MUMBAI: Network18 has announced a recasting of its major cluster groups in order to exploit better efficiencies and achieve faster growth.

It will have just three clusters. The English & business cluster includes CNN-News18, CNBC-TV18, Awaaz and Bajaar, CNBC HD Prime & News18 International. The Hindi cluster includes News18 India & News18 Hindi regional channels (UP/UK, MP/CG, Rajasthan, Bihar/JK, Urdu & Himachal-Punjab-Haryana) while the languages cluster includes all News18 regional channels minus Hindi—TN, Kerala, Kannada, Odisha, Bengal, Assam/NE, Gujarat & News18-Lokmat.

Three key appointments have been made to bolster each cluster and drive it to the next level of operational excellence. Basant Dhawan joins as CEO of the English/business cluster. An engineer and an alumnus of IIM Calcutta, Dhawan joins Network18 from Star India where he spent the last four years in a variety of roles. His last role was national agency business head for entertainment sales in Star India. Dhawan will be based in Mumbai.

The CEO of the Hindi cluster is Mayank Jain, who will lead the fast-growing News18 India and the cluster of other news channels across various Hindi speaking states. Jain, who will be based in New Delhi has joined Network18 from Star India's entertainment division. He is an INSEAD alumnus, and has experience in a raft of sectors ranging from telecom and FMCG to financial services across geographies.

Karan Abhishek Singh has joined as CEO for languages cluster, also from Star India where he managed integrated sales for television and digital. His last role involved heading pan-India agency relationships. Singh will be based in Bengaluru. He is an alumnus of NMIMS, Mumbai, and has worked in organisations as varied as PepsiCo, Nokia, Godrej Sara Lee, HLL and GE.

All three will report to Network18 COO Avinash Kaul.