NEW DELHI: The Iconic Tourism Summit 2025, staged by Redhat Communications in collaboration with TV9 Network, drew policymakers, diplomats, industry bosses and cultural figures to ITC Maurya for a day of discussion and recognition of excellence in tourism.
The morning sessions, under the banner “Innovation, Transformation and Impact”, tackled themes from content-driven travel to building “iconic experiences”. Speakers included Niharika Rai, tourism secretary, Delhi; Rajesh Magow, co-founder and group chief executive of MakeMyTrip; Mugdha Sinha, managing director of ITDC; Shriji Huzur Dr Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar of Udaipur; Sandeep Dwivedi of Amadeus; Anshul Sethi of Indigo; and Yummi Talwar of VFS Global.
The evening climaxed with the Iconic Awards, presented by culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who shared the stage with Amitabh Kant, Jyotsna Suri, Ishika Taneja, Manoj Adlakha, Suman Billa and Sandeep Marwah. Ambassadors from Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Greece, Serbia, Seychelles and Malta lent an international sheen.
Awards spanned aviation, hospitality, travel tech and cultural achievement. Indigo, Emirates, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, ITC Hotels, Accor, Amadeus and VFS Global were among the corporate winners. Individual honours went to hoteliers, innovators and cultural figures—from Rajesh Magow, named Iconic Technology Innovator, to Dr Ruby Makhija for sustainability and Kavita Bhartia for fashion. Jyotsna Suri was hailed as the Iconic Beacon of Brilliance 2025, while Suman Billa was named Changemaker of Indian Tourism.
The jury boasted luminaries such as former governor Vinod Kumar Duggal, BJP spokesperson Shazia Ilmi, former ITC director Nakul Anand, craft revivalist Madhu Jain and PR veteran Dilip Cherian.
With its mix of policy talk and high-profile awards, the summit underscored India’s ambition to position tourism as both a growth engine and a soft-power asset.
MUMBAI: When Bappa arrives, even differences take a holiday. This Ganesh Chaturthi, ABP Majha is once again turning television screens into pandals with its flagship festive programming Bappa Majha, celebrating Maharashtra’s favourite season of devotion, spectacle, and unity.
Carrying the theme “Bappa Ale, Bhed Nimale” (As Bappa arrives, differences disappear), Bappa Majha is more than just programming, it’s a 10-day cultural immersion. From the grandeur of Mumbai’s iconic pandals to the intimacy of household traditions, the channel promises to capture every beat of Ganeshotsav.
The line-up is as elaborate as a traditional sadhya:
. Live Aartis from Maharashtra’s most renowned temples and pandals at 6:30 am and 6:30 pm daily ( 27 Aug – 5 Sept).
. Ganesh Pujan at ABP Majha’s office on Aug 27 at 9:30 am, giving viewers a peek into the channel’s own festive rituals.
. Kaladhipati at 2:30 pm, where celebrities bring personal stories of devotion and celebration.
. Daily festival bulletins, Bappa Majha, at 5:30 pm (repeat at 11:30 am), offering updates and stories from every corner of Maharashtra.
. Maha Ganesh Mandal Contest (7 – 16 Sept), spotlighting the three most spectacular pandals from each of the state’s eight regions.
. Anant Chaturdashi Special (Sept 6 from 7 am onwards), capturing the emotional farewell as Bappa is immersed with pomp and tears.
With Ganeshotsav being Maharashtra’s most widely celebrated festival, the numbers tell their own story: over 10 days of immersive coverage, across 8 regions, spotlighting thousands of pandals and lakhs of devotees, all brought home by ABP Majha.
ABP Majha’s Bappa Majha is co-presented by Gowardhan, Punit Balan group and Nirma Advance; powered by Hint, Royal Enfield and Kayam Churna; with Mahindra Tractor and Porter as supporting partners, and ABP Live as digital partner.
In a state where Ganeshotsav is less a festival and more a way of life, ABP Majha has once again positioned itself as not just a broadcaster, but a cultural companion telling the stories, sharing the chants, and ensuring that when Maharashtra says “Ganpati Bappa Morya”, the whole state says it together.
MUMBAI: Cricket advertising in India is a genre unto itself, but Sony Pictures Networks India may have just served up one of its most affecting innings yet. Its new Asia Cup promotional TVC, titled Asia Cup ka maha-muqabla, does not rely on pyrotechnics or overblown jingoism. Instead, it leans into something far more powerful: the lived reality of a billion-strong cricket nation.
