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Highway regained: Varshnei skips advertising, sticks with media

Pavan Varshnei is no longer weighing his options between advertising and media. He has decided to continue with media and has joined the ABP Group as president

Pavan Varshnei has decided to stay in media. He has joined the ABP Group as president, English magazines and ABP Group Digital. Based in New Delhi, Varshnei will manage Businessworld, Fortune and ABP’s online media properties.

Varshnei joined India Today in 2004. He was instrumental in expanding the group’s magazine portfolio. He identified new segments and, in the last three years, successfully launched four new publications: Scientific American, Harvard Business Review, Men’s Health and BT More. Varshnei also negotiated a joint venture with Germany’s Axel Springer Group to launch Auto Bild India, and increased the circulation of Time and Fortune. He quit the India Today Group as publishing director.

DD Purkayastha, chief executive officer, ABP Group, says, “Pavan possesses cross-disciplinary experience in media and advertising and has a proven track record of managing growth.”

Varshnei says, “I am extremely pleased at the opportunity of working with the ABP Group, one of the country’s most reputed media organisations. Media convergence is set to grow and I am excited to be part of this growth phase. I look forward to building on ABP’s strengths and, in addition to expanding the magazine portfolio, developing successful online media properties.”

Prior to India Today, Varshnei was executive vice-president at Lintas, where he worked across the Unilever brands, Sony Ericsson, Maruti Suzuki, Joyco and Electrolux.

Varshnei is a graduate from St Stephen’s College, an MBA with distinction from the Asian Institute of Management and a senior Chevening scholar from The London School of Economics.

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