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  • Gaurav Banerjee to chair CII media and entertainment council for 2025-26

    Gaurav Banerjee to chair CII media and entertainment council for 2025-26

    NEW DELHI:  Gaurav Banerjee, managing director and chief executive of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), has been named chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s national media and entertainment council for 2025-26. The move signals CII’s push to turbocharge the M&E sector’s global competitiveness with a focus on policy reform, skilling, tech-creative innovation and inclusive growth.

    Banerjee, who also chairs BARC India, steps into the role at a time when India’s media and entertainment engine is revving up to be a $100bn juggernaut—fuelled by AI, VFX, and a hungry Gen Z audience. His mandate? Drive trust, sharpen policy, and make “Create in India” the global gold standard.

    “At a time when the world is looking to India for inspiration, our M&E industry is uniquely positioned to reflect our cultural ethos while shaping global narratives,” said Banerjee. “We need frameworks that empower innovation, creative-tech and opportunity—without compromising trust or accountability.”

    As council chair, Banerjee will double down on four key levers:

    * Policy and regulation: Partnering with government to streamline norms, fight piracy, and foster a level playing field.
    * Tech meets creativity: Embracing AI, AR/VR and automation to supercharge content quality, personalisation and productivity.
    * Skill-building: Rolling out future-ready courses via the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies to upskill youth in animation, VFX and immersive storytelling.
    * Going global: Backing Indo-foreign co-productions and showcasing Indian stories to the world with tech muscle and cultural soul.

    The CII council under Banerjee will act as a bridge between industry, academia and government—taking on thorny issues like fair monetisation, content ethics, data privacy and equitable tech access. Expect sharp focus on regulating generative AI without stifling innovation.

    A filmmaker by training and former journalist at Aaj Tak, Banerjee brings over two decades of experience to the table. At SPNI, he has been the force behind bold content bets and digital pivots—balancing creative risk with fiscal discipline.

    His new role is likely to give India’s M&E sector the push it needs to move from scale to stature on the global stage.

  • Ankit Saxena dials into Oppo for a brand-new chapter

    Ankit Saxena dials into Oppo for a brand-new chapter

    MUMBAI: Ankit Saxena, digital media maven and veteran of the agency circuit, has made the jump from campaign chaos to client-side calm, joining Oppo after more than 12 years of brand wizardry.

    Saxena has spent the last decade sharpening brands and slinging strategy at speed. From FMCG and e-commerce to edtech and entertainment, he’s been the man behind the media curtain at marquee names like Swiggy, Instamart, Puma, and V-Guard. Most recently, he helmed regional digital media ops at Havas, with earlier stints at Dentsu Isobar, WATConsult, and Liqvd Asia.

    Now, at Oppo, he’s expected to bring that same blend of performance and purpose, only with fewer all-nighters and a stronger coffee.

     

  • Amit Sobti takes charge as president of Humans of Bombay

    Amit Sobti takes charge as president of Humans of Bombay

    MUMBAI: Amit Sobti has been appointed president at Humans of Bombay, the storytelling platform that has built a loyal following with its human interest narratives. In his new role, Sobti will oversee company operations and strategy, with a mandate to drive profitability, expand partnerships and monetise original IPs.

    Sobti, a revenue architect with two decades across digital media and corporate strategy, most recently served as chief revenue officer at Fork Media group, where he spent over 11 years scaling businesses, creating branded content ecosystems and building new revenue streams.

    Earlier, he held senior roles at Media Pro, JSW Ispat Steel and Reliance Broadcast, contributing to high stakes strategy, marketing innovations and large scale partnerships. Known for designing playbooks that blend innovation with legacy, Sobti says his focus now lies in building consumer first growth models.

    At Humans of Bombay, industry watchers expect Sobti to marry commercial acumen with the platform’s storytelling ethos, as it looks to expand both reach and revenues.

  • Ratheesh MS joins Starcom as vice president after long GroupM stint

    Ratheesh MS joins Starcom as vice president after long GroupM stint

    MUMBAI: Advertising veteran Ratheesh MS has taken charge as vice president at Starcom, the media agency under Publicis Groupe. His appointment follows a brief spell at WPP Media and a near decade with GroupM’s Motivator, where he rose to general manager.

    Ratheesh has built a reputation for steering high profile accounts across auto, telecom, e commerce, insurance and consumer goods. His career spans over 19 years with stints at ZenithOptimedia, Wavemaker, Carat, Lintas Media, MPG Group, Malayala Manorama and Infomedia.

    Among his proudest milestones: conceptualising India’s first car night rally for Maruti Suzuki’s Swift, delivering double digit growth for Jabong.com, and leading Honda Cars’ media win in a multi agency pitch.

    At Starcom, Ratheesh is expected to bring his trademark blend of disruptive growth strategy and meticulous media planning to fuel the agency’s next phase of expansion.

  • Anuj Sahai exits Peak XV, sets sights on fresh ventures in AI and startups

    Anuj Sahai exits Peak XV, sets sights on fresh ventures in AI and startups

    BENGALURU: After a two-year stint as chief product officer at Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia India & SEA), Anuj Sahai is charting a new course. Sahai, who announced his exit this week, said the role offered him a ringside view of the startup ecosystem and hands-on experience with artificial intelligence.

