MUMBAI: Eros International has appointed AP Parigi as the Group CEO of its India opertations.

Parigi recently stepped down as ENIL’s (Radio Mirchi) managing director and will join Eros in October 2009. He will join the Board of Eros International Media Private Limited, which is the company’s Indian arm. 

In India, Eros International leadership has been helmed by the company’s executive director and president Sunil Lulla and Eros International COO and commercial director Jyoti Deshpande.

Eros International chairman and CEO Kishore Lulla said, "I am delighted to welcome Mr. Parigi to the leadership team at Eros. We at the Eros Group are keen to further strengthen our leadership. The entertainment industry in India is in the middle of radical changes. To compete successfully in the future, Eros wishes to draw upon Mr. Parigi’s managerial expertise to meet the challenges of ever-changing audience needs and new technologies. I believe that a balance of these two factors will facilitate intensive engagement of the Eros brand with audiences."

Parigi added, "India is an entertainment starved economy. Having spent several years in the telecommunication and media domain, I’m keen to explore the challenges of developing global delivery platforms that meet the ever changing needs of the audiences."

Parigi joined the Times of India Group in 2000 and lead managed their foray into Radio, OOH (Out Of Home) media and event management.

Parigi has held number of key positions including that of the CEO of BPL Mobile Communications (a joint venture with France Telecom) in Mumbai. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Bennett Coleman and Company Limited and the Times of India Group. He is also credited for having lead managed the acquisition of the UK Radio Business – the first overseas acquisition by any Indian media group. More recently he was awarded the 2009 Rensselaer Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the Severino Centre of the Lally School of Management, New York.