Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) laid off over 100 employees last week as part of a restructuring exercise, according to sources.
Last month, it was reported that as part of its revamped organisational structure, a workforce rationalisation exercise could impact nearly 180 to 200 employees.
According to sources, the layoffs have taken place across departments, except at SonyLIV, the digital arm of the network. Among those asked to depart are Subhashree Prasad, Distribution Marketing Head; Sujoy Roy Bardhan, Marketing Head, Sony YAY!; and some professionals at the Vice President level as well, sources said. Some of them will be leaving by the end of this month.
Sources indicate that the exercise is part of a broader cost rationalisation effort amid a challenging advertising environment. The restructuring spans multiple departments, indicating a company-wide review of roles and team structures.
Sources further added that employees impacted by the exercise are expected to receive severance linked to their tenure with the company, with compensation structured on a months-of-pay basis corresponding to the number of years served.
However, some company sources indicated that the actual number of employees affected could be lower than initial estimates, and that the rationalisation may impact around 10 percent of SPNI’s total workforce, which is estimated at approximately 1,200 employees.
“The number of employees who may be affected is somewhere around 150,” a source had earlier said, adding that the company is looking to balance cost efficiencies while ensuring continuity in key operations.
We reached out to the broadcaster for official comment but did not receive a response at the time of filing the article.
Earlier, when media had reported about the layoff, the company had said the numbers were “speculative and baseless.” However, the broadcaster had not denied the development itself, only disputing the figures cited, indicating that while the scale may vary, restructuring cannot be ruled out.
Recently, Harsh Sheth was appointed as the Business Head of Sony Entertainment Television (SET). Mihir Sanghvi moved out of SPNI last month from his position as EVP and Head of Commercial, Procurement and Sustainability.
Announcing the leadership alignment on January 16, SPNI said that as part of its updated operating model, it would empower its content clusters with end-to-end ownership across content strategy, programming, marketing, and on-air promotions (OAP) for both linear and digital platforms. It onboarded Nachiket Pantvaidya to lead Sony Entertainment Television (SET), Sony Marathi, and Movie Production; Ajay Bhalwankar to lead Sony SAB, the Movies cluster, FTA, and infotainment channels; Rajaraman Sundaram to lead the company’s regional expansion into the South; and Ambesh Tiwari to lead Sony AATH, along with the Kids business.
To execute a unified monetisation approach across linear and digital platforms, SPNI consolidated key revenue streams across ad sales, distribution, sports, and international business.
This revenue engine is now headed by Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer. Under Kaul, the team includes Akshay Agrawal, who has been elevated as Head – Linear Ad Sales; Makarand Palekar, elevated as Head – Linear Distribution; Ranjana Mangla, who currently heads digital ad sales and now additionally handles the company’s YouTube growth strategy; and Manish Aggarwal, who leads Sony LIV’s B2B and syndication business.
The broadcaster has witnessed several key exits and appointments in 2025. The latest confirmed departure from SPNI is Danish Khan, Business Head of SonyLIV, who will exit the company by March 31, 2026, ending over 20 years of service. Khan played a pivotal role in scaling SonyLIV, building Studio NEXT, and delivering iconic TV and digital properties.
Tushar Shah, CMO and Business Head, stepped down in November after 19 years. Soha D. Kulkarni, Vice President and Creative Director – Fiction Programming, exited in September after 8.5 years. Sandeep Mehrotra, Head of Ad Sales – Network Channels, quit in July due to personal reasons.
SPNI also made appointments in 2025. Gautam Jain joined Sony SAB as Content Lead in August. Suvonkar Banerjee became Creative Director of Studio NEXT in March. Rajaraman S. was appointed Head of Content Strategy in January.
Parinda Singh took charge as Head of Marketing for the Hindi Movie Cluster and Sony Marathi in January. Ambesh Tiwari assumed the role of Business Head for Kids and Animation on January 1, succeeding Leena Lele Dutta.
