MAM
PNB MetLife JBC creates history: Over 41K participants, 28K matches in seven editions
Mumbai: PNB MetLife Junior Badminton Championship (JBC) has concluded its seventh edition with unprecedented success, achieving a spectacular World Record recognised by the World Record Certification Agency (WRCA). The seventh edition secured the prestigious title of the ‘Most kids participating in a Badminton Championship in multiple cities,’ surpassing its own record set in 2022.
Launched in 2015, PNB MetLife JBC has evolved into one of the nation’s largest annual open platforms for young badminton enthusiasts, engaging over 41,000 participants in more than 28,000 matches over the past seven editions. The success of PNB MetLife JBC is attributed to well-planned and executed marketing efforts, contributing to the growing anticipation around the event each year.
Record-Breaking Journey: From its humble beginnings in 2015 across four cities, the championship has expanded exponentially, covering 10 cities in the latest seventh edition. The anticipation builds annually as players and badminton enthusiasts eagerly await this iconic event, contributing to its growing popularity. The seventh edition witnessed the extraordinary participation of 8257 young champions, reflecting the championship’s commitment to fostering badminton talent at the grassroots level.
Asian Games Gold Medallists as Mentors: The 2023 edition saw the inclusion of Asian Games Gold Medallists, Chirag Shetty & Satwik Rankireddy, who have recently been nominated for the Khel Ratna as PNB MetLife JBC mentors. Their invaluable guidance and expertise significantly contributed to the championship’s success, inspiring young talents to aim for excellence and enhancing the event’s prestige.
Beyond records and numbers, JBC remains a significant platform for aspiring young badminton players. Initiatives like the JBC Boot Camp, an online badminton academy offering tutorial videos by renowned coaches and badminton players, including U. Vimal Kumar, Vijay Lancy, Anup Sridhar, and JBC Mentors Satwik & Chirag covering topics such as badminton techniques, mental ability, fitness, and nutrition. These tutorial videos from badminton stalwarts provide young athletes with professional training across three levels – Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced.
Another initiative introduced was the JBC Virtual Dugout. This initiative was launched during COVID-19 and allowed young shuttlers to directly connect with the top badminton players and experts from the safety of their homes and seek advice and tips on how to stay fit and practice their skills to come back strong post-lockdown. These experts also encouraged the young athletes to ‘Eat Right, Play Hard’ and offered advice on how to retain focus and mental strength.
PNB MetLife MD and CEO Ashish K Srivastava expressed, “The PNB MetLife Junior Badminton Championship has evolved into a catalyst for talent development in badminton, nurturing emerging athletes into future stars. The extraordinary feat of securing the World Record for the highest number of participating kids in a badminton championship for two consecutive years underscores our commitment to shaping the future of badminton in India. As we look ahead to future editions, our focus remains on promoting sports and youth development on a broader scale, actively contributing to the growth and well-being of young athletes across the country.”
PNB MetLife head of marketing Sourabh Lohtia added, “As we celebrate the success of the seventh edition of JBC, our commitment to expanding its reach and impact in the future remains strong. The journey from a modest 300 registrations in 2015 to shattering the world record with 8255 participants in the 2023 edition illustrates the escalating interest from aspiring shuttlers, emphasizing the prominent standing PNB MetLife JBC has achieved. We are confident in the continued success of JBC and anticipate even larger participation from young shuttlers in future editions.”
Rewarding Excellence: In the seventh season, Rs 30 Lakhs were awarded to the young champions across ten cities, reflecting PNB MetLife’s dedication towards creating a platform that is centred around identifying, nurturing, and supporting emerging talents in the Olympic sport of badminton, furthering the mission to safeguard and empower Indian aspirations at the world stage.
Overview of PNB MetLife’s JBC Journey:
- 2015: Launched with 4 cities, witnessing over 3000 registrations.
- 2016: Expanded to 8 cities, with 5500 registrations.
- 2017: Reached 10 cities, with over 5800 registrations.
- 2018-2019: Continued growth, expanding to 10 cities and attracting over 8000 and 9500 registrations respectively.
- 2019: JBC Boot Camp launched, offering online training modules by renowned coaches and players.
- 2022: Expanded reach to 12 cities, attracting over 8000 registrations.
- 2023: Covered 10 cities, attracting 8257 participants.
- Overall: Since its inception in 2015, PNB MetLife JBC has engaged over 49,000 participants, with over 34,000 matches played.
At PNB MetLife, we believe that physical fitness is as important as the fiscal fitness of individuals. We work not only to help our consumers realize their financial goals but also to attain a healthy way of living.
As PNB MetLife continues its journey to promote badminton excellence, the seventh edition of JBC stands as a testament to the championship’s evolution and its pivotal role in shaping the future of Indian badminton.
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
