MAM
Navio Shipping, Vijai Marine Shipyard, Kalliyath & Georoof join as associate sponsors for Finesse Thrissur Titans
Mumbai: The inaugural Kerala Cricket League (KCL) is gaining momentum rapidly since its launch, with Finesse Thrissur Titans leading the charge by securing significant sponsorships. With a strong lineup for this year’s league, captained by Varun Nayanar, the Titans are making strategic moves, marked by these key sponsorship announcements.
Navio, as the main associate sponsor, has secured crucial assets like the jersey back and the cap/helmet sponsorships. Navio Shipping director Ajay Thampy stated, “This partnership is more than just brand visibility for us; it’s about holistic support for the future of cricket in Kerala. We are proud to contribute to the growth of Kerala’s cricketers, and we hope to see more talents like Sanju Samson, Tinu Yohannan and Sreesanth emerging from our state, representing the national side and IPL franchises.”
Vijai Marine Services’ MD Suraj Dialani emphasised the importance of bold steps towards establishing international standards for cricket in Kerala. He noted, “With the talent we have here, the Kerala Cricket League can significantly enhance the cricketing ecosystem in the state, especially in elevating the quality and standards of the matches played.”
K Care, the new construction chemicals brand from Kalliyath Group, will be the Titans’ jersey sleeve sponsor, focusing on digital and other brand engagement activities around the league. Their executive director Dirsha Mohammed highlighted that the Thrissur Titan’s commitment to grassroots cricket and its development plans were key factors in their decision to partner. “We believe this will be a long-term relationship with Thrissur Titans, built on shared values and a vision for cricket’s future in Kerala.”
“Cricket unites us and taps into deep emotions, making it the perfect platform for our partnership with Thrissur Titans. We couldn’t have asked for a better beginning than to align with a team rooted in our hometown and backyard,” said Georoof MD Biju George.
Finesse Thrissur Titans owner Sajjad Sait expressed gratitude to the sponsors, stating, “The growth of leagues and franchise cricket depends on strong brand associations. These partnerships not only multiply our efforts but also solidify our commitment to the game. We are committed to delivering exceptional value and ROI to ensure that these associations thrive in the long term.”
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Abhay Duggal joins JioStar as director of Hindi GEC ad sales
The streaming giant brings in a seasoned revenue hand as the battle for Hindi television advertising heats up
MUMBAI: Abhay Duggal has a new desk, and JioStar has a new weapon. The media and entertainment veteran has joined JioStar as director of entertainment ad sales for Hindi general entertainment channels, adding 17 years of hard-won revenue experience to one of India’s most powerful broadcasting operations.
Duggal is no stranger to big portfolios or bruising markets. Before joining JioStar, he spent a brief stint at Republic World as deputy general manager and north regional head for ad sales. Before that, he put in three years at Enterr10 Television, where he ran the north region for Dangal TV and Dangal 2, two of India’s leading free-to-air Hindi channels. The north alone accounted for more than 50 per cent of total channel revenue on his watch, a number that tends to get attention in any sales meeting.
His longest stint was at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, where he spent over six years rising to associate director of sales. There he commanded the Hindi movies cluster across seven channels, owned more than half of north India’s revenue across flagship properties including Zee TV and &TV, and closed marquee sponsorships across the Indian Premier League, Zee Rishtey Awards and Dance India Dance. He also handled monetisation for the English movies and entertainment cluster and the global news channel WION, a portfolio that would stretch most sales teams twice his size.
Earlier in his career Duggal closed what was then a Rs 3 crore single deal at Reliance Broadcast Network, one of the largest in Indian radio at the time, before that he helped launch and monetise JAINHITS, India’s first HITS-based cable and satellite platform.
His edge, by his own account, lies in marrying data and instinct: translating audience trends, inventory signals and client demands into long-term partnerships built on cost-per-rating-point discipline rather than short-term deal chasing. In a media landscape being reshaped by streaming, fragmented attention and AI-driven advertising, that kind of rigour is increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.
JioStar, which blends the scale of Reliance’s Jio platform with the content firepower of Star, is doubling down on its advertising business at precisely the moment the Hindi GEC market is getting more competitive. Bringing in someone who has spent nearly two decades doing exactly this, across some of India’s most watched channels, is a pointed statement of intent. Duggal has spent his career turning audiences into revenue. JioStar is clearly betting he can do it again, and bigger.
