iWorld
Sukrit Gupta and Sayudh Ray are the winners of Sony LIV’s Quizzer of the Year
Mumbai: After months of intense competition and intellectually stimulating quizzes, Sony LIV’s Quizzer of the Year (QOTY) finally reached its grand finale on 26 May. The show, which captured the hearts and minds of quiz enthusiasts across the country, culminated in an epic showdown that saw four teams battling for the ultimate title. From navigating through a series of challenging rounds, boasting fierce face-offs between 64 teams from over 2000 Indian schools, Sukrit Gupta and Sayudh Ray of Delhi Public School, Newtown, Rajarhat, Kolkata emerged as the champions of the first season of Quizzer of the Year securing an educational scholarship worth rupees one crore.
Sukrit Gupta, a class ten student with a keen interest in computer science, has been an avid quizzer since his friends introduced him to the club. Having lived in Kolkata for most of his life, Sukrit enjoys topics like tech, music, history, and literature. On the other hand, Sayudh Ray, who just completed his class ten board exams, shares a passion for history and economics. With both parents being Ayurvedic doctors, Sayudh is still exploring his future career options. Together, their diverse knowledge and great teamwork led them to victory on Quizzer of the Year.
The top four finalists who made it to QOTY’s grand finale were:
1 Sukrit Gupta and Sayudh Ray of Delhi Public School Newtown, Rajarhat, Kolkata
2 Sreenandh Sudheesh P and Navaneeth Krishnan of Govt Model Hr. Sec. School Calicut University, Kozhikode
3 Garvish Jain and Sarth Khandelwal of St. Anthony’s Senior Secondary School, Udaipur
4 Ojasvit Pasricha and Aashman Tripathi of Sheiling House School, Kanpur
While Sukit and Sayudh bagged the coveted title and huge scholarship, Sreenadh Sudheesh P and Navaneeth Krishnan emerged as the first runners-up of QOTY, winning a scholarship of 50 lakh rupees. Furthermore, the second runners-up, Garvish Jain and Sarth Khandelwal, secured a scholarship of 20 lakh rupees.
Quizzer of the Year, presented by the legendary quizmaster of India, Siddhartha Basu, is an innovative quiz show conceptualised by Anita Kaul Basu and the team at Tree of Knowledge Digital (DIGITOK). Blending traditional learning with infotainment, the show provided students with a platform to test their knowledge beyond textbooks. The journey began with daily quizzes, followed by zonal rounds, and culminated in a high-stakes national championship. QOTY featured seasoned quizmasters Joy Bhattacharjya and Col. Vembu Shankar in the zonal rounds, alongside Siddhartha Basu himself hosting the quarterfinals, semifinals, and grand finale.
Quizmaster Siddhartha Basu, the creator and host of QOTY, expressed, “It was terrific to quiz a pick of the smartest school students of the country for the final leg of Quizzer of the Year, which was the culmination of a year long digital engagement on the QOTY app on Sony LIV. In progressively tougher stages, qualifiers clashed in a series of exciting and closely fought zonal & national level encounters which climaxed in a grand final going to the wire ultimately streaming on the platform for the viewers. Congratulations to the worthy victors and challengers for the mental mettle with which they vied for top honours, and the most handsome rewards ever offered in India for an all-India inter-school quiz championship. I hope it acts as a spur to fuel the curiosity of young minds, expand their general knowledge, and test it in a fun way on an ongoing basis. That’s the aim of the QOTY app & contest.”
Catch all the episodes of Quizzer of the Year streaming now exclusively on Sony LIV!
iWorld
Prime Video bets big on India with global originals, films and franchise expansion
Execs highlight scale, travelability and new IP bets as India anchors global strategy
MUMBAI: At Prime Video Presents 2026, the message was clear and confident. India is not just part of the plan, it is central to it.
In a lively fireside chat hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar, Kelly Day, vice president of prime video and amazon mgm studios international, Nicole Clemens, vice president of international originals, and Gaurav Gandhi, vice president for Apac and Anz, laid out an ambitious roadmap. Think bigger stories, wider reach and a sharper focus on building franchises that travel.
Kelly Day, a regular visitor to India, set the tone early. Calling the country “one of the most important markets globally”, she pointed to the sheer scale and diversity of audiences as a driving force behind Prime Video’s growth. Indian Originals, she said, are not just local hits but global engines powering subscriptions and engagement.
That global appeal is already visible. According to Clemens, around 25 percent of viewership for Indian content now comes from outside the country. Shows rooted deeply in local culture are finding fans worldwide, proving that specificity, when paired with universal themes, travels well. From gritty dramas to sharp thrillers, Indian storytelling is increasingly crossing borders with ease.
Clemens, who joined recently to lead international originals, was particularly upbeat about India’s creative range. She highlighted a growing slate of over 100 shows in development and production, with more than 60 percent returning for multiple seasons. For her, the formula is simple. Authentic stories, told well, resonate everywhere.
Adding to the buzz, she teased new and returning titles, alongside a fresh superhero universe, the Kalyug Warriors. It signals a push into new genres while doubling down on familiar fan favourites.
If content is king, distribution is the clever courtier. Day outlined Prime Video’s layered business model in India, which blends subscription, rentals, add on channels and ad supported viewing through Amazon MX Player. The idea is straightforward. Give viewers choice, whether they want premium, free or pay per view.
India, she noted, has also become a testing ground for innovation. Tiered pricing, mobile only plans and language diversity have all been sharpened here before being exported to other markets. In many ways, the India playbook is now influencing global strategy.
For Gaurav Gandhi, the next chapter is about scale with intent. He outlined four priorities. Making Prime Video more accessible, pushing Indian content globally, building stronger franchises and supercharging the films business.
On films, the platform is moving beyond licensing into co productions and now theatrical releases in partnership with amazon mgm studios. These films will eventually stream on Prime Video, creating a full circle from cinema halls to living rooms across 240 countries.
Franchise building remains another key pillar. With hits like The Family Man, Mirzapur and Panchayat already enjoying multi season success, the focus is now on creating the next wave of enduring IP. Newer titles are already lining up for second seasons, signalling a steady pipeline.
What stood out through the conversation was a shared belief. Streaming in India is still in its early innings, and the runway is long. With a mix of local flavour and global ambition, Prime Video is betting that stories from India will not just stay at home, but travel far and wide.
Or as the executives seemed to suggest, the world is watching and India has plenty more to show.