The spot opens in a middle-class household, the sort instantly recognisable to viewers across India — compact, cluttered, warm. A multi-generational family, representing the classic Indian joint household, is gathered around a television set. Their emotions run the gamut from tense expectation to barely-suppressed hope. In their midst sits Virender Sehwag, the retired swashbuckler whose effortless stroke play once embodied India’s batting swagger. His presence is casual, yet symbolic: cricket is family.
On screen unfolds the ultimate cliché of Indian sport — a last-ball thriller against Pakistan. Suryakumar Yadav, known for his 360-degree stroke-making but carrying the weight of a poor run against Pakistan, takes guard against Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan’s fiery left-arm quick. India need three off the final delivery. The room holds its breath. Yadav unfurls his trademark flick-sweep off his pads. The ball soars over fine-leg, lands in the stands. India have won.
The family erupts. So do, by implication, the millions watching at home across the country. The genius of the commercial is that the victory is not just India’s, not just Yadav’s redemption, not just a nod to the India–Pakistan rivalry that remains cricket’s greatest theatre. It is framed as a shared triumph of nationhood.
Sony has laced the narrative with subtle social cues. The family members are deliberately cast without overt religious markers — no heavy-handed signifiers of Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, or Christian identities. Instead, their togetherness suggests an anonymous universality, a blend of every Indian home. When one family member remarks, “God has listened to your prayers,” the phrase resonates across religions. It could as easily be said in a temple, mosque, church, or gurdwara.
This inclusivity crystallises in the closing voiceover: “When it comes to Team India, 140 crore hearts beat as one.” It is more than a tagline; it is an assertion of secular nationalism, packaged through the one institution that cuts across fault lines of caste, creed, and community — cricket.
The choice of Sehwag is inspired. His image has long been that of the approachable great: less demi-god than street-cricketer made good. Sehwag in a living room, laughing along with ordinary Indians, works as shorthand for the collapsing of boundaries between the game’s elite and its fans. In a country where cricket stars are often deified, here is one being human.
The film also plays on nostalgia. For decades, Indian households have arranged their routines around cricket matches. The image of families huddled before television sets — chai cups rattling, grandparents muttering prayers, children imitating shots in the cramped corridor — is imprinted in the national psyche. By invoking that memory, Sony makes the Asia Cup not just about live sport, but about reliving a tradition.
The timing of the TVC is astute. The Asia Cup kicks off on 9 September, with India–Pakistan ties expected to draw record ratings. This is also India’s first major tournament after the passage of the Online Gaming Bill 2025, which banned betting and fantasy sports with cash stakes but emphasised “safe online gaming” and esports as cultural exports. Sony’s film neatly dovetails with the government’s rhetoric: cricket as a unifying, wholesome national obsession rather than a site of division.
Advertising scholars will note how Asia Cup ka maha-muqabla breaks from older tropes. Previous India–Pakistan promos often thrived on antagonism: taunts, satire, chest-thumping. Sony, by contrast, softens the edges. The rivalry remains fierce — the six off Afridi is fantasy fulfilment — but the messaging is inward-looking. The focus is not beating Pakistan as much as celebrating India.
For a tournament where sport often becomes geopolitics, this is a nuanced turn. In less than a minute, the campaign positions cricket as faith, family, catharsis, and national glue.
That, in the end, is why the spot works. It is not simply flogging a match, or a tournament. It is selling the idea that India itself is best understood when a billion-plus citizens are praying for the same thing, shouting at the same screen, and rejoicing together when the ball sails into the stands.
MUMBAI: When flowers sing, Onam dances to a new tune. Asianet, Kerala’s top entertainment channel, has unveiled the world’s first Poopaattu (Flower Song), blending tradition with cutting-edge bio-sonification technology for its #Coloronam campaign.
Created by music director Justin Varghese with vocals by singer-actor Remya Nambeesan, the track is no ordinary festive jingle, it’s a composition crafted from the natural vibrations of Onam flowers such as Thumba, Thechi, Chembarathi, and Shankupushpam. These subtle frequencies were captured, converted into notes, and layered into an original soundtrack that’s as scientific as it is soulful.
The idea stems from the age-old Pookkalam (floral carpet) tradition, where each bloom held meaning Thumba symbolised sanctity, Mukutti prosperity, and Thechi devotion and strength. By turning these floral associations into music, Asianet hopes to revive cultural connections for modern audiences.
“With Poopaattu, our aim was to show how cultural storytelling can be reimagined through innovation,” said JioStar head of cluster entertainment (South) Krishnan Kutty. “Onam is deeply emotional for our audiences in Kerala, and by combining tradition with technology, we’ve built a campaign that resonates locally while showcasing our ability to lead with fresh ideas.”
The accompanying video mirrors the community spirit of Onam families and friends handpicking blossoms, weaving intricate Pookkalams, and celebrating togetherness with joy and generosity.