    Sahai, who has held senior posts at Walmart Global Tech, Ola, Flipkart, Payback and Yahoo!, is now advising early-stage founders on tech stacks, workflows and agentic AI. “I’ll be recharging and reflecting over the next few months while exploring new opportunities,” he said, inviting connections from entrepreneurs and investors alike.

    Over a two-decade career, Sahai has built a track record of scaling digital businesses: he led Walmart’s US marketplace product team to a significant share of e-commerce revenues, launched Flipkart’s advertising platform into India’s No 2 ad business within 15 months, and forged landmark partnerships for Ola Play.

    For now, the industry will be watching which venture the product veteran picks as his next big play.

  • Munaf Merchant takes charge as head of revenue & partnerships at Bullet

    Munaf Merchant takes charge as head of revenue & partnerships at Bullet

    MUMBAI: Munaf Merchant has joined Bullet, the fledgling micro-drama OTT platform, as head of revenue & partnerships. He steps into the role after a near four-year run at Associated Broadcasting Co. (TV9), where he most recently served as senior vice president – revenue digital.

    Merchant, a dealmaker with a reputation for scaling ad sales across print, digital and broadcast, cut his teeth at India Today before a long innings at Network18. At the latter, he held posts ranging from regional sales head west to national sales head for brand solutions and convergence.

    Known for his flair in closing cross-media deals and boosting PSU revenues by over 50 per cent in his India Today days, Merchant now faces the challenge of building a revenue engine for Bullet as it looks to carve a niche in India’s crowded streaming market.

  • Sidhartha Kishore Das takes charge as general manager at Rachana Television

    Sidhartha Kishore Das takes charge as general manager at Rachana Television

    MUMBAI – Sidhartha Kishore Das has joined Rachana Television Pvt Ltd as general manager, after a 14-year stint at Odisha Television Limited (OTV). Das, who most recently served as senior general manager at OTV, will now spearhead revenue growth and strategy at the Hyderabad-based broadcaster.

    At OTV, Das headed sales across the north and west regions, driving market share and expanding the client base. Earlier, he worked at Zee Entertainment Enterprises in New Delhi.

    With nearly two decades in broadcast sales and management, Das is expected to bring his negotiation prowess, presentation skills and sharp market analysis to Rachana Television’s top table.
     

  • Global broadband subs hit 1.52 billion as fibre dominates

    Global broadband subs hit 1.52 billion as fibre dominates

    MUMBAI: Global broadband subscribers surged past 1.52 billion in the first quarter of 2025, marking a 1.21 per cent quarterly rise as South and East Asia drove expansion, according to Point Topic data. Yet the picture remains patchy, with 22 countries—up from 14 in the previous quarter—seeing subscriber numbers fall as consumers shift to mobile broadband or grapple with economic headwinds and market saturation.

    India topped the largest 20 fixed broadband markets with a blistering 4.7 per cent quarterly growth rate, whilst Britain stood out as an outlier, suffering a 0.3 per cent decline as fibre rollout failed to offset broader connection losses.

    Fibre-to-the-home and building connections now command 72.34 per cent of global fixed broadband subscriptions, cementing the technology’s dominance. Other fixed technologies saw their market shares shrink, bar satellite and fixed wireless access, which bucked the trend with spectacular annual growth of 47.4 per cent and 29.9 per cent respectively.

    The satellite boom was largely driven by Starlink breaching the 5 million customer mark, though growth has slowed due to capacity constraints and pricing pressures. Competition is set to intensify as Amazon’s Project Kuiper prepares for launch by year-end, with Britain expected among the first markets to go live following Ofcom approvals. Residential plans currently start at around £75 monthly.

    Fixed wireless access is reshaping rural connectivity, particularly in America and India, with aggressive investments from Reliance, Bharti, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T driving adoption.

    Industry consolidation is accelerating, with potential mega-deals including Charter’s merger with Cox in America and a possible carve-up of France’s SFR among Orange, Bouygues and Iliad. Meanwhile, sub-Saharan Africa represents untapped potential, attracting significant infrastructure investment targeting broadband expansion.

  • Blockbusters and billions boost PVR Inox in Q1 of FY’26

    Blockbusters and billions boost PVR Inox in Q1 of FY’26

    MUMBAI: Seats taken, debts shaken PVR INOX sets the tone for a blockbuster FY’26. If the opening quarter of FY’26 is any clue, PVR Inox isn’t just selling popcorn, it’s popping the lid off cinema’s revival story. The multiplex major has posted a stellar Q1 performance for the quarter ending June 30, 2025, powered by Bollywood box office blitzes, Hollywood hits, and a strategic play on alternative programming and screen expansion.

    Cinema seats saw healthy occupation as a total of 10 films crossed the Rs 100 crore mark, with three of them zooming past Rs 200 crore, setting the tone for a more balanced and consistent theatrical performance.

