Being what it takes!
SAMIR KUMAR
SAMIR KUMAR
Founder & CEO – CliQ India Media Pvt. Ltd. | IIT Kharagpur, IIM Calcutta, ex-IAS(Allied) | Founding Head – Prasar Bharati News Services & Digital Platform (PBNS) | ex-CEO Hindusthan Samachar | Financial Markets RBS, DB, ABN AMRO (London, Tokyo, Singapore)
PROFILE
Samir is a change driver with full commitment to serve his motherland, India. Key highlight of the profile is the ability to lead to profitability from financially difficult and unstable position. Samir has a successful track record of innovations in processes, and empowering the team to optimally exploit potentials. Samir is a highly strategic problem solver with an uncanny ability to quickly identify low hanging fruits in operation and financial improvements to kickstart the transformation process. Samir is a dreamer for charting out and planning bold strategic outlook. He is also a realist with open and transparent communication style, not hesitant to make tough choices to ensure success of turnaround operations. “Dedicated to the service of Nation” – this motto of IIT reasoned well with small town boy from Bihar, Samir Kumar, who is ex-IAS(allied) 2010 batch. Armed with IIT-IIM degrees(’97-‘04), he has comprehensive experiences in setting up, scale up and driving profitable growth as senior Financial Markets professional working out of London, Tokyo and Singapore at ABN AMRO/RBS and Deutsche Bank where he managed complex derivatives. This needed quick yet impactful decision making on the back of developments in global economy, international business, disruptive technologies and socio- geo-political changes. Samir returned to India in 2018 as CEO of Hindusthan Samachar with the aim to turnaround the oldest and multi-lingual news agency as a way to contribute to Nation Building. Quickly formulating and rolling out a 5 fold strategy resulted in reinvigorating core historic strengths as well as opened new frontier of digital platform. Since 2019, Samir led the digital transformation of India’s public broadcaster as Head, Prasar Bharati News Services & Digital Platform (PBNS) where he started and established the Digital Vertical and enhanced content delivery through platforms such as NewsOnAir, which reached audiences in eight languages across 190 countries. His leadership saw the implementation of the AWS-backed News Data Management System (NDMS), significantly improving workflows for regional news units of Akashvani and Doordarshan across the country.
A change agent with proven track record to leverage People, Process and Potentials, Samir is a critical thinker with visionary intents and keen eye for details. High performer, Samir has been continuously recognized for strong leadership and keeping teams’ morale high in a challenging work environment.
Presently he is in entrepreneurial role where Samir’s experience in integrating cloud technologies and expanding regional media operations underpins the foundation of CliQ India, setting the stage for innovation in the media sector. CliQ India boasts expertise in multilingual Digital News Transformation by developing cloud- powered digital systems & real-time news workflows, enabling scalable operations. He is advisor and seed investor to many startups in the domains of Agriculture, HealthCare, Education, Media and IPR. He has received prestigious National Award for producing feature film “Mithila Makhaan”. He has also co-authored “Unfolding intellectual Property Rights”.
Distilling Four Essential Pillars of
Modern Business
Media & Bureaucracy
As an Ex-IAS (Allied) officer, I’ve held leadership positions in India’s public media ecosystem, including serving as CEO of Hindusthan Samachar and later heading Prasar Bharati News Services. These roles allowed me to contribute to institutional reform, strengthen editorial standards, and better align public communication with democratic values.
Creativity & Storytelling
My work as a National Film Award-winning producer reflects a strong belief in the power of narrative and regional identity. Mithila Makhaan, a Maithili-language film recognized at the 63rd National Film Awards, underscores my interest in using storytelling as a tool for cultural preservation and meaningful engagement.
Technology & Innovation
A Silver Medalist from IIT Kharagpur, I’ve worked to apply technology in public systems. During my tenure at Prasar Bharati (2019–23), I led digital transformation efforts focused on modernizing broadcasting infrastructure and expanding the public media’s reach through innovative, platform-driven strategies.
Business & Finance
With a PGDCM from IIM Calcutta and a decade in investment banking across ABN AMRO, Deutsche Bank, and RBS, I’ve operated in key global markets including London, Tokyo, and Singapore. This experience built a strong foundation in financial strategy, risk management, and cross-border operations.
Message for New India
New India invites us to look closely at who we are, pushing for changes that go beyond just how we live our lives. It’s about being mindful today, inspired by our past, and planning for a future that’s smart and caring for our planet. This vision is all about growing together in many ways—socially, economically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially. It’s about making sure everyone has a fair chance, using new technologies wisely, and looking after our environment, just as our ancestors did.
In today’s landscape, the role of media in curating and distributing content is vitally important. It must judiciously select its narratives and visuals, aligning them with the ethos of New India. This necessitates a thoughtful approach from all quarters, including media leaders to individual families, in scrutinizing the information disseminated, especially to the younger generation who are at the forefront of shaping this New India.
India has demonstrated unwavering commitment to global welfare through its generous distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, timely rescue missions from conflict-affected regions, and essential medicine supplies to nations in need. Concurrently, India’s diplomatic endeavors have significantly bolstered its international standing, amplifying its voice and visibility on the world stage. This dual approach of extending a helping hand while strategically enhancing diplomatic relations exemplifies India’s evolving role as a leader committed to fostering global unity and understanding. These actions are central to New India’s vision, highlighting the need for compassionate leadership and stronger global connections moving forward.
At the heart of New India is the belief in the strength of family. So much so that India’s G20 Presidency was led with the theme “Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam” (the world is one family). This belief shapes how India sees the world and its dream of a place where every country feels like part of a bigger family. This simple idea links everything together, showing how our actions today are building a better world for everyone, described in a straightforward and welcoming way.
Let’s take pride in the New India we’re building—rooted in our heritage, the deeper we delve, the higher we soar.