Music and Youth
Viacom18 names Ferzad Palia as head of Youth & English Entertainment
MUMBAI: Viacom18 English Entertainment cluster head Ferzad Palia has been given additional responsibility as head of the network’s Youth Entertainment cluster. The move comes in the wake of Viacom 18 EVP and MTV & MTV Indies business head Aditya Swamy’s recent departure.
Along with handling the network’s English entertainment channels Vh1, Comedy Central and Colors Infinity, Palia will now also be heading the Youth Entertainment cluster comprising MTV and the indie platform Pepsi MTV Indies.
Viacom18 group CEO Sudhanshu Vats said, “Appointing Ferzad as the head of Youth Entertainment, along with being a logical move for us – considering his extensive experience in broadcast, is also a strategic one as we drive further synergies between Youth Entertainment and English Entertainment. Ferzad has been instrumental in transforming the English Entertainment landscape in India with Vh1, Comedy Central and Colors Infinity and I’m sure he will take both MTV and Pepsi MTV Indies to new heights of success.”
Palia added, “MTV, is an iconic brand and it’s my pleasure to have been appointed to take it further on its journey to success. Pepsi MTV Indies with its pulse on the indie subculture in India has been a key driver of change and I’m really looking forward to working closely with the team on it. It’s a new and exciting role for me and I’m really looking forward to creating interesting brand customisations for the youth demographic while driving growth for both, Youth and English entertainment brands at Viacom18.”
MUMBAI: Mumbai is about to witness something it has never seen before. The Global Youth Festival arrives on 6-7 December at Jio World Garden with 15,000 attendees and 60-plus experiences sprawled across six sprawling arenas. On its sixth edition, this is no ordinary jamboree—it is a carefully orchestrated collision of wellness, adventure, arts, music, yoga and social change.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis will throw open the proceedings with a landmark ceremony, signalling the state’s backing for a movement that has already mobilised youth across 20-plus countries and 170-plus cities. The sheer scale is staggering: 500-plus volunteers powering the machine, 600,000-plus volunteer hours logged across previous editions, and millions of lives touched annually.
The speaker roster is formidable. Diipa Büller-Khosla and Dipali Goenka, chief executive of Welspun India, will share the stage with Malaika Arora in conversations spanning leadership, creativity and culture. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mansukhbhai Mandaviya will also attend, reinforcing GYF’s reach into the corridors of power.
But this is not mere talk. The Solaris Mainstage promises concerts from renowned Indian artists. Innerverse delivers a 360-degree LED spectacle of art, technology and sound. The Love and Care Arena houses hands-on projects spanning women’s empowerment, child education, rural upliftment and animal welfare. India’s largest outdoor sound-healing experience awaits. An inflatable obstacle course, neon drifter karts and open-sky bouldering cater to thrill-seekers.
Some have branded GYF the “Coachella of Consciousness.” Others call it “India’s Largest Sober Festival.” Spiritual visionary Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, who inspired the festival, will deliver the Wisdom Masterclass. Every rupee goes to charity.
After Mumbai comes Kolkata on 14 December. New York looms next year. For one weekend in December, Mumbai becomes the epicentre of youth-driven change—and nothing will be quite the same after.
Tickets available on BookMyShow. Visit youthfestival.srmd.org or follow @globalyouthfestival on Instagram.
