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Ektaa R. Kapoor, one of India’s leading entertainment executives and co-founder of television production powerhouse Balaji Telefilms, will receive the 2023 International Emmy® Directorate Award, it was announced today by Bruce L. Paisner, President & CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The International Academy’s Special Emmy® will be presented to Kapoor at the 51st International Emmy® Awards Gala, on Monday, November 20, 2023, in New York City.

“Ektaa R. Kapoor has built Balaji into one of India’s foremost entertainment players with market leadership in the television content industry reaching mass audiences across India and South Asia with their long running series and OTT platform,” said Paisner. “We look forward to honoring her remarkable career and influence on the television industry, with our Directorate Award.”

Kapoor has been a major figure in Indian television since starting Balaji in 1994, with her parents; Indian movie star and producer Jeetendra Kapoor and media executive Shobha Kapoor. She is credited with revamping India’s television landscape, pioneering an entire genre of television content and heralding India's satellite television boom. Under the Balaji banner, she has created and produced more than 17,000 hours of television and 45 films and launched one of the country’s first Indian OTT platforms, Alt Balaji.

“Receiving this recognition fills me with a profound sense of humility and excitement. This award holds a special place in my heart, as it signifies a journey that goes beyond mere work—it's a pivotal aspect of my personal and professional life,” said Kapoor. “Representing my country on the global stage through this esteemed platform is an incredible honor. Television has been instrumental in helping me discover my identity, particularly as a woman working to make stories for women. This award allows me to represent them and our shared accomplishments on an international level.”

Balaji's shows have been and continue to be channel drivers for most general entertainment broadcasters. Balaji has won almost every major TV award. Kapoor is among Fortune India’s 50 most powerful women in Asia and the only woman from the Indian television market listed in Variety500 - an index of the 500 most influential business leaders shaping the global media industry.