Parag Naik Appointed to Lead FreeStream’s Direct-to-Mobile Strategy as CEO and CTO
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Delhi and Baltimore – 17 June 2026
Free Stream Technologies (“FreeStream”), incubated at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, today announced that Parag Naik has been appointed Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer. Naik will lead FreeStream’s next phase of growth, guiding the company’s strategic direction, technology roadmap, platform development, and commercialization efforts as Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) advances toward national-scale deployment in India and global markets.
A recognized architect of India’s D2M ecosystem, Naik brings more than three decades of executive and technology leadership across telecom, consumer electronics, semiconductors, and software systems. He has co-founded several technology companies, including Smart Yantra, Vayavya Labs, Saankhya Labs, and Sampige Semiconductors.
Over the past decade, Naik has played a leading role in advancing broadcast-to-mobile technologies in India, including broadcast chipsets, low-cost Broadcast Radio Heads, pilot D2M networks in Delhi and Bengaluru, network infrastructure, and reference devices spanning smartphones, feature phones, tablets and laptops.
Direct-to-Mobile is a terrestrial broadcast technology designed to deliver IP-based live television, video, audio, data, and text-based services directly to mobile devices without relying on Wi-Fi or mobile internet service. The technology can support multimedia content of public and national importance, including entertainment, sports, educational programming, public information, and emergency alerts.
Sumeet Nindrajog, Director of Free Stream Technologies, said, “I am pleased that Parag will lead a team of highly skilled professionals as we take our D2M solution to market and provide cutting-edge solutions in 5G and 6G broadcast technologies, including AI-enabled product design, development, deployment, and service delivery.”
Chris Ripley, President and CEO of Sinclair, Inc., said, “Parag has been one of the most important strategic voices behind India’s Direct-to-Mobile vision. His leadership at FreeStream comes at a defining moment, as D2M moves from promise to deployment and helps shape a more inclusive, resilient and scalable connectivity future for India and the world.”
Parag Naik said, “D2M began as an India-first innovation designed for India’s scale, diversity and public needs. Having helped shape what is now known as Direct-to-Mobile, I am excited to lead FreeStream in advancing the Make in India vision — building the devices, network technologies and platforms that can deliver live media, education, public information and emergency alerts directly to citizens. India has the opportunity to make D2M a national platform for inclusive, resilient and affordable connectivity, and a model for the world.”
About FreeStream
Incubated at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK), Free Stream Technologies Pvt. Ltd. is India’s first and only “Chips to Platform” DeepTech start-up focused on developing, deploying, and managing nationwide AI-enabled network infrastructure for cutting-edge Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) and Direct-to-Device (D2D) broadcast technology and related platform services.
For more information, visit www.freestream.ai or follow FreeStream on LinkedIn.
About Sinclair
Sinclair, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI) is a diversified media company and a leading provider of local broadcast television, including news and sports. Sinclair’s Hunt Valley, Maryland-based ONE Media subsidiary has a vision to build and globally deploy innovative “Next Generation” platforms and technologies for wireless broadcast of enhanced video, data, and nationally important services. Sinclair and ONE Media regularly use their websites as key sources of company information, which can be accessed at www.sbgi.net and www.onemediallc.com, respectively.
Media contacts:
FreeStream: media@freestream.ai
Sinclair, Inc.: Jessica Bellucci, jbellucci-c@sbgtv.com