Avinash Kaul is a media and business leader with over three decades of experience across some of India’s most influential media organisations, including Network18, Times Television Network, Discovery Communications, Star TV and NDTV. He has served as CEO for 16 years, most recently as CEO, Network18 (Broadcast & Publishing), and Managing Director, A+E Networks | TV18, where he led businesses including CNBC-TV18, CNN-News18, Forbes India and History TV18.
His leadership journey began far from the boardroom. At 17, Avinash was forced to leave Kashmir on the night of 19 January 1990. He arrived in Jammu as a refugee, completed his education in difficult circumstances and went on to build a career spanning media, business and leadership.
That journey shaped his perspective on resilience, ambition, leadership and purpose, and became the foundation for his memoir, The Next Mountain: Notes on Resilience, Leadership and Purpose, published by HarperCollins.
Today, Avinash brings together lived experience and boardroom leadership to speak about navigating adversity, building resilient organisations, finding purpose beyond professional success and understanding the evolving relationship between business and media.
He was named News Television CEO of the Year at ENBA 2019 and currently serves on the Managing Committee of The Advertising Club (2026-27).
