MUMBAI: BIG FM, one of India’s largest radio networks, had recently introduced the morning show ‘Onward & Upward – The BIG FM Morning Show’ for its employees. The highly-successful first season featured not only business leaders from the radio network but also over 30 stalwarts from various industries like entertainment, FMCG, automobile and advertising amongst others who helped the employees learn, grow and upskill during the lockdown period. Continuing to prepare its employees for opportunities and challenges that lay ahead, the show has now entered its second season and sees the brand move beyond static learning and immediate field of view to take action-oriented perspectives.
Offering the workforce fresh insight that further motivates and empowers them, Season 2.0 hosts function-specific speakers where the focus is on recovery and restarting of the respective industries and the economy at large. Doing so, further equips and facilitates the employees with a fresh outlook from industry stalwarts giving them a deeper understanding of emerging trends and how they are pertinent to each function and performance of a brand. Season 2.0 boasts of speakers who are discerning experts sharing their acumen concerning specific functions such as Programming, Marketing, Sales and Solutions. Keeping the conversations highly interactive and engaging, each session is moderated by the senior leadership team of the network.
Speaking about Season 2.0, Abraham Thomas – Chief Executive Officer, Reliance Broadcast Network Limited, said, “Having inspired the workforce over the highly successful first season, we look towards bringing new ideas and perspectives that help raise spirits at the network. Each of these luminaries, with their spirit, drive, and insight can help us look at the situation from another perspective. As we open our minds to a host of fresh ideas and thoughts, we shall be able to discover new models and opportunities that not only see us sail through this storm but propel the radio network to new heights.”
Adding to the same, Sunil Kumaran, Country Head, Product, Marketing & THWINK BIG, BIG FM, who also moderated the first season said, “These are indeed trying times for all of us. Through this property, our aim is to engage, inspire and motivate our employees to overcome the challenges that the current situation presents and prepare them for a new normal. We understand the anxieties and challenges that come with the ‘work from home’ policy amidst the ongoing nationwide lockdown. In our endeavour to bring in new ideas and thoughts, we invite and host leading experts from their field whose insights and perspective can help us be better prepared for the challenges that lay ahead of us.”
The list of renowned industry leaders who have been part of the show till now are:
Speaker | Designation/Company |
---|---|
Season One | |
Abhishek Singh | CEO, My Govt, CEO NeGD, Govt of India |
Ajay Kakar | CMO, Adita Birla Capital |
Ajay Mehta | Head - Content & Activations, Mindshare |
Amarjit Singh Batra | Managing Director, Spotify India |
Anita Nayyar | CEO, Havas Media group India and sea |
Ashish Ambasta | Happiness Expert & Director - Kincentric |
Ashish Pherwani | Partner media & entertainment, Ernst & Young |
Atit Mehta | Chief Marketing Officer, Think & Learn Pvt Ltd. (Byju's) |
Boman Irani | Actor & Inspirational Speaker |
Jai Madan | Astrologer & Motivational Speaker |
Jay Mehta | Managing Director, India Saarc Warner music group |
Karan Taurani | Vice President, Research Elara Capital |
LV Krishnan | CEO, TAM Media Pvt Ltd. |
Mandar Natekar | CBO, Kidzania |
Mayank Bathwal | CEO, Aditya Birla Health Insurance |
Navin Gurnaney | CEO, Tata Starbucks Pvt Ltd |
Neel Pandya | CEO, Aditya Birla Health Insurance |
Pankaj Gupta | Senior Executive Vice President (Sales) & CMO, HDFC |
Priti Murthy | CEO, OMD India |
Priya Kumar | Internationally Acclaimed Motivational Speaker |
Raj Nayak | Founder & Managing Director, House Of Cheer Networks Pvt |
Rajiv Dubey | Head of Marketing, Media, Dabur India Ltd |
Ravi Teja Bommireddipalli | CEO, Robosoft Technologies |
Richa Singh | CEO, Niine |
Roopam Asthana | CEO & Whole time director, Liberty general insurance |
Sameer Nair | CEO, Applause Entertainment |
Sanjay Murdeshwar | Managing Director, Novartis |
Sushil Goswami | General Manager, Marketing - India & Nepal, The Himalaya Drug Company |
Tapan Singhel | MD & CEO, Bajaj Allianz, general insurance |
Vanita Keswani | CEO, Madison Media Sigma |
Vidya Balan | Actor |
Vivek Sunder | Chief Operating Officer, Swiggy |
Season Two | |
Aakash Chaudhry | Aakash Educational Services Ltd. |
Aalok Bhan | Director & CMO, Max Life Insurance Company Ltd |
Ameen Haque | Story Coach, Story Teller, Founder - Storywallahs |
Ankit Agrawal | Director, Mysore Deep Perfumery House Zad Black |
Anupam Kher | Global & Versatile Actor |
Arun Iyer | Founder & Creative partner, Spring Marketing Capital |
Raj Kaushal | Writer, Director & Producer |
Sanjay Adesara | Head of Media & Digital Adani Wilmar Ltd. |
Santosh Desai | Managing Director & CEO, Future Brands Ltd. Author, Columnist, Social Commentator |
Shudeep Majumdar | Co-Founder & CEO, Zefmo Media |
Sreeraman Thiagajaran | Co Founder & CEO, Agrahyah Technologies |
Conducted over a one-hour long session via Google Meet, the show is attended by over 200 BIG FM employees as they see these thought leaders speak about the various aspects of how to propel their business to greater heights. Towards the end of the session, each expert is presented with a ‘Gift of Music’ as a token of gratitude where the leader and their organization can request and dedicate their favourite songs which are then played on-air during a dedicated hour.