GECs
ZEE wins big at Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards ’21
Mumbai: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has won three key awards at the prestigious and globally acclaimed Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards 2021. The media company bagged silver for ‘Best Advance in Custom Content’ and bronze for ‘Best Advance in Employee Engagement’ and ‘Best Unique or Innovative Learning and Development Program’.
The awards feature two annual programs recognising the best organisations that have successfully deployed programs, strategies, modalities, processes, systems and tools that have achieved measurable results. ZEE has been felicitated amongst the best in the list of global companies, recognising its employee focussed learning and development initiatives and a people-first approach.
In line with the evolving media and entertainment ecosystem, ZEE is nurturing its pool of talent by building a strong employee value proposition revolving around three key tentpoles of being an ‘Academy of Talent’ in the M&E industry, cherishing its roots by celebrating the proud legacy of the brand, its values, culture, traditions and building a safe and secure workplace. The company has successfully implemented learning and development initiatives for its employees despite headwinds faced by the sector during the lockdown, said the company in a statement.
Some of these programs include increase in the quantum and coverage of learning initiatives (13,000+ man-hours of learning clocked across its offices during FY21, access to online learning courses on global e-learning platforms like Coursera and Udemy, access to e-books of different genres through a tie-up with the new-age platform – Librarywala), ZEEcademy – an online learning experience platform hosting all learning needs in one place and digitalisation – building employee capabilities to adapt to the existing business practices through new digital methods, it added.
Speaking on the recognition, ZEEL, president- HR and transformation, Animesh Kumar said, “Learning and development efforts have been a foundation stone of our strong employee engagement strategy and we are honoured that the same have been recognised at the globally renowned Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards 2021. This recognition is a testament of our continued commitment towards enhancing the overall employee value proposition at ZEE. As an ‘Academy of Talent’, we continue to focus on initiatives that enhance our capability building programs and encourage our people to perform to their fullest potential.”
Capability building has been one of ZEE’s key focus areas and the company has been substantively increasing the quantum and coverage of its learning initiatives. Keeping gamification at the core, the company partnered with Upside Learning, a player in the digital learning space, to create a story-based employee induction experience with gamified elements to engage the new talent.
“It is an honor to be recognised by the esteemed Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards for our partnership with ZEE. We’re extremely proud to have developed high-quality learning and development experiences for ZEE, keeping gamification at the heart of the program, that have enhanced the company’s overall engagement with its talented workforce,” said Upside Learning Solutions’ founder and CEO, Amit Garg.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
