GECs
Brands have found a new voice in Sony Entertainment Television’s MasterChef India
Mumbai: Reflecting the cultural diversity of the country in its culinary repertoire, MasterChef India on Sony Entertainment Television has enthralled viewers with home cooks from different parts of India bringing alive a mélange of flavours in their innovative dishes. Celebrity chefs Ranveer Brar, Vikas Khanna, and Garima Arora as the trio of judges on the show, have been instrumental in highlighting the history of different cuisines and mentoring the cooks in their journey on this intense food adventure. MasterChef India is a Sony Entertainment Television success story, which has exemplified how synergies are driven for its partners through custom content solutions. Presented by Amul, MasterChef India is co-powered by Pushp Masale and Fortune Refined Soyabean Oil, special partner is India Gate Basmati Rice while Cremica Ketchup and Vinod Cookware are associate sponsors. Weaving a narrative which showcases the power of seamless brand integrations, the channel has delivered impact and built brand affinity for its sponsors.
For example, the Farm to Table challenge was crafted to showcase and bring alive Amul’s organic range of products and stepping out of the comfort of the MasterChef India kitchen, the contestants were taken to the organic farms in Anand, Gujarat. The challenge was for them to pick and choose ingredients from the farm to curate a special ‘International Brunch Spread’ with the fresh produce. In this first of its kind challenge, the home cooks were joined by Amul managing director Jayen Mehta and agronomist Sarvadaman Patel as well.
Each brand adds value to the show’s narrative and, as a result, has earned a spot in the viewers’ share of mind and heart. The heart and soul of Indian cuisine are fragrant and aromatic spices which impart taste, flavor and aromas to the dishes being cooked. The Pushp Desi Twist Challenge was curated to give an Indian twist to international dishes that effectively highlight the range and versatility of the Pushp masalas.
As a format, this is a reality show that enables authentic integrations without being intrusive whilst building meaningful brand messaging. After weeks of intense cook offs, a few of the contestants had the good ‘Fortune’ to meet with their loved ones in the ‘Ghar ka Khaana’ challenge – which highlighted the range of Fortune products in the pantry selection. The home cooks were tasked with cooking a dish that defines their family’s heritage and culture, using the core ingredient brought by their family members which made contestants and judges reminisce about fond memories of their homes. Integrations such as this subconsciously seed trust and build brand recall.
Likewise for India Gate Basmati Rice, integrations were crafted on the insight that when it comes to our loved ones and the food we eat, we do not like to compromise even on the tiniest details. Driving the business objective of adopting packaged rice over loose rice for India Gate Basmati Rice and its benefits, the reality show saw contextual integrations led by the contestants who said that they do not wish to compromise with the quality of the dish and hence they have used India Gate Basmati rice.
MasterChef India is telecast every Monday to Friday at 9 pm only on Sony Entertainment Television and is streaming on SonyLIV.
Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) head—Ad sales network channel Sandeep Mehrotra said, “MasterChef India is a platform where brands across product categories have found the right voice, reflecting the ethos of the integrated product that enables brands to achieve their key objective. We’re delighted to have partnered with such prestigious brands from the F&B industry; our sponsors add value to the show as well, and thus we add purpose to each other making it a win-win situation for all stakeholders.
Mehta said, ‘’Amul is a part of India’s history, particularly its food culture. It has been a trusted player in the F&B industry, and our products have been a part of Indian households since the inception of the brand in 1946. Sony Entertainment Television’s MasterChef India, a well-known and well-liked global format in culinary reality television was the perfect fit for us to associate with. In fact, we have been associated with this show since its debut in India in 2010. Going beyond conventional product integrations, Amul presents MasterChef India shot an episode at an organic farm near Anand in Gujarat to highlight the importance of organic food and encouraging organic farmers as well. This was perhaps for the first time in any MasterChef show, anywhere in the world. We also ran the Amul Cheese Contest this season that saw a great response wherein home cooks cooked using Amul cheese driving brand affinity for us. Our collaboration with MasterChef India perfectly meets the needs of both the brand and the show.”
