Sony Marathi’s Kon Honar Crorepati ropes in brands across 11 categories

MUMBAI: The hot seat is getting a brand new set of backers as Sony Marathi’s Kon Honar Crorepati (KHC) returns with a sponsor line-up spanning technology, jewellery, food, finance and more. Premiering on 12 October 2026, the knowledge-based game show will see Madhuri Dixit make her debut as a game show host, with a roster of advertisers looking to turn the franchise’s mix of questions, aspirations and life-changing prizes into an opportunity to connect with viewers.

Built around the theme ‘Aata Khel Badalnaar’, the new season has ChatGPT and PNG Jewellers as co-presenting sponsors. The co-powered-by partners are Fortune+ Soyabean Oil, Avaada, Yas Island Abu Dhabi and SMFG India Credit, while Cotton King, Nirma Salt, Vikram Tea, Joy Personal Care and Sunder Super Coconut Cookies have joined as special partners. Ghadi Detergent and Mutual Funds Sahi Hai round out the line-up as associate sponsors.

The breadth of the roster highlights how a familiar television format can appeal to brands with very different consumer priorities. From jewellery and apparel to clean energy, travel and financial services, the partners cover a wide range of everyday purchases and aspirations. The line-up also includes technology, beverages, personal care and food, giving the show a mix of categories seeking visibility among Marathi-speaking households.

For Sony Marathi, the challenge is to make these partnerships work beyond the conventional advertising break. The show’s format offers brands an opportunity to associate themselves with moments of curiosity, decision-making and achievement, rather than relying solely on traditional commercial spots. The extent to which those integrations translate into audience engagement, however, will depend on how naturally they fit into the viewing experience.

The association with ChatGPT brings artificial intelligence into the game show’s knowledge-led setting. OpenAI’s India marketing head Sheeladitya Mohanty said the collaboration places the technology within a familiar cultural and linguistic context for Marathi audiences. The integration, through a feature called Vichaar Saathi, is intended to position ChatGPT as a tool that can extend people’s knowledge while leaving judgement in their hands.

“Building meaningful access to AI in India requires an understanding of the languages and cultural contexts that shape how people learn, think, and engage,” Mohanty said. He added that bringing the initiative to Marathi audiences connects AI’s capabilities with their curiosity and aspirations.

For PNG Jewellers, the association draws on the programme’s reach across Maharashtra and its emphasis on personal achievement. Chairman and managing director Dr Saurabh Gadgil said the jeweller, which has a history spanning more than 194 years, sees common ground between the show’s focus on aspiration and its own association with family celebrations and milestones.

The company is joining as co-presenting sponsor, giving it a prominent position alongside ChatGPT. Gadgil said the partnership would help PNG Jewellers deepen its engagement with consumers across the state while becoming part of the journeys and memorable moments featured on the programme.

The co-powered-by partnerships bring a different set of objectives to the table. Fortune+ Soyabean Oil category and media head Jignesh Shah described the show as a platform built on trust, aspiration and the importance of making the right choice. For the cooking oil brand, the association is intended to strengthen its position as an everyday choice for Indian families by drawing on the programme’s family appeal.

Financial services brand SMFG India Credit is looking to connect with audiences through the language of aspiration and financial empowerment. Managing director and chief executive Ravi Narayanan said the partnership reflects the company’s interest in reaching customers in the language with which they are most comfortable. He linked the show’s themes of ambition, determination and progress with the company’s positioning, ‘Pragati ki Nayi Pehchaan’, or a new identity of progress.

Clean-energy company Avaada is also using the platform to connect its message with household aspirations. Founder and chairman Vineet Mittal said the programme’s emphasis on knowledge, confidence and determination aligns with the group’s vision of empowering people to build a brighter future. The partnership offers the company a route to reach households in Maharashtra through a mainstream entertainment property.

The remaining partners broaden the commercial mix further. Yas Island Abu Dhabi brings travel into the line-up, while Cotton King represents apparel. Nirma Salt, Vikram Tea, Joy Personal Care and Sunder Super Coconut Cookies add everyday consumer categories, with Ghadi Detergent and Mutual Funds Sahi Hai joining as associate sponsors.

Akshay Agrawal, head of linear ad sales at Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), said the breadth of advertisers reflects the franchise’s established relationships with the market and its ability to attract brands from varied sectors. He said advertisers were increasingly seeking bespoke ways to participate in content and audience experiences, rather than focusing only on visibility.

“With Madhuri Dixit at the helm as host, the IP brings together scale, familiarity and strong audience affinity,” Agrawal said, adding that the response from advertisers reinforced the franchise’s potential as a platform for relevance and engagement.

The season’s commercial strategy rests on a combination of the show’s established familiarity and its new host. Dixit’s debut in the game-show format gives the Marathi property a fresh on-screen draw, while the sponsor line-up demonstrates the range of categories willing to associate with its audience proposition. The key test will be whether the partnerships deliver experiences that feel connected to the programme rather than interrupting its central game of knowledge and chance.

Kon Honar Crorepati will premiere on 12 October 2026 and air Monday to Saturday at 9 pm on Sony Marathi and Sony LIV.