MAM
Airtel exits Champions T20 League as title sponsor
MUMBAI: Airtel has exited the Champions T20 League as the title sponsor, exercising its review option after two years.
Nokia is likely to take up Airtel‘s place, sources familiar with the development said. Nokia is also a sponsor of the Kolkata Knight Riders IPL team.
ESPN Star Sports, the official broadcaster for the multi-nation club tournament, is also in talks with two other advertisers.
“We are in talks with a telecom player, a handset manufacturer and a real estate player. We will be firming up the deal soon,” a source in the company said.
Airtel‘s five-year deal was worth Rs 1.70 billion. “They had the right to review the deal after two years,” the source added.
The Champions T20 League takes place this year from 23 September- 9 October. Before this event, there will be a qualifying tournament featuring among other teams the Kolkata Knight Riders. If the Shah Rukh Khan owned franchise gets through, then there will be four Indian Premier League (IPL) teams in the event.
MAM
Huella Services appoints Pankajj Rai as vice president – Ad sales
Media veteran with 18 years experience to lead monetisation and partnerships.
MUMBAI: When the ad game gets smarter, companies often look for someone who knows how to sell the story behind the screen. Huella Services has appointed Pankajj Rai as vice president for Ad sales, a move aimed at strengthening the company’s advertising and monetisation strategy as it expands its technology-led media offerings.
Rai brings over 18 years of experience across broadcast and digital media and will oversee monetisation initiatives for Newsroom AI, while also helping shape Huella’s next phase of development in interactive and AI-led advertising solutions.
Based in Delhi NCR, he will work closely with the founders and leadership team to align product capabilities with market needs, while driving partner development and go-to-market strategies for the company’s advertising platforms.
Rai’s career spans senior roles across some of India’s prominent media organisations. Before joining Huella, he served as business head for Wion and Zee Business at Zee Media Corporation. Earlier, he was national sales head at QYOU Media, where he led commercial partnerships and advertising growth.
His experience also includes managing commercial operations for major television brands such as Zee TV, Zee Cinema and Zee Bollywood, with responsibilities spanning North and East India.
Commenting on the appointment, Huella, co-founder and CEO Prrincey Roy said the company is strengthening its leadership team as it prepares for the next phase of growth.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Pankajj at a time when Huella is expanding both its portfolio and ambition. His depth of experience and strategic lens make him an invaluable addition as we build not just better products, but better outcomes for our partners and brands,” Roy said.
Huella Services is currently building technology driven advertising platforms that integrate AI powered content ecosystems with brand engagement, reflecting a broader shift in the media industry towards data driven and interactive advertising formats.
With Rai now leading ad sales and monetisation, the company aims to deepen relationships with advertisers while scaling its AI driven media products in an increasingly competitive digital advertising landscape.
