MAM
Davide Grasso, former CEO of NIKE’s Converse named COO of Maserati
MUMBAI: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (“FCA”) (NYSE: FCAU/MTA: FCA) today announced two moves in its leadership team. Davide Grasso, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NIKE’s Converse, joins FCA and is named Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Maserati. Grasso also is appointed to the Company’s Group Executive Council (GEC).
While at Converse, Grasso engineered that iconic brand for long-term sustainable growth. His previous experience includes a string of successes at NIKE, where he served in numerous leadership positions, including Chief Marketing Officer for the Nike brand.
In a related move, Harald Wester assumes the role of Executive Chairman of Maserati. In addition, his responsibilities as Chief Technical Officer (CTO) expand to include global powertrain along with global vehicle engineering for the Group.
In his expanded role, Wester will oversee all product development and engineering for the Group’s ongoing new product strategy, including the expansion of its internal combustion and hybrid/electric powertrain offerings. As Executive Chairman of Maserati, Wester maintains strategic involvement in that historic brand and will oversee all technical and industrial areas.
"With Davide’s arrival, we continue to round out FCA’s senior leadership team with world class talent,” said Mike Manley, CEO FCA. “He brings a wealth of brand expertise to one of the most historic marks in the automotive world. Davide and Harald will build on the work that’s already underway to rejuvenate Maserati worldwide; and Davide will be a valuable advisor to the GEC on brand matters across the FCA portfolio.
“The expansion of Harald’s CTO role will further accelerate our progress in powertrain development and drive the integration of market leading technologies into our brands. Combining vehicle and powertrain engineering under one of the industry’s most respected technology leaders will streamline the delivery of our product strategies,” said Manley.
Grasso said, "Joining Maserati at such a transformational time is an extraordinary opportunity that speaks to my passion for cars, great brands and my personal Italian heritage. Working with Mike Manley, Harald Wester and the rest of the FCA team will be a privilege. I’m honored to be joining FCA at such a defining and transformative moment for the company and the industry.”
“This is a fundamental step in the growth of Maserati both for its technological development and for brand expansion and for this I’m excited to work with Davide” said Harald Wester. “I’m honored to take the lead of global powertrain for the Group in this challenging period. The combined vehicle and powertrain teams will speed-up the development and integration of world class propulsion systems.”
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.
