Afaqs!

Kumar steps away after leading TV9 Network’s healthcare business as National Head. Sanjeet Kumar has stepped down from TV9 Network after a 5-year-7-month stint with the network. He most recently served as national head - healthcare, a role he took up in July 2024 after serving as business head - healthcare for over three years. During his tenure, he worked on building the network’s healthcare business and partnerships.

He moves from Aditya Birla Capital’s NBFC business to lead marketing, brand and PR at Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund. Parag Murudkar has joined Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund (ABSLMF) as head of marketing, where he will lead marketing, brand and PR. Murudkar moves to the asset management business from Aditya Birla Capital’s NBFC business, where he was Marketing Head. In his new role, he will bring his experience from the financial services sector to the asset management space.

The dentsu veteran steps away after over a decade with the network. Kartik Iyer, chief operating officer, dentsu India, has retired from the network after over three decades in the media and advertising industry. Iyer joined dentsu in 2008 and was appointed COO of dentsu India in 2021. During his tenure, he led agencies including Carat, Amplifi and Vizeum, working with brands such as GM, Philips, Muthoot, Adidas, Microsoft, MasterCard, Mattel, Total and SCA.

He moves from Aditya Birla Capital’s NBFC business to lead marketing, brand and PR at Aditya Birla Sun Life. Parag Murudkar has joined Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund (ABSLMF) as head of marketing, where he will lead marketing, brand and PR. Murudkar moves to the asset management business from Aditya Birla Capital’s NBFC business, where he was Marketing Head. In his new role, he will bring his experience from the financial services sector to the asset management space.

The Tukaram Mundhe-led Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a nine-page show-cause notice to actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff for allegedly indirectly promoting pan masala through a ‘Vimal Elaichi’ advertisement. The FDA has directed the actors to immediately discontinue their participation in the campaign and remove promotional content related to the advertisement from their official social media handles.

NDTV has unveiled a new brand identity anchored in the thought ‘When It Really Matters’, as NDTV 24x7 becomes simply NDTV. The move reflects the changing way audiences consume news across television, websites, apps, social media, streaming and Connected TV. The transition is intended to position NDTV as one news brand across platforms, rather than one defined by its 24-hour television format.

Hero Future Energies (HFE), the renewable energy arm of the Hero Group, has appointed two-time Olympic medallist and 2019 World Champion PV Sindhu as its brand ambassador. The partnership brings together Sindhu’s sporting achievements and HFE’s work in renewable energy. While Sindhu has represented India on the global sporting stage, HFE is focused on renewable energy and supporting the transition towards a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.

Ahead of the World Television Premiere of Border 2, Zee Cinema has taken the film’s Independence Day campaign beyond television and digital platforms, with activations across more than 40 cities. The campaign is built around the themes of pride, courage and the spirit of the armed forces, bringing the world of Border 2 to audiences through on-ground celebrations and community engagement. As part of the campaign, Zee Cinema launched the Border 2 Tiranga Yatra in Jaipur.

The channel, set to launch in October 2026, will feature fiction, reality formats, movies and tentpole entertainment rooted in Tamil culture. Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has unveiled Sony VIZHA, the name and identity of its upcoming Tamil general entertainment channel, which is set to launch in October 2026. The channel will feature original fiction, global reality formats, movies and tentpole entertainment across television and digital.

Zee Media Corporation Limited (ZMCL) has announced its consolidated financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. The company reported operating revenue of Rs 190.85 crore, up 4.7% year-on-year from Rs182.36 crore in Q1 FY26. Operating expenditure stood at Rs 174.59 crore, while operating profit (EBITDA) was Rs 16.26 crore. Advertising revenue increased 47.7% YoY to Rs 179.71 crore, compared with Rs121.66 crore in Q1 FY26.