Aveek Kumar Sarkar

Notable work and positions

ABP Group - Vice Chairman and Editor Emeritus
Anandabazar Patrika and The Telegraph - Editor-in-Chief (1983-2016)
Press Trust of India - Chairman (2020-present)

Biography

Aveek Kumar Sarkar is an Indian newspaper proprietor and journalist who led India's ABP Group as editor-in-chief for more than three decades. Born June 9, 1945, the grandson of ABP founder Prafulla Kumar Sarkar and son of Ashok Kumar Sarkar, he graduated from the University of Calcutta and trained under Sir Harold Evans, editor of The Sunday Times, in Britain. He assumed the editorship of Anandabazar Patrika in 1983 following his father's sudden death, and became editor of The Telegraph in 1989, succeeding M.J. Akbar. Under his editorship, Anandabazar Patrika's circulation grew to roughly 1.25 million copies by 2012, and he led the group's expansion into broadcast media, including a 2003 joint venture with STAR News that later became ABP News, and played a role in the formation of Penguin India. He stepped down as editor-in-chief of the group's flagship newspapers in 2016, describing the move as part of a succession plan, and was succeeded as chief editor of ABP News Network by his brother, Arup Sarkar. Sarkar transitioned to the roles of vice chairman and editor emeritus of the ABP Group, continuing to guide its news operations and digital initiatives, and in 2020 was elected chairman of the Press Trust of India. He was ranked among the most powerful Indians by The Indian Express in 2009 and has been described by author Nicholas Coleridge, in the book Paper Tigers, as India's most sophisticated newspaper proprietor.

Career highlights

• 33 years as editor-in-chief 1983-2016 · Led Anandabazar Patrika and The Telegraph, building ABP into one of India's most influential media groups.
• ABP News launch 2003-2012 · Played a central role in the joint venture with STAR News that led to the creation of ABP News and its regional-language channels.
• Chairman, Press Trust of India 2020-present.