Sony steps into southern markets with regional-first play

MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has formally set its sights on southern India, unveiling a leadership realignment that sharpens its entry into the region as part of a broader strategic reset.

The move comes under a refreshed operating model designed to reposition SPNI as a content-first, platform-agnostic and multilingual entertainment company, with the South identified as a key growth engine. Rajaraman Sundaram has been tasked with leading the company’s regional expansion across southern markets, consolidating Sony’s ambitions in one of India’s most competitive entertainment theatres.

Southern India has emerged as a powerhouse for language-led storytelling, commanding strong television loyalty, rising OTT consumption and sustained advertiser interest. Sony’s push signals a shift away from national, Hindi-led templates towards deeper regional engagement built around local creators, formats and commissioning strategies.

Sundaram joined SPNI last year as head of content strategy, where he helped shape the network’s programming and long-term content roadmap. His expanded mandate places execution firmly in focus as Sony looks to build scale and relevance across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada ecosystems.

He brings extensive regional experience to the role, having held senior leadership positions at Viacom18, including EVP and business head of Colors Tamil, and earlier at Asianet, one of the South’s leading general entertainment networks. He also spent over a year at Disney Star in a network-level strategy role, gaining exposure to country-wide operations.

The southern push comes amid wider organisational changes at SPNI, as Sony recalibrates its portfolio to compete in an increasingly crowded broadcast and streaming market where language, culture and speed matter more than size alone.

With leadership aligned and the South firmly in its sights, Sony is making its bet clear: India’s next entertainment battleground will be regional—and it intends to arrive prepared.