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How brands are reaching out to wide PKL audience
MUMBAI: The fifth season of PKL has commenced. The new season is touted to become the one of the biggest league tournament as one sees attraction from many brands as sponsors and partners on board supporting different teams and will feature 136 matches spread across a time period of 13 weeks across 11 states.
The title sponsor is Vivo followed by associate sponsors — TVS Motors, Bajaj Electricals, Mutual Funds and Gillette Mach3 Turbo. Other partners on board are — Nissin Foods, Royal Challenge sports drink RR Kabel.
Bengal Warriors owned by Birthright Games & Entertainment is powered by Future Group- Big Bazaar with a number of partners such as FBB, Golden Harvest, Tasty Treat and Koryo.
Bengaluru Bulls owned by WL League has ARMR sporting gear as the apparel partner. The team has roped in sponsors such as Kotak Mahindra Bank, agri brand Golden Harvest, low-cost airline Air-Asia India and family networking application Life360.
Dabang Delhi K.C is owned by DoIT Sports management India founder Radha Kapoor Khanna sponsors of which are not specified yet.
Gujarat Fortunegiants owned by Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani have pulled Fortune edible oil, Jivraj 9 tea, Simpolo Ceramics and Fogg as its sponsors. HET Graphics, Radio Mirchi 98.3 and Columbia Asia are its partners.
The new team Haryana Steelers is owned by JSW sports and the franchise has signed on Kent RO and Exide Industries’ Dynex Batteries as principal sponsors and Valvoline as associate sponsor, respectively.
Jaipur Pink Panthers which is owned by Abhishek Bachchan has Finolex Cables as the title sponsor, and Cycle Agarbatties and Kalyan Jewellers as associate sponsors. The franchise is powered by Lux Cozi and its patners are — Paytm, Insider.in and Dida.
Defending champions Patna Pirates owned by Mukand Infinite MD & co-chairman Rajesh Shah has roped in Birla Gold Premier Cement as the principal sponsor and has H&R Johnson and Supreme Plastics as associate and co- sponsors, respectively.
Puneri Paltan owned by Insurekot Sports has Force Motors as the principal sponsors and Kirloskar Pumps, Maxo Genius as the co-sponsors. Its kit partner is Equio.
The Tamil Thalaivas franchise is owned by Iquest Enterprises (Consortium) & Blasters Sports Ventures. Sachin Tendulkar has teamed up with the serial entrepreneur N. Prasad as the co-owner of this franchise.
Telugu Titans is owned by Veera Sports’ Srinivas Sreeramaneni and powered by TVS Tyres. Sponsors and partners are, Greenko, Gem paints and Radio City 91.1 FM.
U Mumba franchise is owned by Swades Foundation founder Ronnie Screwvala. The team has signed on pain relief brand Nise Gel, men’s underwear brand Amul Macho and luggage maker American Tourister. UP Yoddha owned by GMR league games has roped in Tata Motors as its official sponsor.
TVS Srichakra Ltd director P. Vijayaraghavan said, “This association is an ideal platform for us to expand our reach and we are confident of elevating our brand recall to a much larger audience.”
This year, the level of excitement gets even bigger and by partnering with Telugu Titans, TVS Tyres gets to expand its horizons far and wide in various forms be it extensive in-stadium branding or memorabilia signed by the players along with other prominent merchandise and freebies.
H&R Johnson executive director & CEO Joydeep Mukherjee said, “We at H&R Johnson have been constantly exploring various alternative platforms to connect with Indian consumers. In today’s fast changing consumer preference, an association with a leading Sports platform like this which has seen huge growth in reach and viewership across the past four seasons significantly helps brands build lasting emotional bonds with consumers.”
Patna Pirates CEO Pawan Rana said, “We are delighted to collaborate with a leading brand in the tiles and lifestyle solution space that holds a great legacy of six decades now and look forward to a great season on and off the field.”
Through partnership with PKL 5, all the brands are getting worthwhile visibility. The association will also be supported with on-ground branding and collateral along with promotional initiatives.
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NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
