GECs
Rajan Srinivasan bids adieu to Web18
MUMBAI: Rajan Srinivasan has decided to move on from his role as CEO, IBNLive. During his stint with Web18, Srinivasan managed a variety of mandates including head of sales for moneycontrol, head of sales and marketing for Web18 and CEO, IBNLive.
He has been part of the core team that has helped build some of country’s leading digital brands like moneycontrol.com and IBNLive.com.
Rajan Srinivasan is proud of what Web18 achieved over the past many years with it
Speaking on this development, Web 18 CEO Lakshmi Narasimhan said: “Rajan has been with our web business for over eight years and has been a pillar of strength for our business. He has taken on every challenge we have thrown at him and has come out tops. He has been an integral part of our team and has made a big difference to us in many ways. I would like to wish him the very best in all his future endeavours.”
Rajan Srinivasan added: “I am proud of what we achieved over the past many years at Web18. I am more than grateful for the immense support I’ve received from the Network18 team, our customers and our partners. Clearly, this is a rather emotional and tough call but I am happy to know that the Web18 suite of products are well positioned as well as future ready and wish them every success.”
Srinivasan has over eighteen years of experience in the media industry, including nine in the digital space. Prior to joining Network18 in 2003, he had stints with the Indian Express, Sony Entertainment Television and BBC World.
GECs
Sony ties up with EU for MasterChef India finale
GI-tagged European ingredients headline finale week
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India has struck what it calls a landmark association with the European Union for the finale week of MasterChef India, marking the first such collaboration between the bloc and an Indian television format.
The tie-up will culminate in the “European Union mystery box challenge”, which opens the much-anticipated finale week. The task will see the top six contestant pairs cook with a curated basket of ingredients bearing geographical indications (GIs) from across EU member states: a nod to provenance as well as palate.
Chef Ajay and Chef Guntas, introduced as chef ambassadors to the European Union, will present the mystery boxes and set the brief: use the fewest ingredients from each category and produce a MasterChef-level dish that marries European produce with Indian flavour sensibilities. Precision and restraint, rather than extravagance, will be tested.
For Sony, the move signals a push towards high-value integrations that blur the line between sponsorship and storytelling. The network said the association underscores the show’s growing global stature and its ability to attract world-renowned institutions to Indian screens.
Chef Ajay Chopra, food ambassador in the European Union, described the collaboration as a strategic opportunity to spotlight the heritage and authenticity of GI-tagged European products to India’s vast food-loving audience.
Over the years, MasterChef India has positioned itself as a gateway to global cuisines. The EU partnership sharpens that pitch, turning the finale into a stage for cross-continental culinary diplomacy.
The finale week will air from 2 March, 2026 at 8 pm on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony Liv.
