M. Gautham Machaiah

Dr. M. Gautham Machaiah is a media personality and corporate professional, who has held senior journalistic and management positions across print, electronic and digital media in his career spanning over 20 years with The Indian Express, The Times of India and the Essel Group / Zee Network. Known for his high level of integrity, Dr. Machaiah has made a name for himself as a turnaround executive for his role in transforming sagging businesses. He is one of the rare individuals who couples journalistic excellence with business acumen. As a thought leader, he commands a large following on social media for his independent and decisive views on a wide range of topics including politics and current affairs. A positive thinker, Dr Machaiah pursues varied passions like walking, writing, meditation and photography, besides being an avid foodie. He holds a post-graduate degree holder in Journalism and Communication, and a PhD from Mysore University. Dr Machaiah who hails from the picturesque hill district of Coorg (Kodagu) is settled in Bengaluru, India.

Gautham completed his early education at the St Joseph's Convent, Mercara (Madikeri), in Coorg. He was at Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala, Mysore, from Class VIII to Class X. Gautham returned to Coorg for his pre-university course at the Government PU College, Madikeri. Thereafter, he joined the Maharaja's College, Mysore, where he completed his Bachelor's degree with Journalism, Economics and Political Science as electives. He also holds a post-graduate degree in Journalism and Communication. Gautham was awarded a Ph.D degree by the Mysore University for his thesis, “Media Habits of Legislators: A Case Study of Karnataka MLAs and MLCs.”

Gautham is closely associated with several universities and prestigious institutions as an honorary member. He often delivers guest lectures at various educational institutions. He is a member of the Advisory Council of Bangalore University Department of Electronic Media Studies, Ramaiah Institute of Management, and Sikkim Manipal University, among others.

In his ninth standard, The Indian Express published his article on the scarcity of drinking water in his hometown, Mercara. By the time Gautham completed his post-graduate studies, numerous articles of his were published in newspapers. Among those articles, one particularly notable one was on the elusive forest brigand Veerappan. Over the years, he has written several hundred articles on varied subjects.

As part of his academic training, he underwent an internship of two months at The Indian Express in New Delhi, where he had the opportunity of working with stalwarts like Arun Shourie. Gautham’s first job was with The Indian Express, in Bangalore, under the editorship of H.S. Balram.

Gautham reported for The Indian Express on education with his weekly column ‘On the Campus’. As a journalist, Gautham has reported on politics, government, environment, civic issues and crime.

He played a crucial role in exposing the mismanagement and corruption in Bangalore University. One of his reports, on how over a hundred medical students who had failed the examination were promoted by illegally awarding grace marks, hit the national headlines, leading to a judicial inquiry. Gautham parted ways with The Indian Express after four years.

Gautham then joined The Times of India, in Bangalore. Besides reporting on the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, he covered senior leaders like A B Vajpayee, Sonia Gandhi, L. K. Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Pramod Mahajan and H. D. Deve Gowda. He specialised in reporting on politics and government affairs. Gautham was also a part of the team which played a role in relaunching and reviving the Bangalore edition of The Times of India.

After The Times of India, Gautham shifted to the Zee Group as the Editor of Zeenews.com, which established a lead over other portals by the speed and credibility of its news. In due course, he made a transition from journalism to the corporate world.

Gautham has handled several assignments at the Zee Group: corporate communication, public affairs, government relations, and corporate social responsibility. At Zee, he initiated an awards programme, Essel Awards, aimed at recognising and rewarding significant contributions to the society in various fields.

After a stint as the Executive Vice-President at the Zee Group, handling Southern channels, Gautham has taken up a new assignment.