MUMBAI: Discovery Networks is on a hiring spree. In its endeavour to accelerate growth and embrace opportunities beyond linear, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific has now appointed Monisha Jaising Vaid as the director of original content for real world products. She joins from FremantleMedia India TV Productions where she served as the senior creative director and consultant for almost eight years.

Senior executives Sameer Rao and SVP head of products Nikhil Madhok are the other recent hires.

Vaid will be based in Mumbai and will report to Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific vice-president real world products - South Asia Sameer Rao.

She will curate home-grown concepts, identifying formats, localizing for India, pitching to broadcasters, supervising pre and post sales, brand integrations, show production for Discovery's Real World product suite which includes Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Tamil, Discovery HD World and Animal Planet HD World.

Experienced in content creation, project management, creative strategy for brands and broadcasters, partner tie-ups and discovering new content opportunities, Vaid is a veteran in the media and entertainment professional.

She has the ability to ideate cross-platform with a successful background in non-fiction, international formats, magazine format, reality, talent, fiction and digital. She has been a part of various projects like, international formats: Indian Idol , India’s Got Talent , X Factor; indigenous formats: Mission Covershot , Nat Geo Covershot Maximum city; regional formats: Amra na Ora , Amar Bor Superstar; digital : Opening up Fremantlemedia India as a digital fiction player with Confessions – It’s Complicated.