Sony Appoints Disney Veteran Gaurav Banerjee as New CEO for India: Report
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In a significant leadership shake-up, Japan’s Sony has appointed Gaurav Banerjee, a prominent Walt Disney executive, as its new chief executive for India. This move comes as Sony aims to bolster its television and media businesses in the region. Sources familiar with the development shared this information with Reuters on Tuesday.
Gaurav Banerjee, who recently resigned from his roles at Disney’s India unit, was instrumental in steering content strategy for the streaming service Hotstar and overseeing business operations for Disney’s TV channels in Hindi-speaking markets. He is expected to join Sony in approximately two months, according to one of the sources.
Both Sony and Banerjee have yet to comment on the appointment, and Disney has declined to make any statements regarding his departure.
This leadership transition follows an announcement last week that Sony was in search of a successor to its current India chief executive, N.P. Singh, who is stepping down.
Sony operates a diverse portfolio of 26 channels in India, ranging from general entertainment and sports to movies, in addition to its streaming service. Recently, the company abandoned a planned merger with India’s Zee Entertainment, which would have formed a $10 billion enterprise.
Banerjee’s departure from Disney comes at the same time as the American corporation is working to get Indian regulators to approve the combination of its media holdings with Reliance, a billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s conglomerate. The largest entertainment firm in India is to be created by this combination.
Gaurav Banerjee’s transition to Sony marks a pivotal moment for the company as it navigates the competitive Indian media landscape, seeking to leverage Banerjee’s extensive experience and innovative vision.