LIFE AND TIMES OF A MEDIA TITAN

DD Purkayastha's autobiography captures his 42-year tryst with the ABP Group, delving into various aspects of his professional and personal experiences, as well as insights into the factors that have shaped his character and career trajectory

- Neha Kalra

ON a working Wednesday (April 24, 2024), D D Purkayastha, former CEO of the ABP Group, had his near and dear ones from the media fraternity around him to unveil his maiden book – ‘Headline – Memoir of a Media CEO’ in the capital.

Key Roles

Introducing DDP (as D D Purkayastha is fondly known), Avinash Pandey, CEO, ABP Network, outlined the former’s career across four decades with the ABP Group. Purkayastha spent 14 years as the Managing Director and CEO of ABP before transitioning to a Non-Executive Director role in 2021.

During his tenure at ABP, Purkayastha played key roles within industry bodies, including serving on the Executive Committee of the Audit Bureau of Circulation and as Deputy President of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS). Additionally, he served as a board member of the Media Research Users Council (MRUC).

Purkayastha’s influence extends globally as a board member of WAN-IFRA, the largest media association headquartered in Frankfurt, where he also sits on its five-member Nominating Committee.

Furthermore, he contributed eight years of service as a board member of the International Media Association (INMA) in Dallas.

A New World

Pandey stated, “DDP is a giant for several reasons. He understood the need for modernisation much before the others. When he arrived in the ABP group, he led the media industry into a new world of data and measurement.