For a festival rooted in colour, fragrance, and symbolism, Poopaattu adds a new sensory dimension: sound. By bridging heritage and innovation, Asianet is not just celebrating Onam but orchestrating it, one flower note at a time.
MUMBAI: Kabaddi isn’t just about raids and tackles anymore, it’s about brands charging onto the mat too. As Season 12 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) gets ready to storm Visakhapatnam on August 29, official broadcaster JioStar has announced four marquee sponsors: Shriram Finance Limited (BFSI), UltraTech Cement (Infrastructure), Birla Tilestix (Tile Adhesive), and energy drink giant Red Bull.
The timing is a marketer’s dream. With the festive season around the corner, PKL offers advertisers a golden chance to ride the wave of India’s second-largest sporting league. Season 11 drew over 283 million viewers across TV and digital, including 140 million in Hindi-speaking markets alone numbers that outperformed reality shows and talent hunts. Fans weren’t just tuning in; they were hooked, watching 64 per cent of game time per match on average.
Season 12 promises to turn up the volume. Expect a revamped format, richer storytelling, deeper fan interactivity, and expanded coverage across 10 plus TV channels and seven language feeds on JioHotstar. JioStar is betting that this multi-platform blitz will take engagement to record levels.
“PKL has built a loyal and growing viewership, making it one of the most followed sporting leagues in the country,” a JioStar spokesperson said. “Season 12 will build on this momentum by offering brands high-impact visibility and strong engagement with premium audiences.”
The action begins with a high-voltage Southern derby Telugu Titans vs Tamil Thalaivas setting the stage for another season of bruising raids, flying tackles, and, now, brand battles. With more sponsors expected to pile in, Season 12 looks set to prove that kabaddi isn’t just India’s ancient sport, it’s also modern marketing’s new playground.
MUMBAI: When it comes to primetime chatter, NDTV is putting its money where its mouth is. With The Buck Stops Here, fronted by Padmaja Joshi, the network is betting on a simple promise: end the noise, get to the point, and deliver answers that matter.
Airing weeknights at 9 pm on NDTV 24×7, the show is pitched as the “end of every argument”, a space where governance, economy, society and India’s role in the world are not just debated but distilled into clarity.
Joshi, NDTV’s managing editor and primetime anchor, brings her trademark directness to the role. “No evasion and no prevarication” she insists, setting the tone for debates that aim to close with conclusions rather than cliff-hangers.
CEO and editor-in-chief, Rahul Kanwal, framed the launch as a statement of intent and said, “The Buck Stops Here is primetime as India deserves it – rigorous, and uncompromisingly focused on what matters most to the nation. Padmaja Joshi brings an editorial depth and clarity of vision that will ensure this is not just another show, but the end of every argument – a definitive moment in the national conversation.”
For NDTV, the programme signals more than a new slot, it marks the channel’s renewed ambition to mirror a confident India with sharper, bolder coverage. For viewers weary of endless shouting matches, it could well be the place where the buck really does stop.
MUMBAI: Nature is getting the star treatment this August, with Warner Bros. Discovery rolling out two blue-chip wildlife spectacles across Discovery, Animal Planet, and Discovery+. First up is The Dooars World, which premiered on 15 August with Dia Mirza lending her voice to the Eastern Himalayan wilderness. Directed by debutant Shaon Pritam Baral, the series transports viewers to the biodiverse Dooars region, where red pandas, one-horned rhinos, and vibrant birdlife share fragile harmony with local communities. “The Dooars is a living, breathing world,” Baral noted, calling Mirza’s narration the soulful thread that binds the storytelling. Interestingly, the project was spotted at Waves Film Bazaar, an NFDC initiative.
Hot on its heels came The Americas, which debuted on 18 August with Hollywood heavyweight Tom Hanks narrating an 11-part odyssey from the Arctic to Patagonia. Produced by BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit with Universal Television Alternative Studio, the series has already snagged Emmy nominations for Hanks’ narration and Hans Zimmer’s sweeping score. Expect breathtaking animal drama, from species thriving in icy extremes to the urgent climate challenges rewriting their futures.
Warner Bros. Discovery head of factual entertainment, lifestyle & kids for South Asia Sai Abishek summed it up: “It’s this mix of fresh voices like Shaon and iconic ones like Tom Hanks that makes our storytelling spectacular and memorable.”
Airing weekdays at 9:00 pm on Animal Planet with simulcasts on Discovery, and streaming on discovery+, these shows fuse cinematic grandeur with conservation urgency reminding viewers why the wild will always have the final word.
