The former BBC head of the Asian Programmes Unit has said the division has been an “integral part of BBC television for more than 40 years”, on the eve of his leave to Sony.

AIM magazine has learnt that Gurdip Bhangoo (pictured), who was until recently executive producer at the APU, is leaving the corporation to become head of programming at Sony Entertainment Television in India. He will start on 1st October and report to Albert Almeida, business head, SET India.

The move has raised doubts about the future of the Asian Programmes Unit, which has always been the subject of great affection amongst British Asians.

Gurdip told AIM he was approached by Sony through a international headhunter. That led to a series of meetings in India with the senior management team and then in London with the management team from Sony’s HQ in LA.

He told AIM: “I was impressed with channel and the ambition to grow it futher with innovative programming that taps into both India and the wider global Asian diaspora.”

The 37 year old executive took over the APU two and half years ago.

“Like the UK and US, the television landscape is extremely competitive in prime time and a number of new channels have recently launched. One of the key challenges for me is to create a clever mix of programmes that are both channel defining and have the ability to be key brands that viewers can identify with. I’m also interested in looking at on-screen talent that has the ability to cross-over and appeal to the wider global Asian diaspora.”

He said he hoped the APU remained as an entity within the BBC.

“The APU has been an integral part of BBC Television for more than 40 years and the unit has enjoyed great success in producing network programming that appeals to both Asian and mainstream audiences.”

He added that it had a great record in developing new talent that went on to the rest of the BBC. The BBC chef Anjum Anand is just the latest example of someone who had become known through programming at the APU.

More recently, the APU has made acclaimed programmes such as: The Day India Burned-Partition; Indian Food Made Easy; Saira Khan’s Pakistan Adventure ;The Lost World of the Raj ; Mumbai, Calcutta, Karachi Uncovered. It has also made the long running arts and entertainment series Desi DNA, which followed on from Network East.

On his new role, he said it was an opportunity to work in one of the fastest growing and biggest television markets in the world.

“SET is one of the biggest in India and has an impressive slate of international formats like Pop Idol and Strictly Come Dancing doing great business and playing out to huge audiences. Sony have also had fantastic success recently as the sole broadcaster for the Indian Premier League, transforming world cricket into family entertianment in India.”

There is still more to come from the APU yet.

The division has just made a 90 minute drama-documentary on the Satanic Verses for 2009, and are about to begin production on a 60 minute self-authored film with Meera Syal on self harm.