Sony’s NP Singh Era Ends!

The entertainment industry doyen, NP Singh, MD, Sony Pictures Network India wraps up his well-lived tenure propelling the network’s growth.

Search for successor of NP Singh

NP Singh, MD and CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India on May 24 has asked the organization to find his successor, and until then, he will continue in his current role as MD & CEO of Sony Pictures Network.
Singh will continue to lead SPNI until the company finds the right person to take over. Singh rose from the post of CFO of Sony India in 1999 to CEO in 2019. He was also the chief operating officer (COO) of the company.
“Today, I have a significant update to share. After nearly 44 years in my career, including a rewarding 25-year tenure at SPNI, I have decided to move on from my role as MD and CEO. Having reached many significant milestones with our team, I am now ready to focus on social change and shift from operational roles to advisory ones,” Singh said in a press release.
Singh will continue to lead SPNI until the company finds the right person to take over. The company has begun a structured succession planning process for his successor.
“However, my commitment to SPNI and its success remains strong. During my time here, we have established industry benchmarks, expanded our reach, and achieved many noteworthy accomplishments. I am dedicated to ensuring our legacy of success continues and grows under the new leadership,” he said.
“I understand there may be speculation during this time, so I urge everyone to rely on our official updates. We are committed to sharing timely and transparent information through our established channels and will communicate any definitive updates directly,” the MD and CEO added in his note.
An alumnus of the Delhi School of Economics, Singh completed his Master's programme from the institute and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce from the University of Delhi.
Earlier, Singh held several leadership positions across finance and operations in organisations like Modi Xerox, Spice Telecom, ModiCorp and Hindustan Copper Limited

The Man of Mettle

In 1999, SET India, launched its second channel Sony Max, which broadcast Hindi movies and sporting events, and proved to be a massive success.
Singh was elevated to the position of COO in 2004, a year before SET India Network bought SAB TV from Sri Adhikari Brothers and rebranded it as Sony SAB.
In 2006 SET India launched the English movie channel Sony Pix.
In December 2007, SET India was renamed Multi Screen Media and it was rebranded once again in December 2015 when the company came to be known in its current avatar of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI).
In his 25 years with the network Singh has catalysed the network’s growth and witnessed the evolution of the media industry in the country.
While general entertainment has been its bread and butter, the network forayed into sports in 2002 after acquiring the media rights for International Cricket Council (ICC) matches from 2002 to 2007 that were beamed over SET and Sony Max. Sony also held the broadcast rights for the coveted Indian Premier League for 10 years starting 2008.
Perhaps, the biggest coup for Sony under Singh’s watch was whisking away Kaun Banega Crorepati from Star Plus in its fourth season in 2010.
In his letter to employees, Singh reiterated his commitment to Sony and its success. “During my time here, we have established industry benchmarks, expanded our reach, and achieved many noteworthy accomplishments. I am dedicated to ensuring our legacy of success continues and grows under the new leadership.”
He urged employees not to speculate and to rely on official updates. “We are committed to sharing timely and transparent information through our established channels and will communicate any definitive updates directly,” he wrote.
Known in the entertainment industry as an affable, yet spotlight-shy executive, Singh was always bottom-line driven, earning him the nickname “CFO in a CEO role” from rivals—a moniker he took as a compliment. During various interviews, Singh always emphasised “growing profitably” and generating “reasonable returns” for shareholders.

Editor’s Note

Many wondered if Singh’s moving has anything to do with the termination of the $10-billion merger agreement with Zee Entertainment Enterprises. The deal had been in the works for more than two years and received necessary regulatory approvals too before ending in a bitter fallout in January 2024 when Sony decided to walk away. Insiders say, Singh’s move had been decided at least three years ago – he was there to oversee a transition, if it were to happen.