Punit Goenka: Taking It To A Higher Altitude

Ever since his appointment as the chief executive officer of Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL), Punit Goenka has scripted a success story that very few CEOs can speak of.

Under Goenka’s leadership, ZEE has crossed new milestones and won a number of prestigious awards. Not only this, he has successfully established the brand’s presence on a global front. His vision for the group does not stop here. Goenka plans to establish Zee as the largest media company in emerging markets and the largest media company in India.

For Goenka, the success of his management style has a lot to do with the leadership lessons that he imbibed from his father Subhash Chandra Goenka. Speaking about the success of Zee under his tenure, Goenka says, “I am fortunate and blessed to have been mentored under the leadership of our chairman Subhash Chandra. The rich experience gained, and values imbibed, while working with him, have given a huge fillip to my overall professional journey as a CEO. I also firmly believe that one’s family and mainly the life partner plays a huge role in the overall success. My wife Shreyasi, and our three children have been my pillars and a strong source of positive energy, and I attribute my entire success to them.”

Goenka has been the recipient of many awards and accolades. He was listed amongst the top 100 CEOs of India, in a study published by an Indian publication. He was bestowed MIPTV’s prestigious the Médaille d’Honneur Award and ‘India’s Hottest Business Leaders’ award. He was also ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ in the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards 2014. For his immense contribution to the media and entertainment industry, Goenka was named the ‘IMPACT Person of the Year’ in 2014.

A great believer in the philosophy of work-life balance, Goenka has mastered the art of turning challenges into opportunities. Goenka has also directed the cultural transformation at Zee. On his watch, the multi-billion dollar conglomerate has evolved from a traditional media house to a contemporary digital savvy entity that is competing to become a global behemoth in the space of entertainment.

Ask him about the journey so far and the learnings and challenges that have been part of his leadership role at ZEEL, and Goenka says, “The journey has been extremely enriching and challenging at the same time. In the realm of entertainment, it is certainly not an easy task to gauge the pulse of the audience and then create customised content. One has to be constantly in dialogue with the target market and the audience, to deliver a consistent performance. The paradigm shift from being a broadcaster to a leading media and entertainment powerhouse was indeed a great journey and an experience of a lifetime. We have audacious goals in sight and much more to achieve. I’m very proud of my team at ZEE. It is their hard work and determination that has enabled the company to achieve extraordinary results, year after year.”