Who moved where: The broadcast leadership churn that shaped 2025

The year 2025 has witnessed a remarkable wave of leadership changes across India’s broadcast sector, with major appointments, exits, and role shuffles redefining the strategic and operational landscape of television, digital, and sports media. From veteran stalwarts to emerging leaders, the industry saw significant movements that reflect both continuity and reinvention, setting the stage for transformative growth in the coming years. Notable figures such as Gaurav Banerjee, Sanjog Gupta, Kevin Vaz, and several others took center stage, reinforcing the dynamism of India’s media ecosystem.

Sony Pictures Networks India

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) saw several key exits and appointments this year. The latest departure from SPNI is of Danish Khan, Business Head of SonyLIV, who will exit the company by March 31, 2026, ending over 20 years of service. Khan played a pivotal role in scaling Sony LIV, building Studio NXT, and delivering iconic TV and digital properties. Tushar Shah, CMO and Business Head, also stepped down in November, marking a key leadership movement after driving brand refresh, regional growth, and profitable movie and FTA portfolios over 19 years.

Soha D Kulkarni, Vice President and Creative Director–Fiction Programming, exited in September after 8.5 years, having led Sony Marathi’s fiction slate. An e4m Content 40 Under 40 awardee, she brings over 18 years of content experience, including stints at Zee and Balaji Telefilms. Sandeep Mehrotra, Head of Ad Sales – Network Channels, quit in July due to personal reasons after transforming sales strategy, driving growth, and building strategic partnerships.

SPNI also strengthened its leadership team with key appointments. Gautam Jain joined Sony SAB as Content Lead in August, bringing experience from Amenic Entertainment, Ormax Media, and Mirchi Movies. Suvonkar Banerjee became Creative Director of Studio NEXT in March, joining from Disney+ Hotstar to strengthen digital content. Rajaraman S was appointed Head of Content Strategy in January, leveraging over two decades of experience from Disney Star and Viacom18.

In marketing and business leadership, Parinda Singh took charge as Head of Marketing for the Hindi Movie Cluster and Sony Marathi in January, bringing experience from Amazon Prime Video, BCCL, and Star TV Network. Ambesh Tiwari assumed the role of Business Head for Kids and Animation on January 1, succeeding Leena Lele Dutta, with a background across Sony YAY!, TVF, Zee, Viacom18, and Star India.

JioStar

JioStar also saw multiple strategic changes. GR Arun Kumar was appointed CFO in December, bringing nearly three decades of experience across Unilever, Vedanta, GE, and OLA to lead finance and commercial functions.

Sahil Chopra was elevated to Vice President, Consumer Marketing at JioHotstar in November, bringing 14 years of experience across D2C and growth marketing. Mahesh Shetty became Head of Revenue, Entertainment in July, overseeing monetisation across JioStar’s TV, digital and international platforms. NP Singh and Bharat N Anand were appointed Independent Directors in July, bringing decades of broadcast, digital and academic expertise.

Deepak Luthra took over as Revenue Head of Branded Content, Entertainment in April, overseeing TV and JioHotstar. Ishan Chatterjee was appointed CEO – Sports & Live Experiences in July, in addition to his previous role, with prior experience at Google, McKinsey, and Hindustan Unilever. Seethalakshmi V Iyer became Senior Vice President- Entertainment Ad Sales (Tamil & Malayalam Cluster) in December, while Vivek Mohan Sharma was appointed Business Head of Youth, Music, and English Cluster in February.

Kingshuk Mitra stepped down in October as Head of Impact Properties, Agency Partnerships, Measurement, and Branded Content, having played a key role in brand partnerships and monetisation. Shhri Ram also exited in October as Director of Brand Marketing at Colors Kannada, bringing 13 years of experience across media, brand strategy, and digital transformation.

ZEEL

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) / ZEE5 / ZEE Studios also underwent key leadership changes. Ashish Sehgal stepped down as Chief Growth Officer in August and joined Times Network as CEO of Times TV Network and CGO of Times Media & Entertainment in December. Samrat Ghosh resigned as Chief Cluster Officer - East, North & Premium Cluster in September. Siju Prabhakaran was appointed Chief Business Officer of ZEE5 in September, while Laxmi Shetty was elevated to Head - Advertisement Revenue, Broadcast & Digital in August.

Karishma Kakar became Associate Director – Marketing at ZEE Studios in November, Priyanka Awasthi was appointed Director – Content Strategy & Planning at ZEEL in June, and Lloyd C Xavier was promoted to Senior Vice President – Marketing and Business Head - Tamil & Malayalam at ZEE5 in June. Raghuveer Singh became Vice President – Social Media & Content Marketing at ZEE5 in May. Rohit Suri was appointed Chief Human Resources Officer at ZEE in May. Shiva Chinnasamy, Chief Technology & Product Officer, quit in January 2025. Vikram Chande was appointed National Sales Head – Digital at ZEE5 in January, and Shaurya Sharma was named Head of Marketing – Vice President at Zee TV in May 2025.

Prasar Bharati/Doordarshan saw Navneet Kumar Sehgal resign as Chairman on December 2, 2025. K Sathish Namboodiripad was appointed Director General of Doordarshan in February for a three-year term.

Hungama Digital Media Entertainment witnessed the exit of Sidharth Roy as CEO in December, while B4U Network appointed Hemlata Yederi as Chief Revenue Officer in October. At Shemaroo Entertainment, Anuja Trivedi was promoted to Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer in August, overseeing Marketing and the Central Strategy team. Sun TV Network appointed Pavan Kumar Allada as Head of Corporate Strategy in August.

Industry bodies also witnessed significant movements. Kevin Vaz was appointed and re-elected President of the Indian Digital Media Industry Foundation (IDMIF), while Avinash Pandey was elected Vice President. Gaurav Banerjee, MD & CEO of SPNI, was appointed Chairman of CII’s National Council on Media & Entertainment for 2025-26 and also Chairman of BARC in August. Anirudhsinh Jadeja, MD of GTPL Hathway, was appointed President of the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) in June.

Neeraj Vyas as CEO of Bhanushali Studios in February 2025, Harshad Wadadekar as Director, Syndication & Partnerships at Enterr10 Television in January, and Sanjog Gupta as CEO of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in July.

The year 2025 has thus seen a flurry of strategic leadership movements across broadcasters, digital platforms, and industry bodies, reflecting the sector’s focus on growth, monetisation, and innovation amid an evolving media landscape.

Note: The names in this story have not been mentioned in any particular order