Sony India CHRO appointee Amit Mehta will join Sony Pictures Networks India’s senior management team on October 1, 2026. He succeeds Manu Wadhwa, who will remain connected to the broadcaster as strategy adviser, creating a defined handover rather than an abrupt leadership break.
- Amit Mehta becomes Chief Human Resources Officer effective October 1.
- He joins from upGrad, where he led the people agenda as CHRO.
- Outgoing CHRO Manu Wadhwa will continue with SPNI as strategy adviser.
Everyone else is reporting an appointment; we are explaining what the continuity arrangement means. The combination of a new people leader and an outgoing executive retained as adviser gives SPNI a bridge for institutional knowledge while placing day-to-day people strategy under new ownership.
What the Sony India CHRO appointment changes
SPNI’s company statement, reproduced by Adgully on September 10, says Mehta will lead the People & Organisation function and join the senior management team. Exchange4media and ETHRWorld independently reported the same appointment and October 1 effective date.
Mehta arrives from upGrad, where he was Chief Human Resources Officer. Before that, he spent more than 14 years at Hindustan Unilever, most recently as HR Head–Home Care and Leadership Development, South Asia, according to the company statement. His earlier work covered talent, leadership development, employer brand, organisation design and business HR.
| Item | Verified detail |
|---|---|
| Appointee | Amit Mehta |
| Role | Chief Human Resources Officer |
| Start date | October 1, 2026 |
| Previous employer | upGrad |
| Predecessor | Manu Wadhwa, continuing as strategy adviser |
Why the advisory handover matters
A CHRO transition affects hiring, performance systems, leadership development, organisational design and employee experience. Retaining Wadhwa as strategy adviser can preserve context on decisions already in motion while Mehta assumes executive accountability. The announcement does not specify the duration, reporting line or scope of the advisory role.
That boundary matters. A useful transition separates advice from operating authority so employees and business heads know who makes decisions. SPNI says Mehta will join senior management, which clearly places him in the executive team, but it has not published a revised organisation chart or transition timetable beyond the effective date.
What Mehta’s background signals
Mehta’s experience spans a large consumer-goods organisation and a founder-led education technology company. SPNI managing director and chief executive Gaurav Banerjee said that combination would be valuable as the business builds leadership capability, culture and employee experience for its next phase.
Those are management intentions, not measured outcomes. The appointment announcement provides no headcount target, restructuring plan, cost programme or new workplace policy. Claims that the hire signals layoffs, a merger step or a specific business reorganisation would go beyond the evidence.
The practical milestones are observable: leadership roles filled on time, consistent people policies across businesses, manager capability and continuity in employee processes. SPNI has not announced metrics, so the first reliable evidence will come from later company disclosures and operating changes rather than the appointment release itself.
Mehta’s stated remit also needs to be separated from SPNI’s commercial and editorial functions. A CHRO shapes the systems that support employees and leaders, but the announcement does not put content commissioning, advertising sales or streaming operations under him. The appointment is material to organisational execution without being evidence of a new programming or product strategy.
For employees, the October 1 date provides a clear point of accountability. The advisory arrangement could help preserve context on ongoing talent reviews and leadership programmes, while Mehta’s senior-team seat gives him access to company-wide decisions. Whether that produces faster or more consistent execution will depend on later implementation, not the biographies in the release.
Leadership context in Indian media and technology
Lapaas Voice recently covered upGrad combining its legal and HR leadership under Koell Hemdev and Zee elevating Hema V.R. to lead its Marathi channels. Mehta’s move connects those stories: he leaves upGrad as SPNI installs a dedicated people leader inside its senior team.
The Sony India CHRO appointment is therefore best read as an accountable succession with advisory continuity. It confirms who owns the people function from October 1, but it does not by itself establish how SPNI’s workforce strategy will change.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the new Sony India CHRO?
Amit Mehta is the incoming Chief Human Resources Officer of Sony Pictures Networks India. He joins the senior management team on October 1, 2026.
Where did Amit Mehta work before SPNI?
He most recently served as CHRO at upGrad and earlier spent more than 14 years at Hindustan Unilever.
What happens to outgoing CHRO Manu Wadhwa?
SPNI said Wadhwa will continue her association with the company as strategy adviser. The announcement did not specify the duration of that role.
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