#e4mExclusive:  Shashi Shekhar Vempati steps down from BARC board

Shashi Shekhar Vempati, former CEO of Prasar Bharati and a recipient of the Padma Shri, has stepped down from the board of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), where he served as a professional director.

Vempati, who joined the BARC board in 2024, confirmed his resignation, citing personal reasons for the move. “Due to personal reasons, I have decided to step down from the BARC board,” he said.

His exit comes at a time when BARC continues to play a pivotal role in India’s television measurement ecosystem, providing critical audience data that underpins advertising spends and programming strategies across the broadcast industry.

Vempati currently serves as co-founder of the DeepTech for Bharat Foundation. He also holds key positions in academia and policy advisory, including membership in the society of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication and chairing the Science & Technology Communication Apex Advisory Committee.

An alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Vempati brings a diverse professional background spanning technology, media, and public policy. He spent over 16 years at Infosys as a product strategist and digital innovator before transitioning to the media sector in 2013, when he took over as CEO of NitiCentral.

Vempati also played a significant role during the 2020 alleged TRP manipulation controversy. He headed a four-member committee constituted by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to review guidelines governing television rating agencies, a move aimed at strengthening transparency and credibility in audience measurement systems.

His departure from the BARC board marks the end of a relatively brief tenure but comes against the backdrop of ongoing efforts to reinforce trust in India’s media measurement framework.