Professor of Practice
Atul Mathur
Professor of Practice, School of Communication, IILM University, Greater Noida
Ex Zee Network, PwC India, Wananchi Group (Kenya), News1India Group
Atul Mathur is a pioneer of India’s private broadcasting and a global voice in multichannel television broadcasting, content strategy, and media education. With over three decades of leadership across Zee Network, Wananchi Group, PwC, and News1India, he has lived every phase of modern broadcasting – from single-channel transmission rooms to complex, data-driven, multi-platform ecosystems.
At Zee Network, he played a central role in transforming a three-hour broadcast into a 24/7 global portfolio of 64 channels, helping launch more than 50 satellite channels across India, Hong Kong, the Middle East, Europe, the US, and East Africa. His stewardship of broadcast operations, content flow, and group channel marketing shaped how millions of households discovered programmes, genres, and brands. At Wananchi Group in Nairobi, he extended this expertise to African markets, building world-class broadcast infrastructure and digital content libraries. His role at PricewaterhouseCoopers and leadership of digital content and strategy at News1India deepened his command over emerging platforms, audience behaviour, and media-tech convergence.
An education entrepreneur at heart, Atul has conceptualised and led industry-driven academies that design career-first programmes in media, entertainment, tourism, and new-age skills, turning practical curricula into real job outcomes for hundreds of learners. He also hosts the inspirational podcast show “The Influencer Talks”, where he curates conversations with achievers and change-makers to decode real-world journeys for young aspirants.
Behind this formidable corporate journey lies an equally rich creative one. Atul began with All India Radio, Doordarshan, NCERT, and stage performance, where he wrote, acted, directed, and presented programmes, and worked as Assistant Director on three TV serials with the legendary filmmaker Shri Lekh Tandon.
This early immersion in performance and storytelling, combined with his global broadcast leadership, now converges in the classroom, where he mentors students to think like creators, operate like professionals, and aspire like leaders.