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Infectious Advertising appoints Neville Suraliwala as business head
Mumbai: Infectious Advertising, one of independent creative hot-shops has appointed Neville Suraliwala as business head.
With over 15 years of experience and working across reputed agencies such as FCB Ulka, Lowe Lintas, Soho Square (Now 82.5), L&K Saatchi and Saatchi and Makani Creatives. Neville has worked with renowned brands like Indian Oil, Fair & Lovely, Clinic Plus, Head & Shoulders, Piaggio, Bisleri, Franklin Templeton, Yes Bank, Nilkamal, Lee Cooper, Tata Real Estate, and several other respected names.
Speaking about joining Infectious Advertising, Neville Suraliwala said, ‘I am thrilled to bring my expertise and passion for effective communications to the vibrant and dynamic environment of the Infectious Advertising family. Here, creativity is the solution to every marketing challenge, and I am excited to contribute to this ethos of innovative thinking and collaboration. I genuinely look forward to this new chapter filled with creative opportunities and impactful collaborations that help us achieve bigger milestones and attain mutual success.’
Infectious Advertising’ chief operating officer Siddhartha Singh commented, “Absolutely delighted to have Neville on board the Infectious family, the few meetings we had with him give us the confidence that his skills and expertise shall contribute significantly to our growing ambition of being an agency that produces work that is contemporary and effective – work that pushes the envelope of ‘virality’. Wish Neville the very best and look forward to working with him closely.”
Over the last year, Infectious Advertising has made significant additions like Ashish Naik as ECD, Shabbir Motiwala as head of production, Ankit Gandhi as business head and Vinayak Kohli as creative director. Neville’s appointment is yet another move for the agency in strengthening the senior leadership team.
MAM
Paramount set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in $81 billion deal
Shareholders back merger, combined entity could reshape streaming and studios.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… consolidation, Hollywood’s latest blockbuster might be happening off-screen. Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery have voted in favour of selling the company to Paramount in a deal valued at $81 billion rising to nearly $111 billion including debt setting the stage for one of the biggest shake-ups in modern media. The proposed merger, still subject to regulatory approvals, would bring together a vast portfolio spanning HBO Max, CNN, and franchises such as Harry Potter under the same umbrella as Paramount’s own heavyweights, including Top Gun and CBS.
At the heart of the deal is streaming scale. Executives have indicated plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single platform, potentially creating a stronger challenger to giants like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. Current market data suggests HBO Max holds around 12 per cent of US on-demand subscriptions, compared to Paramount+’s 3 per cent, together still trailing Netflix’s 19 per cent and Disney’s combined 27 per cent via Disney+ and Hulu.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has signalled that while platforms may merge, HBO’s creative identity will remain intact, stating the brand should “stay HBO” even within a broader ecosystem.
Beyond streaming, the deal would redraw the map for film production. Combining two of Hollywood’s oldest studios Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., the new entity aims to scale output to over 30 films annually, while maintaining a 45-day theatrical window. Warner Bros. currently commands around 21 per cent of the US box office, compared to Paramount’s 6 per cent, underscoring the strategic weight of the acquisition.
But scale comes with scrutiny. Critics warn that fewer players could mean reduced consumer choice, rising subscription costs, and potential job cuts as the combined company looks to streamline overlapping operations while managing billions in debt.
The news business, too, faces a reset. CNN would join forces at least structurally with Paramount-owned CBS, raising questions about editorial independence and positioning. The merger has already drawn political attention in the United States, particularly given perceived ties between the Ellison family and Donald Trump, though the company maintains that newsroom autonomy will be preserved.
If approved, the deal would mark another milestone in Hollywood’s consolidation wave shrinking the industry’s traditional “big six” studios to a “big four”, with Paramount joining Disney, Universal, and Sony at the top table.
In an industry built on storytelling, this merger may well become its most consequential plot twist yet.
