In a major move for India’s creative and business education landscape, Whistling Woods International (WWI) and the Indian Institute of Management Mumbai (IIM Mumbai) have officially announced the formation of a high-level Advisory Board to support their new MBA in Media & Entertainment programme. The initiative marks a strategic collaboration designed to bridge academic learning with real-world industry expertise.
The newly created Advisory Board features top names from across India’s media and entertainment ecosystem, representing cinema, OTT, television, sports, gaming, animation, VFX, music, events, communication, and digital platforms. With this collective talent pool, the programme aims to develop future-ready professionals who understand both creative culture and business strategy.
Speaking about the development, Meghna Ghai Puri, President of Whistling Woods International, expressed pride in the industry response. She stated that bringing together experts of such range and seniority would ensure students gain relevant exposure and an understanding of how the market is evolving globally. According to her, the board is not just symbolic; it is designed to actively shape training modules, practical projects, internships, and the overall direction of the course.
Adding to this, Prof. Manoj Tiwari, Director at IIM Mumbai, highlighted that the composition of the board reflects the holistic vision of the MBA. With leaders from every major vertical in the M&E space, the programme is expected to offer insights into both established and emerging industry models. He emphasised that students will benefit from mentorship, live case studies, and applied learning opportunities sourced directly from industry partners.
Advisory Board Members
A distinguished lineup of industry icons will steer the academic and strategic blueprint of the programme:
Shashikanth Someshwar (Weber Shandwick)
Ashish Saksena (BookMyShow)
Apoorva Mehta (Dharma Productions)
Ajit Andhare (Viacom18 Studios)
Ashish Pherwani (Ernst & Young)
Ashish Kulkarni (Punnaryug Artvision)
Atul Churamani (Turnkey Music & Publishing)
Akshat Rathee (Nodwin Gaming)
Dinesh Vijan (Maddock Films)
Devraj Sanyal (Universal Music Group)
Gaurav Gandhi (Amazon Prime Video)
Keitan Yadav (Red Chillies VFX)
Manvendra Shukul (Lakshya Digital / Keywords Studios)
Nitish Mittersain (Nazara Technologies)
Prashant Khanna (JioStar)
Rajiv Chilaka (Green Gold Animation)
Rajan Navani (Jetline Group / Jetsynthesys)
Roshan Abbas (Kommune India)
Sameer Nair (Applause Entertainment)
Samit Garg (E Factor Experiences)
Vinit Karnik (WPP Media)
Going forward, the Advisory Board will meet periodically to advise on curriculum upgrades, facilitate industry partnerships, connect students to talent pipelines, and ensure training standards remain aligned with the shifting dynamics of the global entertainment economy.
With this proactive initiative, WWI and IIM Mumbai are positioning their MBA in Media & Entertainment as one of India’s most industry-integrated postgraduate programmes — one that prepares graduates to lead, create, and innovate in the country’s fast-expanding creative sector.
Subscribe Deshwale on YouTube
