Sameer Nair
CEO, Applause Entertainment India
About Speaker
A media and entertainment industry veteran, Sameer has had several highs in his career spanning more than 25 years. Born and brought up in Mumbai, and belonging to a family whose maternal side is full of teachers, Sameer wanted to become an astrophysicist and dreamt of getting into the IITs. Sameer had set his eyes on the advertising industry but first joined Yellow Pages before moving on to Goldwire Communications. In 1994 he joined the Star Network. Over a 12 year career at Star, he went on to handle a variety of portfolios and became the Chief Executive Officer in 2006. He was responsible for bringing some of the most loved shows on TV such as Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki, Koffee With Karan, The Great Indian Comedy Show and Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, among others. But it was Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) that redefined prime time reality shows and celebrity hosts. It was also the reinvention of Amitabh Bachchan. The world sat up and took notice of Sameer Nair and he has not looked back since. Currently CEO at Applause Entertainment – part of the Aditya Birla Group, he continues to bring breakthrough shows to audiences, his most recent being Scam 1992 on Sony Liv and Criminal Justice – Behind Closed Doors on Disney + Hotstar among others.