GECs
Jawhar Sircar, CVL Srinivas, Suhel Seth to talk at Social Media Week
MUMBAI: Seven days to go for Social Media Week (SMW) which will make its debut in the maximum city on 23 September.
The event will see an exciting list of some of the most renowned professionals as speakers. Interacting with the crowd of Mumbai and speaking in special sessions on every possible aspect of social media will be names like:
1.Subramanian Swamy, President, Janata Party
2.Suhel Seth, Managing Partner, Counselage India
3.Milind Soman, Runner, Model, Actor and Film Producer
4.Gul Panag, Actress and Activist
5.Jawhar Sircar, Chief Executive Officer, Prasar Bharati
6.Dr. Sharad Kale, Padma Sree Award Winner, Professor- Homi Bhabha National Institute
7.Devika Bhojwani, Socialist
8.Alex Oberberg, Global Head of Markets Engagement, Social Media & Digital at Nokia
9.Toby Daniels, CEO & Founder, Social Media Week
10.Richard Lui, Journalist, MSNBC
11.CVL.Srinivas, CEO, GroupM South Asia
12.Max Hegerman, Managing Director, Edelman
13.Simon Ashwin, Head of Digital, Mindshare North Asia
14.Kiruba Shankar, Digital Entrepreneur, Author, Teacher & Farmer
15.Kiran Khalap, Co-Founder, chlorophyll
16.Kalyan Varma, Freelance Wildlife Photographer
Mantralaya is one of the main venues where multiple events will take place for the government employees. Further, many Govt. of Maharashtra officials are actively taking part in this mega festival. Ajay Ambekar, Deputy Secretary Protocol, is on the Advisory Board and Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Directorate of IT, will initiate the proceedings at Mantralaya with an opening address on 24 September.
Multiple venues across the city are hosting the various events at SMW Mumbai. Catch these 100 plus exciting events across five days at iconic venues like: National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), blueFROG, Barking Deer, GroupM office, Westin and Trident.
Kick start the week running with Milind Soman and end it with a ‘Chai & Pakoda’ bike ride with more than 250 bikers, while partying every evening at various hotspots of the city.
One can register on www.socialmediaweek.org/Mumbai. Registration for all events is free of cost except for some events on the opening & the closing Day.
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.
