GECs
Zee rises to the occasion as R.I.S.E Mysuru sparks brand momentum
MUMBAI: If Mysuru needed a spark, Zee made sure it got a full-blown power surge. The broadcaster’s marquee multi-city initiative R.I.S.E rolled into the cultural capital with an edition that blended insight, imagination and industry muscle and kept marketers talking long after the lights dimmed.
Carrying forward the momentum of earlier chapters across Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Coimbatore and Pune, the Mysuru edition drew marketers, entrepreneurs, brand custodians and regional business leaders for an evening built on collaboration and future-facing brand strategy. True to its format, the gathering unpacked how ‘Z’s holistic advertising ecosystem spanning 50 plus TV channels, Zee5, Youtube, social platforms, influencer networks and regional IPs is engineered to help brands scale meaningfully in an India that is evolving by the minute.
The evening opened with Zee head of advertisement revenue for broadcast & digital Laxmi Shetty who spotlighted the growing weight of the Z omnichannel infrastructure, a stack that now blends content, data, creativity and distribution to deliver sharper, value-first outcomes for advertisers.
What followed was a brisk carousel of business wisdom.
Eagle 10 Ventures general partner Suchindra Kanakanapalya broke down the anatomy of capital-attracting business models, while VilCart, Founder & CEO Prasanna Kumar C decoded the untapped power and operational nuance of rural markets.
Manufacturing insights came from Sparsh Masala managing director Deeksha S Kumar who spoke of resilience and leadership, and Madhu Chandan, Founder & CEO of Organic Mandya, who offered a grounded narrative on purpose-driven entrepreneurship rooted in local impact.
Food category playbooks took centre stage with Vinay Gopinath, chief growth officer at Adukale, who traced the path to scaling consumer brands through insight-led innovation. Rounding out the ecosystem deep-dive were Rajnish Gupta (chief sales officer, South Cluster) and Ravi Mayank (national sales head, Kannada Cluster), who dissected ‘Z’s customised packages and omnichannel strength showing how regional nuance plus digital precision can drive measurable returns.
Speaking about the Mysuru chapter, Laxmi Shetty said, “Mysuru has always been a hub of creativity, culture and emerging enterprise, and R.I.S.E is our way of channelling that energy into actionable growth pathways. We’re not just offering media solutions, we’re building an integrated growth engine that unites content, data and distribution to unlock meaningful scale.”
Conceptualised as a flagship trust-building initiative, R.I.S.E positions ‘Z’ as a partner in growth, equipping businesses with the tools to translate media investments into measurable outcomes. It also functions as a rare confluence point for India’s marketing ecosystem uniting brand builders, VCs, retail forces, digital disruptors and SMEs looking to scale, sharpen and innovate.
With the Mysuru edition, Zee has tightened its grip on India’s expanding advertiser landscape, doubling down on regional engagement and reaffirming its push towards innovation-led, future-ready advertising.
In a market where attention is fragmented and ambition is soaring, R.I.S.E Mysuru proved one thing unmistakably, sometimes, elevation is all about the company you keep and the ecosystem that lifts you.
GECs
Samsung TV Plus launches Kings of Comedy channel
New free FAST channel brings iconic Hindi comedy shows to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners.
MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus has just turned up the laughter volume and it’s completely free. The leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in India has launched Kings of Comedy, a premium comedy channel featuring some of the country’s most beloved primetime shows. Available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, the channel delivers back-to-back hits including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Khatra Khatra Khatra, and Comedy Nights Bachao, with no login or subscription required.
The launch marks a milestone for free streaming in India, offering audiences a dedicated comedy destination directly from their Samsung TV home screen. It arrives as Samsung TV Plus India celebrates its 5th anniversary, during which the service has grown its monthly active users by 42 per cent and more than doubled its total viewing hours. The platform now offers over 180 free channels across 14 languages.
Samsung TV Plus India general manager and head of business development Kunal Mehta said, “Comedy is the heartbeat of Hindi entertainment, and Kings of Comedy brings together the shows Indians already love, completely free on their Samsung TV. Our focus remains the same take the content people know and make it effortless to access.”
Globally, Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users across more than 4,500 channels, solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading free streaming services.
Kings of Comedy is now available on all compatible Samsung Smart TVs. For viewers seeking non-stop laughter without any cost, this new channel delivers a royal treat proving that sometimes the best entertainment really does come with no strings (or subscriptions) attached.
