karani (54 years) is an Additional Independent Director of the Company. Ms. Karani has recently been appointed as an Additional Independent Director of the Company w.e.f. November 13, 2019.

Ms. Karani holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and Economics; Sydenham College, Mumbai. Ms. Karani is the CEO of Dentsu Advertising and Media Services India Private Limited and has over 3 decades of experience with Agency, Marketer and Media organizations, in South East Asia, London & Asia Pacific. She has won and successfully run media mandates, for large Indian and global clients. She has worked at agencies like Trikaya Grey, O&M, MediaCom, Bates Asia, Media Edge (TME), and MEC (Singapore). In her stints as a marketer, she joined the Reliance ADA Group as media advisor to the chairman’s office, and moved to Hindustan Times Media in 2009 as business head – West. Prior to joining Dentsu India, Ms. Karani was an independent consultant advising and consulting marketers, media agencies and owners in the media business.