Mumbai: ABP Network CEO Avinash Pandey has been honoured with the ‘Media Person of the Year Award’ by the IAA Leadership Awards in Mumbai for his outstanding leadership and commitment to excellence in marketing, advertising and media.

Pandey is a strong advocate for responsible journalism and has been instrumental in setting high standards for the news industry in India.

Commenting on this recognition, Pandey said, “Running a media business is no less complex and challenging than any other large business. We are lucky to see tectonic shifts in technology and media consumption habits. With the change in the way media is consumed, we are on our toes all the time, not to race for the ratings but to serve our audiences in a way that makes this country much better than what we inherited. It is a great honour for me to be recognised as the Media Person of the Year by the IAA. This award is a recognition for the ABP Network team that I am proud of.”

He is presently serving as the vice president of the News Broadcasters & Digital Association (NBDA). He has also been a member of several committees, including the media & entertainment committee of FICCI, and handles the chairmanship of the national council on entertainment and media-Assocham.

Having served the ABP Group since 2005 in various roles, Pandey donned the mantle of CEO of ABP Network in January 2019. He steered the transformation of the channel from Star News to ABP News in 2012, along with the rebranding and repositioning in 2020. Additionally, he has led the charge in advancing the Indian regional languages, particularly on digital platforms.

With over 26 years of experience in the media industry, he is a true specialist who has made immense contributions in people's perception of news as his body of work was synonymous to ethical journalism. His path breaking innovations in the media broadcasting domain has provided top notch content that received overwhelming response from the audiences and industry experts alike.