Celebrating Varun Kohli and his journey as a TV veteran

Varun Kohli, who celebrated his birthday on May 24, has spent close to three decades across media organisations, shaping business strategy, monetisation among others

by e4m Staff
Published: May 28, 2026 1:07 PM | 2 min read

Varun Kohli, a prominent media executive, has nearly three decades of experience in India's leading media organizations, focusing on business strategy, monetization, and operational transformation.
He has held key leadership roles at various companies, including Times Television Network and Bharat Express, and is recognized for his ability to turn around struggling businesses and drive growth.
Kohli is known for his people-first leadership approach, emphasizing team empowerment, mentorship, and accountability while maintaining a focus on operational discipline and aggressive execution.
His career reflects the evolution of India's news industry, adapting to changes in television, digital media, and monetization, and he has also contributed to sports business initiatives during his tenure at iTV Network.

As media businesses continue to navigate disruption, pressure on revenues and rapidly shifting audience behaviour, leaders who combine operational sharpness with adaptability have become increasingly important. Among those names, Varun Kohli has consistently stood out as a media executive known for building, scaling and reviving businesses across the broadcast and publishing ecosystem.

Varun Kohli, who celebrated his birthday on May 24, has spent close to three decades across some of India’s leading media organisations, shaping business strategy, monetisation and operational transformation. Till recently he was associated with Bharat Express and prior to that with Times Television Network as COO for the News Broadcast Business, Kohli has built a reputation as a hands-on leader with deep expertise in P&L management, revenue growth and turnaround execution.

Over the years, Kohli has held leadership positions across organisations including Times Network, Bharat Express, iTV Network, Network18, HT Media, Amar Ujala and Deccan Chronicle Holdings, among others. His career trajectory reflects a rare mix of legacy media experience and startup-style execution, spanning television, print, digital and sports management.

Industry peers often describe him as a “turnaround specialist” — a tag earned through multiple assignments where he led struggling or evolving businesses through periods of transition and growth. Whether it involved launching new language platforms, strengthening monetisation structures or building scalable business operations, Kohli became known for combining aggressive execution with team alignment and operational discipline.

What has also distinguished Kohli in the industry is his people-first leadership approach. Colleagues across organisations have often referred to him as a leader who focuses not just on targets and growth metrics, but also on empowering teams and creating ownership within organisations. His management style has frequently been associated with accessibility, mentorship and accountability.

His media journey also reflects the larger evolution of India’s news business over the last two decades. Kohli has worked across phases when television news expanded aggressively, digital media began reshaping audience consumption and monetisation models underwent structural pressure. Through these changes, he remained closely associated with business innovation, revenue strategy and operational restructuring.

Beyond news broadcasting, Kohli also played an important role in sports business initiatives during his stint with iTV Network, where he was associated with projects like the Pro Wrestling League and Big Bout Boxing League. The experience added another dimension to his profile, bringing together media, sports and large-scale event execution.