New Delhi: The BBC has appointed Harsha Subramaniam as Regional Director for South Asia, entrusting the seasoned media executive with responsibility for the broadcaster’s editorial strategy, operational leadership and audience growth across one of its fastest-growing international markets.
In his new role, Subramaniam will oversee the BBC’s editorial content and business operations across South Asia, including the BBC World Service’s multiple language services. He will also lead a unified regional leadership structure that brings together editorial teams with key operational functions such as Business Operations, Human Resources and Finance.
The appointment comes as the BBC continues to expand its footprint in the region. According to the broadcaster, its audience in South Asia grew to an average of 109 million people every week last year, representing a 14% year-on-year increase.
Fiona Crack, Interim Global Director, BBC News, welcomed the appointment, saying, “I’m thrilled Harsha will be joining the BBC as the Regional Director for South Asia. He will lead our talented teams across this growing and distinctive market and brings a wealth of journalistic and technological experience to the role. We look forward to welcoming him.”
Responding to the appointment, Harsha Subramaniam said, “I have long admired the BBC’s editorial values, its global reach across multiple languages and its position as the world’s most trusted broadcaster. South Asia, with its dynamic and diverse culture, presents an exciting growth opportunity for the BBC. I’m honoured to lead the BBC’s presence in the region, and I look forward to working closely with our talented colleagues here.”
Subramaniam brings more than 26 years of experience spanning journalism, broadcasting, digital media, partnerships and artificial intelligence.
He currently serves as Head of India Partnerships at TollBit. Before that, he held senior leadership positions at Meta, where he was Head of Global Content Strategy and Head of News Partnerships for India, working closely with publishers and news organisations on digital growth initiatives.
Earlier in his career, Subramaniam spent a decade with Bloomberg Media, where he served as Executive Producer and led the launch of Bloomberg TV India and Bloomberg-Quint. He also worked as News Editor and a primetime business news anchor at CNBC India, establishing himself as a prominent voice in business journalism.
He holds an MBA and journalism qualifications from the Asian College of Journalism.
The appointment is part of the BBC’s broader international leadership restructuring. It follows the recent appointments of Juliet Njeri as Regional Director for Africa, Richard Colebourn as Regional Director for Europe, and Kevin Ponniah as Regional Director for the Americas. These regional leadership roles form a key pillar of the BBC’s international operating model, combining editorial oversight with operational accountability and responsibility for expanding audiences across global markets.
