MAM
ESS launches event management arm in India
MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports, Asia’s leading sports broadcaster, has announced the launch of its on-ground division ‘Event Management Group’ in India.
The company further announced that PepsiCo India has signed on EMG to manage the on-ground events of its mega football league, Pepsi T20 Football, in India.
As a part of the deal, ESPN Star Sports is producing and showcasing the Pepsi T20 Football tournament in a special eight episode series. The EMG is also managing the School Quiz 2012 where it has roped in HDFC Life as the title sponsor. While on-ground initiatives around the HDFC Life School Quiz 2012 have already started, on-air telecast of the Quiz begins on 1 June.
EMG manages and promotes premier sporting events around Asia. EMG specialises in creating, managing, promoting, consulting, producing and syndicating leading sporting events such as the KIA X Games Asia, KL World 5s and Guinness 9-Ball Tour. With over 1000 events in 11 countries, all events organised by EMG, enjoy regional broadcast across Asia through the ESPN and Star Sports channels.
ESPN Software India Executive Vice President Sanjay Kailash said, “Our Event Management Group has firmly established itself across Asia Pacific with world class products designed to engage and entertain sports fans. It offers an exciting business opportunity in the India market as well. We can bring our deep international experience into play; create tailor made events and offer interesting and innovative marketing solutions using multiple platforms of ESPN Star Sports. I am sure corporates will see lot of value in what EMG has to offer.”
MUMBAI: In India’s fast-moving payments race, Visa has just swiped in a new leader. The company has named Suresh Sethi as its India country head, marking a key leadership shift as it sharpens its focus on digital payments growth in the market. Sethi steps into the role following his recent exit from Protean eGov Technologies, where he served as chief executive officer. He succeeds Sandeep Ghosh, who has moved on after more than four years at Visa to pursue an external opportunity.
The appointment comes at a time when Visa is doubling down on its expansion strategy across India and the wider region, deepening partnerships and accelerating adoption in an increasingly competitive digital payments ecosystem.
Sethi brings with him a broad, cross-market perspective shaped by decades of experience across corporate banking, retail financial services, mobile money and large-scale government technology initiatives. He began his career at Citigroup, where he spent 14 years working across India, Africa, South America and the United States, focusing on transaction banking services within the corporate bank.
His appointment signals a blend of institutional experience and market familiarity qualities that could prove critical as Visa navigates a landscape where fintech innovation, regulatory evolution and consumer adoption are all accelerating at once.
As digital payments in India continue to scale rapidly, the leadership change underscores a simple reality, in a market where every tap, scan and swipe counts, who leads the charge can matter just as much as the technology itself.