    Bollywood brought in blockbuster numbers for PVR Inox, with collections jumping 38 per cent year-on-year. The charge was led by crowd-pullers like Raid 2, Sitaare Zameen Par, Kesari Chapter 2, Housefull 5, and Jaat all five entered the Rs 100 crore club, and three soared past the Rs 200 crore milestone.

    Hollywood wasn’t far behind, registering a whopping 72% YoY growth for the exhibitor. Mega franchises like Mission Impossible, Final Destination: Bloodlines, Ballerina, and the box office juggernaut F1 drove this spike especially on premium formats like IMAX and 4DX, where admissions rose 20 per cent YoY.

    Regional cinema remained a steady performer, with titles like Tamil’s Good Bad Ugly, Malayalam’s Thudarum, and Tourist Family holding the fort.

    Launched in April, the Blockbuster Tuesdays initiative offering tickets at just Rs 99 proved to be more than a gimmick. It brought in nearly 1 million new and lapsed transactors, giving weekdays a much-needed footfall bump.

    Meanwhile, the exhibitor’s push into alternate programming including IPL match screenings, concerts, comedy shows, and film re-releases contributed over 5 lakh admissions this quarter, reinforcing cinemas as multipurpose destinations.

    That said, the quarter wasn’t without hiccups. PVR Inox estimated a loss of 6–7 lakh admissions due to external disruptions like Operation Sindoor, protests around Punjabi film Akaal, and the suspension of Sardaarji 3.

    Sticking to its asset-light strategy, PVR INOX added 20 new screens this quarter, 14 of which were under FOCO and Asset-Light models. With 55 more screens signed under FOCO and 72 under Asset-Light, expansion continues with minimal capital drag.

    Financially, net debt stood at Rs 8,915 million as of 30 June 2025, a Rs 607 million reduction from March 2025 and a sharp Rs 5,389 million (38 per cent) decline since the merger, signalling strong deleveraging.

    The multiplex chain is optimistic about the coming months, with July already clocking the highest monthly admissions in the past 18 months. Hits like Saiyaara, Superman, Mahavtar Narsimha, and Metro In Dino have already found their footing, while much-anticipated releases like War 2, Border 2, Love & War, and Hollywood heavyweights like Avatar: Fire and Ash and The Conjuring: Last Rites promise more gold at the box office.

    Regional biggies such as Coolie, Toxic, Akhanda 2, and Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 will further bolster the slate.

    With a footprint of 1,745 screens across 353 cinemas in 111 cities across India and Sri Lanka, and a focus on lean growth, PVR Inox is eyeing a full house not just in theatres, but on the balance sheet too.

    As PVR Inox managing director Ajay Bijli summed it up, “The momentum has been supported by a well-performing and steady content slate, giving us confidence in the year ahead.”

    And if Q1 is anything to go by, FY’26 might just be the comeback reel Indian cinema’s been waiting for.

     

  • JFF 2025 returns with its 13th Edition, beginning 4 September in Delhi

    JFF 2025 returns with its 13th Edition, beginning 4 September in Delhi

    MUMBAI: The Jagran Film Festival (JFF), celebrated as the world’s largest traveling film festival, returns with its 13th edition, carrying forward its philosophy of Good Cinema for Everyone. Presented by Rajnigandha, the festival will kickstart on 4 September in Delhi, travel across 14 cities, and culminate in Mumbai on 16 November, making it India’s largest and most far-reaching cinematic celebration.

    Since its inception, the Jagran Film Festival (JFF) has become a landmark celebration of storytelling, cultural exchange, and cinematic excellence. This year, JFF pays tribute to cinematic legends with special celebrations including the centenary of Guru Dutt, 50 years of Shabana Azmi in cinema, 50 years of the iconic film  Sholay, and more. It also honours industry stalwarts Shyam Benegal, Manoj Kumar, Shaji N. Karun, and Pritish Nandy for their lasting contributions to Indian cinema.

    Guided by mentors like Subhash Ghai, Khusboo Sundar, Adil Hussain, and A. Sreekar Prasad, and curated by Srinivasa Santhanam, Anupama Bose, and Premendra Mazumdar, JFF 2025 will feature engaging conversations with some of the industry’s finest, including, Shabana Azmi, Shilpa Shetty, R. Balki, Jaideep Ahlawat, Shruti Mahajan, Amit Sadh, Vineet Kumar Singh, among others.

    As it journeys through 14 cities — Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Meerut, Agra, Ranchi, Patna, Hisar, Ludhiana, Gorakhpur, Dehradun, and Mumbai — each location will host exclusive premieres, retrospectives, masterclasses, and in-conversation sessions with acclaimed filmmakers, actors, and storytellers.

    Speaking about the festival, Jagran Prakashan Ltd. Sr. VP – strategy and brand development, Basant Rathore shared, “Jagran Film Festival has grown into one of India’s most inclusive and far-reaching cultural movements, celebrating the legacy of Indian cinema while embracing bold, global narratives. With every edition, we reaffirm our belief in the power of cinema to provoke thought, inspire change, and build cultural bridges. The 2025 festival continues this legacy—amplifying bold voices, timeless stories, and emerging perspectives from across the globe. At Dainik Jagran, our purpose has always been to awaken and unite, and through JFF, we champion stories that speak across generations, geographies, and genres.”