Leena Lele Dutta quits as SPNI's EVP & Business Head, Ambesh Tiwari to take over

Leena Lele Dutta has stepped down as EVP & Business Head, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI).

Leena Lele Dutta, who has spearheaded the portfolio—including the kids' linear channel Sony YAY! — since its launch in 2017, will step down as Business Head towards the end of this fiscal year. Succeeding Leena in this role is Ambesh Tiwari, who recently joined Sony YAY! as Business Operations Head. With extensive experience across Star India, Life OK, and Zee Entertainment—where he played a pivotal role in launching Zee Keralam and Zee Punjabi—Ambesh is well-prepared to lead Sony YAY! into its next chapter. His academic credentials, including an MBA from the University of Oxford, Young India Fellowship from Ashoka University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Media Law and Public Policy from NALSAR University, further enhance his readiness for this role, stated a press reelase.

Dutta’s journey through the Indian Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry spans over two decades and is marked by her ability to build business units, lead strategic growth initiatives, and navigate the complexities of content distribution. She has held leadership positions in some of the industry’s top companies, and her experience includes managing content licensing, business launches, and leading the development of new media opportunities.

Dutta's career started with Sony Entertainment Television in 1995, where she joined as a marketing executive to facilitate the channel’s launch. After a year, she transitioned into advertising sales, where she was responsible for achieving revenue targets, managing airtime sales, and ensuring smooth billing and collection processes. Her success in advertising sales provided her with a strong foundation in media sales, preparing her for the more complex leadership roles she would later take on.

From Sony Entertainment Television, she moved to MTV Networks India in 1999, where she worked as an Account Manager in Ad Sales for two years. Her contributions helped expand the brand’s reach and attract non-youth clients, increasing both revenue and market share.

In 2002, Dutta took on a new challenge as Vice President of Sales at Ten Sports India, where she was one of the founding employees. She was responsible for securing sponsorships and ad sales for key sports events, including the FIFA World Cup 2002, India’s cricket tours of Pakistan and the West Indies, and WWE events. Her ability to deliver results under pressure made her a key player in Ten Sports’ rapid growth and success in the Indian market.

In 2007, Dutta joined Sony Pictures Television as Vice President of Content Distribution for India and South Asia. In this role, she led the distribution of Sony Pictures' feature films, TV content, and digital assets across multiple platforms, excluding theatrical distribution. During this period, the digital and OTT space was still emerging, and she played a significant role in exploring these new media avenues for Sony’s content. She also developed co-production opportunities to export Indian content to Sony's international markets.

After nearly nine years with Sony Pictures Television, Leena returned to Sony Pictures Networks India in 2016 as Executive Vice President & Business Head of the Animation and Kids Business. In this capacity, she became part of SPN’s Senior Leadership Team, responsible for overseeing the Kids Business portfolio, including the popular kids' channel Sony YAY!

Dutta held P&L responsibility for the entire kids' division and drove the strategic direction for content creation, distribution, and monetization. She has been instrumental in growing the channel’s viewership, engaging young audiences, and building strong advertising and distribution partnerships.

In addition to overseeing the Kids Business, she also led Sony’s Animation Studio and the IP creation team, focusing on producing high-quality animation for both domestic and international audiences.