GECs
Zee rises to the occasion as R.I.S.E Mysuru sparks brand momentum
MUMBAI: If Mysuru needed a spark, Zee made sure it got a full-blown power surge. The broadcaster’s marquee multi-city initiative R.I.S.E rolled into the cultural capital with an edition that blended insight, imagination and industry muscle and kept marketers talking long after the lights dimmed.
Carrying forward the momentum of earlier chapters across Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Coimbatore and Pune, the Mysuru edition drew marketers, entrepreneurs, brand custodians and regional business leaders for an evening built on collaboration and future-facing brand strategy. True to its format, the gathering unpacked how ‘Z’s holistic advertising ecosystem spanning 50 plus TV channels, Zee5, Youtube, social platforms, influencer networks and regional IPs is engineered to help brands scale meaningfully in an India that is evolving by the minute.
The evening opened with Zee head of advertisement revenue for broadcast & digital Laxmi Shetty who spotlighted the growing weight of the Z omnichannel infrastructure, a stack that now blends content, data, creativity and distribution to deliver sharper, value-first outcomes for advertisers.
What followed was a brisk carousel of business wisdom.
Eagle 10 Ventures general partner Suchindra Kanakanapalya broke down the anatomy of capital-attracting business models, while VilCart, Founder & CEO Prasanna Kumar C decoded the untapped power and operational nuance of rural markets.
Manufacturing insights came from Sparsh Masala managing director Deeksha S Kumar who spoke of resilience and leadership, and Madhu Chandan, Founder & CEO of Organic Mandya, who offered a grounded narrative on purpose-driven entrepreneurship rooted in local impact.
Food category playbooks took centre stage with Vinay Gopinath, chief growth officer at Adukale, who traced the path to scaling consumer brands through insight-led innovation. Rounding out the ecosystem deep-dive were Rajnish Gupta (chief sales officer, South Cluster) and Ravi Mayank (national sales head, Kannada Cluster), who dissected ‘Z’s customised packages and omnichannel strength showing how regional nuance plus digital precision can drive measurable returns.
Speaking about the Mysuru chapter, Laxmi Shetty said, “Mysuru has always been a hub of creativity, culture and emerging enterprise, and R.I.S.E is our way of channelling that energy into actionable growth pathways. We’re not just offering media solutions, we’re building an integrated growth engine that unites content, data and distribution to unlock meaningful scale.”
Conceptualised as a flagship trust-building initiative, R.I.S.E positions ‘Z’ as a partner in growth, equipping businesses with the tools to translate media investments into measurable outcomes. It also functions as a rare confluence point for India’s marketing ecosystem uniting brand builders, VCs, retail forces, digital disruptors and SMEs looking to scale, sharpen and innovate.
With the Mysuru edition, Zee has tightened its grip on India’s expanding advertiser landscape, doubling down on regional engagement and reaffirming its push towards innovation-led, future-ready advertising.
In a market where attention is fragmented and ambition is soaring, R.I.S.E Mysuru proved one thing unmistakably, sometimes, elevation is all about the company you keep and the ecosystem that lifts you.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
