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Sony Pictures Networks signs multi-year deal with Extreme E
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) and Extreme E have signed a four-year broadcast partnership for the electric SUV off-road motorsport series, set to begin its inaugural season in 2021.
According to a press statement, the goal is to highlight the impact of human interference and climate change while raising awareness, driving sustainability and inspiring action. The broadcast partnership with SPN will ensure that millions across the Indian sub-continent can catch the action as it unfolds.
Extreme E is a class of auto racing that only uses electric vehicles to race off-road in extremely remote parts of the world using electric SUVs. The event will have world-class drivers and teams will compete across Extreme E’s five-race odyssey to some of the most remarkable, remote locations on the planet.
Sony Pictures Networks chief revenue officer, distribution and head – sports business, Rajesh Kaul said: “Extreme E holds a unique appeal for our viewers with its fast-paced action, high entertainment quotient and focus on important global issues. The tour aims to take electric SUVs to the most remote and extreme locations on the planet to raise awareness about the damage caused by climate change.”
He further added that the inaugural season will showcase five-event sets across some of the most breathtaking locations in the world.
Extreme E’s chief marketing officer, Ali Russell said: “It is fantastic we are able to announce this broadcast partnership between Sony Pictures Networks India and Extreme E – comprehensively covering one of our most important territories.”
“This commitment to televise high-end, revolutionary sports-entertainment across the sub-continent on this scale is so exciting and significant to us, having announced our partnership with Nepal to host Extreme E in its very first season,” Russel said.
Viewers across the globe will be introduced to some of the most extreme locations as the racers drive through the sandbars in the Artic, the Amazonian rainforests of Brazil, the deserts of Saudi Arabia, the rising oceans of Senegal and the Himalayan glaciers of Nepal, points out the press statement.
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.
