Television
Sony Pictures Networks India appoints Harsh Deep Chhabra as head of strategy and new business
The veteran media and advertising executive joins from Godrej Consumer Products, where he ran global media
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India has a new strategist. The broadcaster has appointed Harsh Deep Chhabra as head of strategy and new business, a newly created role that will sit directly under Gaurav Banerjee, managing director and chief executive of SPNI.
Chhabra comes with over two decades of experience straddling media, advertising and digital, and arrives at SPNI from Godrej Consumer Products, where he served as global media head, driving integrated media strategies across markets. Before that, he was senior vice-president at Mindshare, the GroupM agency, where he led the Unilever relationship for South Asia. His career also spans stints at Zee Entertainment, Turner International, Radio City and GroupM, giving him an unusually broad view of the media value chain from both the buying and selling sides.
In his new role, Chhabra will be responsible for shaping SPNI’s long-term strategic direction, identifying new growth opportunities and partnering with business units to push topline growth and sharpen cost efficiency. He will also lead the evaluation and incubation of new business lines aligned with the network’s growth agenda.
Banerjee said Chhabra’s ability to translate insights into decisive, high-impact strategies would be instrumental as SPNI accelerates its growth plans. Chhabra, for his part, called the moment “pivotal” for the industry and said he was looking forward to building future-ready capabilities alongside the leadership team.
SPNI, formally known as Culver Max Entertainment, operates 28 channels, the Sony LIV streaming platform and Studio NEXT, and reaches over 700 million viewers in India.
A network that spans television, streaming and original content now has a dedicated strategist hunting for what comes next. The question is how much runway it has to find it.
Sports
Pluckk partners Pickleball Maharashtra Open 2026 as freshness partner
Event from 1 to 3 May in Mumbai to feature clean-label food and experience zone.
MUMBAI: Game, set, snack because even the fastest rallies need a fresh refill. Pluckk, a fresh food-focused digital brand, has been named the Official Freshness Partner for the Pickleball Maharashtra Open 2026, set to take place from 1 to 3 May at the Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai. Organised by the Maharashtra Pickleball Association, the tournament brings together a growing community around one of India’s fastest-rising sports.
As part of the partnership, Pluckk will introduce an on-ground ‘Experience Zone’, offering athletes and attendees access to quick, clean and functional food options throughout the three-day event. The spread will include 100 per cent natural tender coconut water, cold-pressed juices and plant-based protein bars, all positioned as no-added-sugar, no-preservative alternatives.
The collaboration reflects a broader shift in sports culture, where nutrition is becoming as central as performance. Pickleball’s rapid rise from a niche pastime to a fitness-driven community sport has created space for brands to plug into lifestyle narratives beyond the game itself.
For Pluckk, the association is as much about visibility as it is about positioning. By embedding itself within an active sports ecosystem, the brand is pitching fresh, clean eating as a seamless extension of movement, recovery and everyday wellness.
With the Maharashtra Pickleball Association aiming to expand the sport’s reach and engagement, the addition of nutrition-led experiences adds another layer to the event’s appeal. And for players and spectators alike, the message is clear: staying energised on court now comes with a side of clean convenience.