MUMBAI: When Suryakumar Yadav sends the ball sailing for six, India doesn’t just win a match 140 crore hearts leap together. That’s the pulse Sony Sports Network has bottled in its new campaign film, Rag Rag Mein Bharat, unveiled ahead of the Asia Cup 2025. Set in a small-town courtyard, the film captures the quintessential India-Pakistan cricket moment: neighbours huddled around a TV, silence stretching as the bowler runs in, before erupting into dhol beats, tricolour waves and unfiltered joy. And to seal the sentiment, none other than Virender Sehwag delivers the rallying cry: “When it comes to India, 140 crore hearts beat as one.”
Sony Pictures Networks India, chief revenue officer for distribution & international business and head of ports business Rajesh Kaul called the Asia Cup “one of the most iconic tournaments in world cricket.” He said #RagRagMeinBharat is a reminder of cricket’s power to transcend divides of age, gender, region and religion. “Having Sehwag embody that sentiment makes it even more powerful,” he added.
For Sehwag himself, the campaign is a throwback to his own Asia Cup days. “Walking into the dressing room, you could feel the buzz even before stepping onto the field,” he recalled. “The chants, the energy fans weren’t just watching; they were living it with you. That’s what this film gets spot on.”
The 17th edition of the Asia Cup, played in the UAE from 9–28 September 2025, will feature eight teams in a T20 format, with group stages leading into the Super Four and the final. India, the defending champions, enter the fray with a record eight Asia Cup titles under their belt.
Rolling out in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu across Sony’s broadcast network, Sony Liv and social media, the campaign is less an ad and more a rallying anthem. For a nation where cricket is religion, Rag Rag Mein Bharat might just be the battle cry echoing through every living room, street corner and stadium.
MUMBAI: Call it style with a storm surge Bengal Warriorz are charging into Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 with more than just tackles and raids. The founding franchise, which begins its campaign against Haryana Steelers on 31st August, has unveiled a new identity and a campaign that promises both tashan and toofan. Branded Tashan Toofani, the campaign fuses swagger off the mat with sheer force on it. Developed by Capri Sports and SI, it portrays the Warriorz as equal parts cool and combative, a team that treats kabaddi not just as sport but as cultural expression.
The storm’s soundtrack? An official team anthem, an upbeat rap track peppered with kabaddi jargon, trend-driven lingo and bass-heavy swagger. More than a hype song, it’s designed as a rallying cry for the next-gen fanbase, capturing the essence of the Warriorz effortlessly stylish, yet battle-hardened.
“We wanted something that mirrors the courage, energy and flair of this squad,” said Capri Sports director for Contact Sports Apurv Gupta. “Tashan Toofani is about fearlessness on the mat, but also about a bold lifestyle that speaks to the youth. These Warriorz aren’t just players, they’re redefining what it means to be a modern kabaddi icon.”
The young squad, sharpened for Season 12, enters with a dual mission: to continue the Warriorz legacy as one of PKL’s founding forces, and to carve out new cultural relevance by blending grassroots grit with Gen-Z cool.
With whistles set to blow, beats already thumping, and a storm brewing in Bengal blue, the Warriorz’ Tashan Toofani looks ready to rattle rivals and rally a generation.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera, cheddar! India’s beloved dairy darling Go Cheese has found its perfect dance partner in Super Dancer Chapter 5, Sony Entertainment Television’s homegrown reality blockbuster. The association, announced mid-season, promises a mix of cheesy indulgence and heartfelt family entertainment.
Premiering 19 July, the fifth chapter of the hit franchise has already been trending with its unique theme celebrating the bond between mothers and children, a narrative that fits like mozzarella on pizza with Go Cheese’s family-first ethos. Just as mums are the ultimate cheerleaders for their kids on stage, Go Cheese champions everyday family moments at the dining table.
The season is packed with high-octane performances, emotional narratives, and pint-sized prodigies who have already gathered fan armies on social media. Now, with Go Cheese in the mix, viewers can expect branded challenges, snackable content, and clever product integrations designed to showcase how cheese can transform both family meals and living-room celebrations.
“Go Cheese has always been about bringing families together through taste and shared moments. Our association with Super Dancer Chapter 5 is a natural extension of our bond with modern families, especially mothers who nurture talent and celebrate uniqueness,” said Parag Milk Foods Ltd executive director Akshali Shah.
The partnership also highlights Go Cheese’s ongoing mission to stay relevant in pop culture through engaging storytelling. From Sonyliv streams to living-room screens across India, the collaboration makes sure the brand is as much a part of the evening as the applause, the tears, and the dance-floor thrills.
For audiences, it’s a season where twirls meet tangy cheese slices, and every performance promises not just a standing ovation but a slice of something deliciously familiar.
