GECs
How Sony sparked conversations on entrepreneurship with ‘Shark Tank India’
Mumbai: Sony Entertainment Television (SET) in association with its digital partner White Rivers Media (WRM) was successfully able to make conversations around entrepreneurship more mainstream with the first season of “Shark Tank India.”
“Shark Tank India” was able to sustain a consistent engagement with the audience throughout the season with live updates, decoding the business jargon, anecdotes from the Sharks, inspiring moments from the show, and highlighting each ‘deal’ thereby making the business reality show more inclusive and relatable to the audience.
Starting with the registration phase, WRM played a pivotal role in reaching out to the incubator community, college alumni, and co-working spaces encouraging participation in the show. Furthermore, the digital agency created exclusive social media pages, on Twitter and Instagram, to engage with the audience. It gained 750K followers in no time and went on to become the one-stop destination for everything related to the show with its viral posts.
WRM also executed a 100-hour countdown on social media leading to the launch of the show thereby building intrigue and urgency around the show through content that explained the format and gave a sneak peek of the ‘Sharks.’
From building the sharks through live sessions to promoting the ‘pitchers’ and their unique ideas and explaining A-Z of ‘entrepreneurship’ through curated content, WRM ensured that the social media engagement on the show is sustained and heightened throughout the show.
It was only a matter of time post the launch of the show that content creators, brands, and communities were found indulging themselves in viral contexts via episodic content. #SharkTankIndia was trending week after week and everything about it, from the Sharks to their responses, became a palpable part of the popular culture. The daily average of one million+ views on reel content and positive comments drove a massive increase in followers for SET and SonyLIV’s owned social media platforms.
“It has been an incredible experience being a catalyst in disrupting India’s TV narrative with SET’s Shark Tank India,” said White Rivers Media chief executive officer and co-founder Shrenik Gandhi. “Commonly used business-related terms turned into a regular dinner-table conversation at any average Indian household. Entrepreneurs, who were noted for their achievements among professional circles, turned into celebrated faces. These have been the team’s top marketing wins for this season.”
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
