Founder & Group CEO

​Banijay Asia & Endemol Shine India

Deepak Dhar has been a prominent figure in Indian content economy, shaping and leading the industry with his expertise in production, content strategy, and dynamics of consumer behaviour. As the Founder & Group CEO of Banijay Asia and Endemol Shine India, he leads two of the region’s most prominent production houses, delivering groundbreaking content across languages, across screens, and across regions.

​

Deepak began his career as a senior producer at MTV before moving to Star TV and later joining Endemol Shine India in 2006. By 2009, he rose to the position of MD & CEO, where he introduced and adapted globally acclaimed formats for Indian audiences, most notably transforming Big Brother into Bigg Boss—the country’s longest-running and most successful unscripted show. His leadership also brought Fear Factor to India as Khatron Ke Khiladi, pioneering the adventure reality genre.

​

In 2018, Deepak partnered with Banijay Entertainment in a 50:50 JV to establish Banijay Asia, and in 2023, he led its acquisition of Endemol Shine India. Expanding his vision further, he launched CreAsia in 2024, a new label dedicated to creating and producing content for South East Asia.

Under his guidance, both the companies have developed over 15,000 hours of content, delivering iconic projects like The Night Manager (one of the only Indian show to be nominated in the International EMMYs in 2024), Trial by Fire, Hostages, Masterchef, Temptation Island, Undekhi, Bigg Boss, The Kapil Sharma Show, amongst many more. Beyond traditional entertainment, he has expanded into sports content with Ravi Shastri’s Sporting Beyond and innovative TV and web concepts with producer Sajid Nadiadwala. His team has planned and produced marquee live events, including the 71st Miss World Festival and the India vs. Pakistan Cricket World Cup 2023 opening ceremony.