Sapna Nair
Media

MIH comes to India, Google’s Ashish Kashyap to be CEO

The MIH Group, a part of the multinational media group Naspers Ltd, has officially announced its entry into India. Sources say Ashish Kashyap of Google India will head the company in India

The MIH Group, part of the multinational media group Naspers Ltd, has announced its entry into the Indian Internet and digital space. Sources close to the development confirm that Ashish Kashyap, country head, domestic operations, Google India, has been roped in as CEO for MIH’s Internet business in India.

MIH plans to develop Internet and mobile applications for the Indian online space. MIH Internet’s first office will be based in Gurgaon, Haryana.

The group will now hire talent for various functions, such as engineering, R&D, technology, creative, marketing, sales and support, and will expand offices across the country over time.

MIH operates pay television and Internet subscriber platforms and related technologies in over 50 countries. It creates content that can be delivered through channels that include television and the Internet.

In India, the group plans to create a personal reference world of entertainment and information, which can be accessed anywhere, any time. The group’s significant operations are located in places such as South Africa, Brazil, China and Thailand.

Speaking on the Indian venture, Craig White, spokesperson for MIH Internet in India, says, “Though Internet penetration is currently only at 4.5 per cent, it is expected to grow rapidly over the next five-ten years. And MIH aims to capitalise on this in the long run by building strong online communication platforms.”

Prior to Google India, Kashyap was the general manager and business head of e-commerce at Indiatimes.com. He has also worked with MTV in the sales and operations field and with Times FM in the marketing department.

For the record, the parent company, Naspers, is a multinational and multi-channel media company with principal operations in electronic media (including pay television, Internet and instant messaging subscriber platforms and the provision of related technologies) and print media (including the publishing, distribution and printing of magazines, newspapers and books, and the provision of private education services).

The company’s most significant operations are located in South Africa, where it generates approximately 72.7 per cent of its revenue, with other significant operations located in Sub-Saharan Africa, Greece, Cyprus, the Netherlands, the United States, Thailand and China.

© 2006 agencyfaqs!

Have news to share? Write to us atnewsteam@afaqs.com