Nisha NarayananDT
For over three decades, I have been passionate about building connections that people don't just consume but genuinely connect with through stories, communities, culture and conversations.
About
Nisha Narayanan’s approach to media leadership rests on a straightforward idea: a media brand is most powerful when it's closest to its audience. As Director & COO of Red FM, she has spent over three decades putting that idea into practice, helping build one of India’s most recognisable audio ecosystems.
Under her leadership, Red FM has moved well beyond broadcast into live experiences, podcasts, digital content, branded storytelling and cultural IPs. It has grown into a Nat-Local, multi-platform presence across every major market in the country, while staying rooted in the language, humour and identity of each one.
That approach shows up in the details: large-scale live experiences, community festivals built around local participation, podcasts and digital storytelling that treat listeners as participants rather than an audience. The thinking behind it is consistent that audio brands should meet people wherever they are, on air, on ground and online, with content and experience at the centre rather than distribution alone.
She has also been an active voice for the industry’s future by representing Indian private radio at national and international forums, and contributing to ongoing conversations on media innovation and policy reform. She has spoken up in particular for regional storytelling, indie artists and creators, India’s independent music scene and audio’s role in sustaining local cultures.
This extends into institutional work: she currently serves as Senior Vice President of the Association of Radio Operators for India (AROI), sits on the Core Committee of the FICCI Radio Forum and is a Committee Member of the FICCI Media & Entertainment Committee, contributing to industry decisions on the future of broadcasting.
Her career path has been varied by design. A Chevening Scholar in Broadcast Journalism and recipient of the Don Rowlands Prize for Excellence, she has worked across Journalism, Documentary Filmmaking, Public Relations and Broadcasting — experience that continues to inform her approach to leadership. She has completed an EU training programme on development communication and conflict resolution, and writes on Media Policy, the evolving audio ecosystem and Artificial Intelligence for both mainstream and industry publications.
Her work has been recognised through several honours, including the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Award for Business Leader of the Year, Women Business Leader of the Year from HRD India and The Economic Times, and the E4M Sonic Media Innovation Honour, alongside WCRC’s India’s Transformational Leader and India’s Trusted Leader titles. She has also received the Aalekh Foundation Award for Excellence in Broadcast Leadership & Social Impact and the Dr Sarojini Naidu International Award for Working Women, and has been named to the IMPACT 50 Most Influential Women in India list and among Asia’s Most Enterprising Leaders.
Outside her professional work, she has a long-standing interest in Indian textiles, handlooms and sarees, and the craft traditions and communities behind them. She is also involved in mentorship, supporting opportunities for women in leadership and working toward more inclusive workplaces, alongside personal interests in music, design and conversations around creativity more broadly.
