iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria is the only Indian American woman to get a spot at The Wrap’s ‘Changemakers 2024’.
The list, published earlier this month, celebrates 51 women who “led, inspired and made the world a little bit better in 2024”.
Praising the Indian American executive, The Wrap said: “The kingdom that Bajaria oversees is unprecedented. As Chief Content Officer of the world’s biggest streaming platform, she is in charge of all Netflix’s films and original series, which come from 27 countries and totaled almost 500 in 2024, at a production budget of a reported $17 billion. Her vision has been instrumental in redefining the television experience in the 21st century.
“Born in London, Bajaria moved to the U.S. as a child and landed her first job in Hollywood in 1996 as an assistant at CBS after pitching herself to every studio in town via a letter-writing campaign. She quickly ascended to VP of movies and miniseries before moving to Universal Television, where she became the first woman of color to run the studio. (At the time, a female TV exec of Indian descent was extremely rare.) In 2016, she joined Netflix to lead unscripted content and licensing. Seven years later, she was promoted to her current role.
“Under Bajaria’s savvy leadership, Netflix has spawned such game-changing hits as “Squid Game,” “Bridgerton” and “Wednesday.” In 2024, the company won 24 Emmys for acclaimed shows including “Baby Reindeer,” “Ripley” and “Blue Eye Samurai.” Even with subscriber growth slowing, revenue ticked up 15% to $9.8 billion in the third quarter, thanks in no small part to audience hits like “Rebel Ridge” and “Monsters: The Lyle and Eric Menendez Story,” which racked up 1.7 billion viewing minutes in its first days of release.”
The list features a mix of A-list Hollywood celebs, top executives and company owners.
(Photo courtesy: www.thewrap.com)
