GECs
Sony to bring second season of Shark Tank India on 2 January
Mumbai: Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV are all set to bring in the second season of Shark Tank for the viewers. Produced by StudioNEXT, the show will begin airing on 2 January at 10 p.m. every Monday to Friday.
This season promises viewers fresh and new business terminologies, as well as opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams.
The show showcases a plethora of unique and never-before-seen ideas as well as gives a glimpse into the booming start-up ecosystem of India. LetsVenture has come onboard as a talent sourcing advisor for the show.
For the second season, Sony LIV has partnered with ACKO, which serves as the co-presenting partner. The show is co-powered by Pokerbaazi and CarDekho. Dwelling into the special categories, they have onboarded Cashfree Payments as the payment partner, smallcase as the ideas partner, and Fi Money as the money partner, while other brands like EatFit, Seqrite, Lenskart, Chaudhry Nummero, and Apollo 24|7 have been roped in as well.
This year, representing the ground-breaking start-up ecosystem in the country, are: boAt co-founder and CMO Aman Gupta, CarDekho Group, InsuranceDekho.com CEO and co-founder Amit Jain, Shaadi.com – People Group founder and CEO Anupam Mittal, Emcure Pharmaceuticals executive director Namita Thapar, Lenskart.com founder & CEO Peyush Bansal and Sugar Cosmetics co-founder and CEO Vineeta Singh. Their dynamic personalities and camaraderie have made them, as well as the show, household names. While the sharks anchor the show with their offers and deals and, in many ways, pearls of wisdom as well, host and ace stand-up comedian Rahul Dua will act as a guide to the pitchers this season.
Smallcase CEO & founder Vasanth Kamath commented, “We are delighted to be the idea partner on Shark Tank India’s highly anticipated second season. Associating with a show that supports and celebrates innovation aligns with smallcase’s mission of empowering Indians with simple investment ideas. The show has a diverse and savvy audience, and we aim to reach a large base of investors and contribute to the growth of entrepreneurial spirit and equity culture across the country.”
Fi Money CEO Sujith Narayanan said, “Over the last season of Shark Tank, we have seen how it has influenced Indian youth to look at money much more smartly. Now everyone is talking about growth, valuations, portfolios, and so on. We are excited for the second season, and to be part of this emerging conversation around wealth creation. And there is no better time than now, given this newfound awareness of money that our audiences have.”
“We are excited to further our partnership with Shark Tank India for the second year in a row. The first season proved to be quite impactful, providing impetus to entrepreneurship and innovation. At Cashfree Payments, we value the entrepreneurial spirit and understand the importance of enabling the start-up ecosystem. India’s digital payments growth story is fuelled by a surge in the number of start-ups, not just in metros but across tier 2 & 3 cities. These innovative businesses rely on cashfree payments’ safe and trusted payment stack to scale their businesses. We believe this association goes a long way towards our philosophy of fostering innovation in the Indian start-up ecosystem, which deserves to be encouraged and celebrated,” added Cashfree Payments CEO and co-founder Akash Sinha.
CarDekho Group EVP marketing & content Charu Kishnani said, “We are elated to be associated with Shark Tank India 2.0. As a house of brands, CarDekho Group has been a proponent of entrepreneurship in India and strongly resonates with the focus Shark Tank brings on promoting ingenious business ideas. Shark Tank India season one took the country by storm. The show not only made entrepreneurship mainstream but also provided a platform for aspiring businessmen, especially from tier 2 and tier 3 cities, to realise their dreams. The second season of the show will be even more impactful as an increased number of entrepreneurs will get a chance to showcase their ideas. Through association with the show, CarDekho will offer support to these upcoming professionals, helping them fulfil their aspirations and build sustainable businesses.
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.
