MAM
L&K Saatchi & Saatchi appoints Balakrishna Gajelli as executive creative director
Mumbai: L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, part of Publicis Groupe India, has appointed Balakrishna Gajelli as its executive creative director. He will be based in the agency’s Mumbai office and report to L&K Saatchi & Saatchi’s CCO Kartik Smetacek.
With over 17 years of experience encompassing art, design, branding & creative direction in advertising, Gajelli has crafted creative communications for renowned brands such as P&G, VISA, Bumble, Johnson’s Baby, Pillsbury, Amul, Tata Salt, Tata Indicom, Idea Mobile, ITC Foods, Crompton, and many others.
His outstanding contributions and wide-ranging expertise in the advertising and marketing field earned him a place among top 5 creative directors globally in The Big Won report for 2016. Additionally, he has been recognized as the #1 Hottest Creative in India by the Campaign Brief Asia Creative Ranking. Previously, Bala has worked with FCB Ulka, BBDO India and Leo Burnett India.
Commenting on his appointment, Smetaceki said, “This will be the second time I’m working with Bala. He’s a solid thinker, a talented designer and a trustworthy individual. In recent years, he’s also gained a lot of experience with non-traditional work, working on some on India’s most awarded campaigns. It’s fantastic to have him be part of our team.”
Gajelli added, “I have great respect for L&K Saatchi & Saatchi’s creative, authentic, and brand centric approach so I am thrilled to be part of this organisation. It’s great to work with Kartik again, and the agency’s vibrant culture and uplifting environment are plus points. I’m enthusiastic about becoming a valued member of this team and family, contributing to an exhilarating new phase for L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, and nurturing my professional development. I eagerly anticipate leveraging the insights gained from my previous stints and experiences to craft meaningful and innovative advertising and marketing solutions for our clients.”
Bala’s work has won the highest honours at Cannes Lions, Cannes Lions, D&AD, One Show, LIA, WARC, New York Festival, AdFest, SpikesAsia, APAC Effies & Abbys.
Brands
TV bills on the rise: JioStar, Sony, and Zee crank up prices by 10 per cent
Broadcasters tune into higher tariffs as JioStar, Sony, and Zee reveal new prices
MUMBAI: If you were hoping for a cheaper night in front of the telly next year, you might want to look away from the remote. India’s broadcasting giants are flipping the script on pricing, with JioStar, Sony, and Zee all tuning into a new frequency of higher tariffs. Ahead of the 2026 financial year, the Big Three have released their updated Reference Interconnect Offers (RIOs), signalling a collective push that will see most monthly bills rise by roughly 10 per cent.
The synchronised move suggests that broadcasters are testing the price elasticity of their audience. In simpler terms, they are betting that your love for daily soaps and live sports is stronger than your annoyance at a slightly lighter wallet.
Sony is making a particularly bold play in the High Definition space. If you enjoy the crispness of Sony Entertainment Television HD or Sony SAB HD, your monthly bill for those channels will jump from 25 rupees to 30 rupees. The same 30-rupee price tag now applies to their sports heavyweights, including Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 2, Sony Sports Ten 3 Hindi, and Sony Sports Ten 5.
However, Sony is also expanding its horizons. Fans of regional content have new arrivals to look forward to, provided they are patient. Sony Sports Ten 4 Kannada is slated for an April 2026 debut, while Sony Vizha and Sony Vizha HD are expected by June. By August, Sony Telugu and Sony Telugu HD should be live. To keep customers sweet until then, Sony is offering “proportionate discounts.” For instance, the Happy India 2026 Smart Tamil bouquet, normally 42 rupees, will cost just 29.91 rupees until the new Vizha channel officially joins the party.
On the standard definition front, Sony is keeping its “strategic mass price” at 19 rupees for big hitters like Sony Max, Sony Marathi, and Sony Aath. Smaller channels see minor tweaks: Sony Max 2 is nudging up from 2 rupees to 3 rupees, while Sony Yay! sits at 6 rupees and Sony Max 1 remains at 5 rupees.
Zee Entertainment is also getting in on the act with a comprehensive 10 percent hike. Their flagship Standard Definition channels, such as Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Zee Marathi, Zee Bangla, Zee Sarthak, Zee Kannada, and Zee Tamil, are all locked in at 19 rupees. Interestingly, they have matched this 19-rupee price point for many of their HD versions too, including &TV and &Pictures.
For those who prefer the all-you-can-eat bouquet approach, Zee’s All-in-One Hindi SD pack has risen to 58 rupees. Their Marathi and Bangla packs are now 64 rupees, while the Southern trio of Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu SD packs will set you back 85 rupees. If you want those same Southern packs in glorious HD, the price climbs to a steeper 131 rupees. Zee is also shuffling its deck by exiting English entertainment but entering the sports arena, with Zee Cafe and &flix seeing price adjustments to 7 and 8 rupees respectively.
JioStar is perhaps the most aggressive of the bunch when it comes to regional favourites. While they have kept core Hindi staples like Star Plus, Colors, and Star Gold at 19 rupees, they have pushed premium regional channels like Asianet, Colors Kannada, Vijay TV, and Maa TV up to 30 rupees. This move is significant because any channel priced over 19 rupees cannot be included in a discounted bouquet, meaning fans of these channels will have to buy them separately, potentially driving up the total cost of a monthly subscription.
Even the youngsters aren’t spared, with kids’ favourites like Nick SD and Nick HD+ now priced at 19 rupees. As we head towards April 2026, the ball is now in the court of the cable and dish operators. They must decide how much of these increases they can swallow and how much they will pass on to the person holding the remote. For the average viewer, the message is clear: premium content is getting a premium price tag.
