K. Satish Nambudiripad, an officer from the 1991 batch of the Indian Information Service, is expected to assume the role of Director General of Doordarshan through promotion/deputation. He is likely to take charge within the next three days, sources tell Storyboard18.
Prasar Bharati, India’s public service broadcaster, had recently announced openings for the positions of Director General (Akashvani) and Director General (Doordarshan) through promotion/deputation, including short-term contracts. The recruitment drive aims to bring in experienced professionals to lead these key institutions within the broadcasting sector.
According to Prasar Bharati’s announcement, the selected candidates will serve a three-year tenure, which may be extended but will not exceed five years, including any prior deputation service. The positions fall under Level-16 of the 7th Pay Commission, with salaries ranging from ₹2,05,400 to ₹2,24,400 per month.
K. Satish Nambudiripad took charge as Director General, Northeast Zone, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, on January 29, 2024. In this role, he led the Press Information Bureau and the Central Bureau of Communication for the Ashtalakshmi states.
Previously, he served as Additional Director General at the Central Bureau of Communication headquarters. Before that, he held the position of Additional Director General (ADG) at the Electronic Media Monitoring Centre and the New Media Wing—two key media organizations under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, in Delhi. He was also ADG (Administration & Training) at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), a prestigious journalism school and training academy for Indian Information Service officers.
During his 30-year career, Nambudiripad has held various positions, including Additional Director General at Prasar Bharati Corporation, Private Secretary to the Union Minister for Food & Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs, and Director (Secondary Education) & Registrar of Copyrights India at the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (2006-2009). He also served as OSD (Broadcasting) in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and as Deputy Press Secretary to the late President of India, Dr. K.R. Narayanan, from 1998 to 2002.
From 2002 to 2005, Nambudiripad was the first Chief Executive Officer of the NORKA Department (Non-Resident Keralites’ Affairs) in his home state of Kerala. He played a key role in establishing NORKA-ROOTS, the department’s implementing agency, and was instrumental in devising and executing various welfare schemes and projects for non-resident Keralites.
A postgraduate in English language and literature, Nambudiripad also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in English Journalism from IIMC, Delhi, and a Master’s in Public Policy from ISB, Hyderabad/Mohali. He has received training in public policy, scheme implementation, communication governance, performance management, and public-private partnership initiatives from institutions such as IIPA Delhi, IIM Bangalore, LBSNAA Mussoorie, the University of East Anglia (UK), and the University of California, Berkeley.