MAM
Ajay Trigunayat bids adieu to Times Television Network
MUMBAI: Not too long ago we at indiantelevision.com were the first to report that the former Disney UTV Media Networks MD MK Anand will be taking over as the new MD and CEO of Times Television Network (TTN), stepping into Sunil Lulla’s shoes.
Well, now news is that TTN English entertainment channels CEO Ajay Trigunayat has called it a day. Sources close to the network have revealed that Trigunayat will be shortly moving on from the Times Group and is currently ensuring that the transition is smooth for his team.
The source reveals that there will be centralisation of functions now. While earlier all the functions like – HR, finance, distribution, legal, among other things, reported to Times Now, ET Now and Zoom CEO Avinash Kaul, they will now be directly reporting to M K Anand.
Plans are also afoot for getting in a network sales head, currently for the English cluster (Movies Now and Romedy Now). The network has undergone some major reshuffling. While it has appointed Mandeep Singh as network sales head; Movies Now head of sales for north Arunabh Madhur, will now take charge of national sales for the channel. Not only this, Movies Now head of sales for west Siddharth Chopra has been elevated to Romedy Now national sales head.
“Both these individuals have been around since the inception of Movies Now, which was back in 2010, and have been given the responsibility keeping in mind their commitment and hard work for the network,” says the source.
“The idea is to completely centralise the work flow of the network and to get a chief sales/revenue officer and hold fort and report directly to M K Anand,” reveals the source.
On the marketing front Shantanu Gangane will head it for both Movies Now and Romedy Now; and the programming and content team will directly report to M K Anand.
Prior to joining TTN, Trigunayat was in the Middle East in an entrepreneurial capacity, and has also been the business head of the Zee English Channels bouquet, and put in stints at Lintas, Contract and Rediffusion and at Pepsi in a sales role.
But, that’s not all! In another blow to the network, the source also reveals that Romedy Now associate business head Harsh Sheth is on his way out from the network, but will be handling operations for at least another couple of months.
Sheth has been with the TTN for just over three years; first handling the channel and business strategy for Movies Now for a period of nearly two years and then being acknowledged and elevated as the associate business head for the seven month old English entertainment channel, Romedy Now.
Prior to joining the network, Sheth has had a stint with Star India, starting out by working and handling varied Star properties across genres i.e. Star Gold, Star Movies, Star World, Star Pravah and Channel [V]. His mandate was to use consumer insights for scheduling, on-air presentation, distribution, marketing and content. He also looked after content acquisition and development of fiction as well as non-fiction shows for Channel [V] later on. He started out as an assistant manager – key accounts with TAM Media Research and handled clients like Sony, Sahara, Disney, UTV, MTV.
Both Trigunayat and Sheth were unavailable for comment, even after repeated attempts. Both these individuals have been instrumental in running the English cluster for TTN and will certainly be a loss to the organisation.
Brands
Wipro hires 7,500 freshers, withholds FY27 hiring outlook
Profit rises to Rs 3,522 crore, Rs 15,000 crore buyback announced.
MUMBAI- Hiring may be on, but visibility is off, Wipro is adding talent even as it pauses the crystal ball. The company hired 7,500 freshers in FY26 but stopped short of offering any hiring outlook for FY27, underscoring the uncertainty gripping the IT services sector as it pivots towards an AI-led operating model.
The disclosure came alongside its fourth-quarter earnings, where management flagged volatile demand conditions and refrained from committing to future workforce expansion. Chief human resources officer Saurabh Govil noted that over 3,000 of the total hires were onboarded in the March quarter alone, signalling continued intake despite a lack of clarity on deployment pipelines.
This divergence active hiring without forward guidance reflects a broader industry pattern where talent acquisition continues even as deal conversions remain uneven and client spending cycles stretch. Wipro expects its IT services revenue for the June quarter to range between a decline of 2 per cent and flat growth sequentially in constant currency terms, reinforcing near-term caution.
Chief executive officer Srini Pallia pointed to artificial intelligence as both a disruptor and an opportunity. He said evolving client priorities are pushing the company towards outcome-driven engagements, with Wipro increasingly focusing on a services-as-software model through its AI Native Business and Platforms unit. The shift marks a structural change from traditional headcount-led growth to AI-enabled delivery frameworks.
The company has already committed over $1 billion to its AI ecosystem, with investors closely watching how these investments translate into revenue. For now, the numbers present a mixed picture. Net profit rose sequentially to Rs 3,522 crore, while revenue grew 3 per cent to Rs 24,236 crore. However, core IT services performance remained under pressure, with full-year revenue declining 0.3 per cent in dollar terms and 1.6 per cent in constant currency.
Large deal bookings offered a counterpoint, rising 45.4 per cent year-on-year to $7.8 billion, highlighting a widening gap between deal wins and actual revenue realisation. On a quarterly basis, IT services revenue slipped 1.2 per cent sequentially, signalling continued softness in execution.
Margins, however, told a more optimistic story. Operating margins expanded to 17.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, up from 14.8 per cent in the previous quarter, reflecting improved cost discipline. That said, the company cautioned that upcoming wage hikes and the ramp-up of large deals could exert pressure going forward.
Attrition stood at 13.8 per cent in the March quarter, indicating stabilisation after periods of elevated churn. Alongside its earnings, Wipro also announced a Rs 15,000 crore share buyback, reinforcing its focus on shareholder returns, with a payout ratio of 88 per cent over the past three years.
Taken together, the numbers capture a company in transition investing in AI, maintaining hiring momentum, but navigating a demand environment where growth is uneven and visibility remains limited.
