MUMBAI: As part of intensifying its focus on the Southern states, Zee Network has redesignated R Ajay Kumar as head of the south initiatives.

Kumar now has an additional charge and independently heads the distribution business of all the 32 Zee and Turner Channels in all the four southern states, says an official release.

Earlier, he was the business head of Zee's south-language channels.

Kumar has been associated with Zee Telefilms in last one and half years, spearheading Zee’s South foray by launching two of it’s South-focused TV channels - Zee Telugu and Zee Kannada.

Zee made its first move by launching regional channels in Bangla, Marathi, Gujarati and Punjabi, and then came Zee Telugu in 2004.

Also in the pipeline is the launch of Tamil and Malayalam language channels, the two lucrative and difficult markets to penetrate.