Hema V.R. has taken on an expanded role as Chief Channel Officer for Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited’s Marathi entertainment business, overseeing Zee Marathi, Marathi ZEE5, Zee Talkies and Zee Yuva.

Hema announced the move on LinkedIn, describing it as a “bigger mandate” for the combined Marathi entertainment business. The expanded role brings together Zee’s key Marathi television and OTT properties under her leadership.

Hema has been with Zee Entertainment for more than 15 years and has held leadership positions across channel management, consumer strategy, marketing and insights. Before taking on the latest mandate, she was Chief Channel Officer – Zee Marathi and Marathi ZEE5 from April 2025.

Prior to that, Hema served as Chief Channel Officer – Zee Marathi from October 2023, where she was responsible for the P&L and end-to-end strategy for Zee Marathi and Marathi ZEE5. Her responsibilities covered content, growth, monetisation and cross-functional execution.

During her tenure at Zee Marathi, Hema focused on strengthening the channel’s viewership and market position, building its prime-time offering and scaling Marathi ZEE5 as a regional OTT platform.

Hema has also held several senior roles within Zee Entertainment. As Executive Vice President – Consumer Strategy & Marketing, she worked on content brand development for ZEE5 Originals and led the market-entry engine and campaigns for several channel launches, including Zee Keralam, Zee Punjabi, Zee Biskope, Zee Thirai, Zee Picchar and Zee Zest.

She earlier served as Senior Vice President – Consumer Strategy and Insights, working across the Zee portfolio on consumer strategy, channel launches, marketing initiatives and brand development.

Hema began her career with Zee Entertainment in 2011 as Brand Head – Zee Marathi, where she oversaw marketing and brand management for Zee Marathi, Zee Marathi HD and the Zee Marathi app.

Before joining Zee, she was a Senior Executive at Star India, working on marketing and brand communication for Star Pravah. She also spent three years at Dainik Bhaskar as Deputy Manager, handling customised media solutions and product integration.

With the expanded mandate, Hema will now oversee Zee’s combined Marathi entertainment portfolio, bringing Zee Marathi, Marathi ZEE5, Zee Talkies and Zee Yuva under her leadership.