Gaurav Banerjee appointed as MD, Sony Pictures Networks India

Former Disney executive Gaurav Banerjee was appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Pictures Networks India on Monday. The appointment shall be made effective by Aug. 26 after regulatory approvals, the company said in a statement.

Banerjee will succeed NP Singh, who will move into the role of non-executive chairman after a 25-year tenure, it said. Singh is set to move into the new role only after Banerjee takes charge, to support the transition through the end of the fiscal year.

Banerjee’s appointment follows Singh’s decision to move on, which was announced last month.

“NP Singh’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping SPNI into the powerhouse it is today. I am confident that Gaurav Banerjee, with his proven track record and visionary approach, will continue to drive SPNI’s success,” said Ravi Ahuja, Chairman of Global Television Studios and President and Chief Operating Officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Banerjee had previously held the position of Head of Content for Hindi Entertainment & Disney+Hotstar. He was also the Business Head for Star Bharat, Hindi & English Movies, Kids & Infotainment, and Regional (East), as per the statement.

He started his career in media as an assistant producer and anchor at Aaj Tak, and later moved to Star News. Banerjee has a master’s degree in filmmaking and TV production from Jamia Millia Islamia University, and an undergraduate in history from St. Stephens, Delhi, as per the company’s report.

The Japanese parent of SPNI had pushed for Singh to lead the merged entity proposed to be formed after amalgamation with India’s Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., before calling off the $10 billion deal in January this year.

The deal was announced more than two years ago. It had collapsed following a stalemate over who would lead the merged entity and also due to ZEEL’s failure to meet closing conditions despite a month’s extension of the deadline. PTI