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Hungama Digital announces the list of 50 women Game Changers 2023
Mumbai: Hungama Digital Media, digital entertainment company, unveils the honourees of its initiative, Hungama Game Changers – 2023. The 50 professionals bestowed with the recognition as game changers hail from the industries of music, video, and gaming. By recognising and celebrating the remarkable achievements of these change-makers, Game Changers also serves as a powerful platform to showcase them as role models for aspiring young women. Through this initiative, Hungama Digital aims to remain committed to igniting a chain of inspiration for the next generation of women to challenge the status quo and pursue their dreams without limitations.
The achievers for 2023 were chosen by a multi-faceted advisory panel through several rounds of selection. The panel included Discovery Communications India MD Megha Tata, Google Play ex business head Kanan Rai, Hindi Film producer Ashvini Yardi, music director Merlin D’souza, Poet, Journalist and Music curator, Arranger, Composer Nirmika Singh, Hungama Digital Media VP Raunaq Roy, Preeta Sukhtankar – Founder, The Label Life, Soumini Sridhara Paul – Sr Vice President, Hungama Digital Media and Director of Design, Zynga Poornima Seetharaman.
Speaking on the winners Hungama Digital Media founder and MD Neeraj Roy said, “As we celebrate the achievement of these 50 exceptional women who have shattered the glass ceilings and inspired a generation, let’s remember that progress for women means progress for all of us. Their incredible achievement in the entertainment industry, from music to gaming, are paving the way for future generations of women to follow in their footsteps. With their creativity, passion, and drive, they are proving that there are no limits to what women can accomplish. To all the 50 extraordinary women, congratulations on your well-deserved recognition and I wish you continued success and more power!”
Megha Tata said, “It was an absolute pleasure to be part of the jury for Hungama Women Game Changers 2023 and witness the exceptional achievements of these remarkable women. Their relentless pursuit of success is truly inspiring and serves as a shining example of the tremendous potential that women possess. As we celebrate their accomplishments, let us also recognize the obstacles they have overcome and the barriers they continue to break. Together, let’s continue to empower and support women in their pursuit of excellence.”
Adding on, Poornima Seetharaman shared, “By recognizing and honouring women for their excellence, we are creating a culture of inclusivity and diversity, where talent and hard work are the only parameters for success. I am proud to be on the advisory panel of the Hungama Women Game Changers, an initiative that recognizes these empowering women who overcome challenges and unleash their full potential. Let us continue to support and encourage more women to make a mark in their respective fields and create a brighter future for all.”
Hungama, recently launched the first season of a podcast series with the ‘Women Game Changers 2022’, a deep dive into their success stories. Stay tuned for Season 2, with more empowering stories that will inspire, motivate, and showcase the limitless potential of women.
The Women Game Changers of 2023 are:
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Meta plans 8,000 layoffs in new AI-led restructuring wave
First phase from May 20 may cut 10 per cent workforce amid AI pivot.
MUMBAI: At Meta, the future may be artificial but the cuts are very real. The social media giant is reportedly preparing a fresh round of layoffs, with an initial wave expected to impact around 8,000 employees as it doubles down on its artificial intelligence ambitions. According to a Reuters report, the first phase of job cuts is slated to begin on May 20, targeting roughly 10 per cent of Meta’s global workforce. With nearly 79,000 employees on its rolls as of December 31, the move marks one of the company’s most significant workforce reductions in recent years.
And this may only be the beginning. Sources indicate that additional layoffs are being planned for the second half of the year, although the scale and timing remain fluid, likely to be shaped by how Meta’s AI capabilities evolve in the coming months. Earlier reports had suggested that total cuts in 2026 could reach 20 per cent or more of its workforce.
The restructuring comes as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg continues to steer the company towards an AI-first operating model, committing hundreds of billions of dollars to the transition. Internally, this shift is already visible: teams within Reality Labs have been reorganised, engineers have been moved into a newly formed Applied AI unit, and a Meta Small Business division has been created to align with broader structural changes.
The trend is hardly isolated. Across the tech sector, companies are trimming headcount while investing aggressively in automation. Amazon, for instance, has reportedly cut around 30,000 corporate roles nearly 10 per cent of its white-collar workforce citing efficiency gains driven by AI. Data from Layoffs.fyi shows over 73,000 tech employees have already lost jobs this year, compared with 153,000 in all of 2024.
For Meta, the move echoes its earlier “year of efficiency” in 2022–23, when about 21,000 roles were eliminated amid slowing growth and market pressures. This time, however, the backdrop is different. The company is financially stronger, generating over $200 billion in revenue and $60 billion in profit last year, with shares up 3.68 per cent year-to-date though still below last summer’s peak.
That contrast underlines the shift underway. These layoffs are less about survival and more about reinvention. As Meta restructures itself around AI from autonomous coding agents to advanced machine learning systems, the question is no longer whether the company will change, but how many roles will be left unchanged when it does.
