Television
SPNI’s CHRO Manu Wadhwa transitions to strategy advisor role
After seven years reshaping the broadcaster’s people agenda, Manu Wadhwa steps back from the front line
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) is shifting its chief human resources officer, Manu Wadhwa, into a strategy advisor role from 1st July 2026, as the broadcaster begins hunting for her replacement.
Wadhwa has spent seven years at SPNI, a period that was anything but quiet. She steered the company’s people function through leadership transitions, structural overhauls and a broader push to make the organisation leaner and more performance-driven. Her work touched everything from aligning HR more tightly with business strategy, to modernising how the company assesses and rewards talent, to embedding a culture that holds inclusion and performance in the same hand.
She arrives at this new chapter with a CV that spans some of the world’s most demanding corporate environments, having held senior leadership roles at GE, American Express and Coca-Cola. That global grounding, SPNI says, helped shape the broadcaster into a more agile operation.
In her advisory capacity, Wadhwa will work alongside the leadership team on strategic priorities, drawing on her institutional knowledge of an organisation that reaches over 700 million viewers in India across 28 channels, and is available in more than 150 countries.
Gaurav Banerjee, managing director and chief executive of SPNI, was measured but warm in his assessment. “Manu has been an integral part of SPNI’s evolution over the past several years, helping strengthen both our organisational framework and culture,” he said. “As we move into the next phase of our journey, her experience and perspective will continue to be valuable in her role as strategy advisor.”
Wadhwa, for her part, struck a reflective note. “SPNI has been an incredibly meaningful part of my journey over the past several years, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have contributed to its evolution during a period of significant change,” she said. “As I transition into this new role, I look forward to continuing to work closely with the leadership team on strategic priorities and supporting the organisation’s next phase of growth.”
SPNI says the search for a new chief human resources officer is now under way, with further details to follow. Whoever steps into Wadhwa’s shoes will inherit a function she spent seven years rebuilding from the inside out. That is a tough act to follow.
Sports
Pluckk partners Pickleball Maharashtra Open 2026 as freshness partner
Event from 1 to 3 May in Mumbai to feature clean-label food and experience zone.
MUMBAI: Game, set, snack because even the fastest rallies need a fresh refill. Pluckk, a fresh food-focused digital brand, has been named the Official Freshness Partner for the Pickleball Maharashtra Open 2026, set to take place from 1 to 3 May at the Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai. Organised by the Maharashtra Pickleball Association, the tournament brings together a growing community around one of India’s fastest-rising sports.
As part of the partnership, Pluckk will introduce an on-ground ‘Experience Zone’, offering athletes and attendees access to quick, clean and functional food options throughout the three-day event. The spread will include 100 per cent natural tender coconut water, cold-pressed juices and plant-based protein bars, all positioned as no-added-sugar, no-preservative alternatives.
The collaboration reflects a broader shift in sports culture, where nutrition is becoming as central as performance. Pickleball’s rapid rise from a niche pastime to a fitness-driven community sport has created space for brands to plug into lifestyle narratives beyond the game itself.
For Pluckk, the association is as much about visibility as it is about positioning. By embedding itself within an active sports ecosystem, the brand is pitching fresh, clean eating as a seamless extension of movement, recovery and everyday wellness.
With the Maharashtra Pickleball Association aiming to expand the sport’s reach and engagement, the addition of nutrition-led experiences adds another layer to the event’s appeal. And for players and spectators alike, the message is clear: staying energised on court now comes with a side of clean convenience.
