Brands
Saugata Mukherjee exits SonyLIV after three-year run
Streaming veteran signs off after shaping originals at SonyLIV
MUMBAI: According to media reports, Saugata Mukherjee has moved on from his role as EVP and head of content at SonyLIV, drawing the curtain on a three-year stint at the streaming platform where he helped sharpen its originals slate and creative ambition.
Mukherjee, who took charge in September 2022, oversaw content strategy, commissioning and development at a time when India’s OTT space was locked in fierce competition. His brief was clear: build distinctive stories, back bold talent and keep SonyLIV in the conversation.
This was not his first innings with the platform. He previously served as svp and head of original content at SonyLIV between 2020 and 2021, steering premium commissions and working closely with film and television talent in Mumbai and beyond.
Between his two SonyLIV chapters, he had a short but notable stint as head of content, india for HBO Max at Warner Bros. Discovery, as the global streamer explored its India strategy.
Before that, he played a pivotal role at Disney+ Hotstar, then simply Hotstar, where as SVP and editor of hotstar specials he led the creative and development mandate for original digital content.
His journey through Indian media also includes senior leadership roles at Star TV Network, where he served as senior vice president and editor, content studio, and earlier as vice president, content, commissioning and incubating new shows for the network.
Earlier in publishing, he was publisher and editor in chief at Pan Macmillan, and managing editor and rights director at HarperCollins Publishers. He also held roles as senior consultant at niit ltd, acquisitions editor at Rupa Publications India pvt. ltd., and copy editor at HarperCollins Publishers.
From copy editor to content chief, Mukherjee’s career spans books, broadcast and streaming. His next chapter is yet to be announced.
Brands
MS Dhoni joins Cars24’s Crashfree India as Goodwill Ambassador
Cricketing legend lends his voice to the fight against road fatalities in India.
MUMBAI: MS Dhoni has traded his cricket whites for a new kind of captaincy, one that aims to save lives on India’s roads. The former India captain has been appointed Goodwill Ambassador for Crashfree India, Cars24’s national road safety initiative. The move brings one of the country’s most trusted and disciplined public figures to a cause that desperately needs both credibility and urgency.
India continues to record the highest number of traffic fatalities globally. In 2024 alone, 1,80,000 people lost their lives on Indian roads, one every three minutes. The country has roughly 1% of the world’s vehicles but accounts for 11 per cent of global road deaths. Shockingly, 66 per cent of those killed were between 18 and 34 years old, the most productive age group, and nearly 10,000 were school students. Seven in ten fatalities were linked to overspeeding.
Dhoni, known for his calm judgment under pressure, did not mince words when speaking about the issue. “A vehicle gives you freedom, but it also gives you responsibility,” he said. “On our roads, too many people still see safety as a rule to follow only when someone is watching. That mindset has cost us far too much.”
He added: “We already know what is going wrong. We know how many lives are being lost. What we need now is not more excuses. We need more responsibility, more discipline, and more respect for life.”
For Cars24, the association goes beyond a celebrity endorsement. Founder and CEO Vikram Chopra described Dhoni’s involvement as a game-changer: “His understanding of Indian roads is grounded in lived experience. He holds us to a higher standard and his involvement challenges us to push this mission further.”
Crashfree India aims to shift the national conversation on road safety from reaction to prevention, from accepting deaths as routine to treating them as the urgent failure they are. With Dhoni on board, the initiative gains a powerful, trusted voice that transcends statistics and connects directly with millions of Indians.
In a country where dangerous driving is too often mistaken for confidence, Dhoni’s message is refreshingly clear: true strength lies in control, discipline, and respect for life. When one of India’s most respected captains decides to lead this fight, the conversation suddenly becomes much harder to ignore.
The roads just got a new captain. And this time, the goal is not to win a trophy but to save lives.
