Sony Pictures Network India MD & CEO Gaurav Banerjee is Chairman of CII National M&E Council

By Pickle August 7, 2025

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has announced Gaurav Banerjee, Managing Director and CEO of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), as the Chairman of its National Council on Media & Entertainment (M&E) for 2025-26. The announcement underscores CII’s commitment to advancing India’s M&E sector through its annual theme of “Accelerating Competitiveness, globalisation, inclusivity, sustainability, trust” prioritizing policy advocacy, regulatory reforms, skilling, and create in India for the world under Gaurav Banerjee’s leadership.

A Visionary Leader for a Transformative Era

With over two decades of experience, Gaurav Banerjee is renowned for blending creative excellence with business leadership at SPNI, where hespearheads innovations in content, digital platforms, and audience engagement. Gaurav Banerjee also serves as the chairman of BARC India. His leadership comes as India’s M&E sector, projected to be a cornerstone of India’s economic growth, seeks to balance rapid technological adoption with trust-building and inclusive development.

“At a time when the world is looking to India for inspiration, our media and entertainment industry is uniquely positioned to reflect our distinct cultural ethos while driving global narratives,” said Gaurav Banerjee. “Our focus will be on fostering an ecosystem rooted in trust—where policy frameworks empower innovation, Creative-tech, and growth that generates opportunities for the creative economy.”

Strategic Pillars: Trust, Policy, and Progress

As Chairman, Gaurav Banerjee will champion initiatives that align with CII’s annual theme:

Policy Advocacy & Regulatory Reforms: Collaborating with government bodies to streamline regulations, combat piracy, while ensuring content integrity and fair competition.
Technology and Creativity Synergy: Harnessing AI and emerging tools to enhance content personalization, production efficiency, and ethical storytelling, while preserving India’s cultural identity.
Skilling and Job Creation: Launching upskilling programs with Indian Institute of Creative Technologies to prepare talent for AI-driven roles in animation, VFX, and AR/VR, ensuring India’s youth lead the sector’s evolution.
Building Global-Indian Content: Promoting co-productions and partnerships that showcase India’s stories globally, backed by cutting-edge technology and creativity.

Driving an Inclusive, Future-Ready Ecosystem

The CII M&E Council will prioritize bridging gaps between industry stakeholders, academia, and policymakers to address challenges such as content monetization, data privacy, and equitable access to technology. Gaurav Banerjee highlighted the need for “a regulatory framework that encourage innovation without compromising accountability,” particularly in fast-evolving areas like generative AI.

Gaurav Banerjee is a celebrated leader in India’s M&E sector, steering SPNI as MD & CEO to new heights through strategic content investments and digital transformation. A staunch advocate for technology’s role in democratizing storytelling, he has championed initiatives that blend creative risk-taking with fiscal discipline. His leadership at CII will further solidify India’s position as a content powerhouse built on innovation, trust, and inclusivity. He is a filmmaker by training and started working at Aaj Tak as a journalist in the year 2000.