Pushp (Brand) India Pvt Ltd MD Surendra Surana said, “MasterChef India is the ideal reality television show for a brand like Pushp to be associated with. Pushp’s top priority is to build trust and provide the consumer with the right ingredient to flavour their food. When the MasterChef India Kitchen sees its contestants cook up a storm in the kitchen with our products, the viewer is more likely to trust the brand and replicate these dishes at their own homes. Amongst other deliverables, the smell test was a novel idea that was executed for Pushp for the first time on MasterChef India, and we’re happy to collaborate with a show such as this.
Adani Wilmar Ltd. head of media Sanjay Adesara said, “The usual promotional mediums are so saturated and predictable that it’s imperative to shift to a different and integrated content medium to promote our products. Formats like MasterChef India are one of the most authentic platforms to provide this opportunity to relevant brands like us, and we’re delighted with the value offered across multiple touchpoints through this season.”
KRBL business head India market Ayush Gupta said, “We were launching a new category defining communication for India Gate Basmati and what better platform than MasterChef. The show has successfully helped us to integrate our communication objective to drive preference for packaged India Gate rice over “Khulla rice.”
GECs
Sahara One reports financial results, notes director exit and business realignment
Muted revenues, steady expenses and strategic adjustments shape company’s current phase
MUMBAI: In a tale where the sands seem to be slipping faster than they can be gathered, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited has reported another quarter of wafer-thin income and widening losses, even as a boardroom exit adds to the unease.
The company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that its board, in a meeting held on April 4, approved its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2025. The numbers paint a stark picture. Total income for the quarter stood at just Rs 0.13 lakh, unchanged sequentially and sharply down from Rs 0.26 lakh a year earlier.
Losses, meanwhile, deepened. The company posted a net loss of Rs 24.16 lakh for the quarter, compared to Rs 18.81 lakh in the June quarter and Rs 39.69 lakh in the same period last year. For the six months ended September 2025, the cumulative loss stood at Rs 39.69 lakh, while the full-year loss for FY25 was reported at Rs 60.72 lakh.
Expenses continued to outweigh income by a wide margin. Total expenses for the quarter came in at Rs 24.30 lakh, led by employee benefit costs of Rs 6.51 lakh and other expenses of Rs 17.78 lakh. Earnings per share remained in the red at Rs (0.11) for the quarter.
The balance sheet reflects a company with significant assets on paper but limited operational momentum. Total assets stood at Rs 23,065.57 lakh as of September 30, 2025, broadly unchanged from March 2025. Equity share capital remained steady at Rs 2,152.50 lakh, while total equity was reported at Rs 18,004.85 lakh.
Cash and cash equivalents saw a modest uptick to Rs 6.75 lakh from Rs 4.68 lakh earlier, supported by a positive operating cash flow of Rs 180.01 lakh for the period.
Yet, beneath these numbers lies a more complex narrative. The company’s auditors flagged their inability to obtain sufficient evidence to form a conclusion on the financial statements, citing lack of access to records. They also raised concerns over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, pointing to insufficient funds, delayed recoveries, and stalled content investments.
Adding to the governance overhang, the company disclosed that Rana Zia has resigned as whole-time director, effective October 16, 2025, citing other professional commitments. The resignation, noted and accepted by the board, also brings an end to her role across company committees.
Regulatory pressures continue to loom large. The Securities and Exchange Board of India has already initiated penal actions for non-compliance with listing norms, with trading in the company’s shares remaining suspended. There is also a risk of promoter demat accounts being frozen.
Legacy legal issues remain unresolved. A substantial deposit of Rs 694,027.88 thousand linked to the long-running OFCD dispute involving Sahara group entities is still under the purview of the Supreme Court of India. Restrictions on asset disposal continue to weigh on the company’s financial flexibility.
Operationally, challenges persist across multiple fronts. Advances worth Rs 1,92,916 thousand given for film content remain stuck, with delays in project completion and uncertain recoverability. The company’s YouTube channel, despite being operational, has generated no revenue for over three years due to compliance lapses. In a further twist, management has indicated that revenues may have been fraudulently diverted through unauthorised changes to its AdSense account, with a police complaint in the works.
There are also missed revenue opportunities. Television content rights continue to be used by a related party despite the expiry of the licence agreement, with fresh negotiations still underway.
For now, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited appears caught between legacy disputes and present-day operational hurdles. As losses linger and governance questions mount, the road to recovery looks less like a sprint and more like a slow trudge through shifting sands.
