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Category: Brands

  • Indya signs Shraddha Kapoor as brand ambassador

    Indya signs Shraddha Kapoor as brand ambassador

    Mumbai: High Street Essentials-owned women fashion brand Indya has signed Bollywood actor Shraddha Kapoor as its first brand ambassador. The star will be promoting its contemporary Indian ethnic wear in a variety of campaigns across media platforms, said the brand.

    The announcement comes with the launch of Indya’s first campaign and digital film ‘That’s My Indya’, featuring Kapoor. Debunking common and unpopular opinions about Indian and traditional festive wear, the campaign sets the tone for the brand’s modern Indian design philosophy and positioning, it said in a statement.

    “Shraddha personifies the millennial Indian woman that our brand is centered on – independent, aware and rooted in her being yet modern in her outlook,” said Indya co-founders Tanvi Malik and Shivani Poddar. “Our association with her is a step towards strengthening the connection with our customers and reaching out to millions of more women who will emotionally and sartorially associate with our brand.”

    “Indya has re-invented Indian fashion by beautifully capturing the essence of what the modern Indian woman is looking for today. My personal style preferences completely resonate with the experimental and fuss-free essence of the brand,” said Kapoor on the association.

    The digital spot shows Kapoor donning Indya’s Autumn Festive ’21 collection that is a stylistic melange of contemporary, fashion-forward designs. The ad film will be followed by a campaign shoot, stated the brand.

  • Sanfe onboards Radhika Apte as brand ambassador

    Sanfe onboards Radhika Apte as brand ambassador

    Mumbai: Feminine hygiene and intimate skincare brand Sanfe has signed on actor Radhika Apte as brand ambassador. With Apte on board, the brand hopes to focus on raising awareness on the importance of feminine intimate skincare, health, and sexual hygiene.

    Being unapologetically vocal for the right issues and causes as well as her bold outlook makes Radhika a perfect fit for being the face and voice for Sanfe, said the brand in a statement. “An encouraging voice like Radhika’s will help women choose Sanfe for their various silent and unnoticed, often unserved concerns,” it added.

    “Having Radhika on board gives us a sense of great confidence that we are on the right path towards being that solution to several silent needs of women,” said Sanfe co-founder Harry Sehrawat. “We visualise a modern world where women can openly choose to take care of their needs themselves and Radhika embodies that woman who our community of women can take inspiration from.”

    “Women today are openly acknowledging body positivity and confidence. This change is further fuelled by Sanfe which offers the choice of quality products and solutions across a women’s body cycle,” said Radhika on the brand association. “I applaud the insight and resulting range of products Sanfe has to offer which provide solutions to what we all needed but never thought to demand.”

    The products are available on Sanfe website as well as e-commerce platforms like Nykaa, Amazon, and Flipkart.

  • After online grocery delivery, Zomato pulls the plug on its nutraceutical business

    After online grocery delivery, Zomato pulls the plug on its nutraceutical business

    MUMBAI: Foodtech platform Zomato has shut down its Nutraceutical business. The development comes hours after the company decided to pull the plug on its grocery delivery business from 17 September, citing tough competition and moderate success.

    In 2020, Zomato had started its nutraceutical business with the launch of health and fitness products. The decision comes at a time when the government is turning stricter about private label norms for marketplace businesses in the country. The online food marketplace had tapped into the nutraceutical opportunity related to food products that offer medical or health benefits last year, expecting it to be a large value driver for Zomato.

     Zomato had earlier announced its decision to stop its grocery delivery service effective 17 September, mainly on account of gaps in order fulfillment, leading to poor customer experience. It had launched the pilot grocery delivery service in July this year in select markets offering grocery delivery within 45 minutes to its customers. The company also said that it believes that its investment in Grofers will generate better outcomes for its shareholders than in-house grocery efforts.

    In an email to its grocery partners, the online food delivery platform  said, “At Zomato, we believe in delivering best in class services to our customers and largest growth opportunities to our merchant partners. We don’t believe that the current model is the best way to deliver these to our customers and merchant partners. Hence, we intend to stop our pilot grocery delivery service effective 17 September, 2021”.

    The email mentioned that “store catalogues are very dynamic and inventory levels change frequently. This has led to gaps in order fulfillment, leading to poor customer experience”.

    In the same time period, the express delivery model, with under 15 minute delivery promise and near perfect fulfilment rates has been getting a lot of traction with customers and expanding rapidly, the company further said in the email. “We have realised that it is extremely difficult to pull off such a delivery promise with high fulfilment rates consistently, in a marketplace model (like ours),” the mail said.

    Zomato has invested $100 million (around Rs 745 crore) for acquiring a minority stake in grocery delivery platform Grofers.

  • Fino Payments Bank ropes in Pankaj Tripathi as brand ambassador

    Fino Payments Bank ropes in Pankaj Tripathi as brand ambassador

    Mumbai: Fino Payments Bank Ltd (FPBL) has brought on board actor Pankaj Tripathi as brand ambassador.

    During the two-year engagement effective 1 September, Tripathi will be the face of FPBL’s marketing campaigns across various platforms. He will work with the brand in promoting its products and services, said the statement.
    “This is Fino’s first-ever opportunity to have a brand ambassador, a milestone in itself,” said FPBL MD and CEO Rishi Gupta. “Pankaj’s personality resonates our brand values and we believe the association will go a long way in not only achieving the desired top-of-the-mind brand recall but also in bringing about a paradigm shift in consumer behaviour towards the adoption of digital banking.”     
    FPBL’s target segment, the emerging Indian customer is someone who has low levels of financial literacy, technology use, lacks financial inclusion and typically does not have access to basic banking services. On this front, the actor’s rich repertoire of rustic, familiar, and relatable characters across Hindi and regional films ring a bell, said the company in a statement.

    “The most important step on who would personify the brand, is the match between the brand’s attributes and those of the celebrity,” stated FPBL CMO Anand Bhatia. “Tripathi brings to the table a pan India connect and an appeal that is in sync with Fino Payments Bank’s values of being grounded, real, sincere, honest, competent, and hardworking. He is a self-made man, just like our self-made bank.”

    “When I heard about Fino’s ‘Fikar Not’ approach I was instantly connected to it as that is how I have lived my life,” said Pankaj Tripathi. “I owe my success perhaps to this way of thinking and that’s why I immediately agreed to associate with the brand.”

  • Fossil introduces Kriti Sanon as brand ambassador

    Fossil introduces Kriti Sanon as brand ambassador

    Mumbai: American watch and lifestyle company Fossil has announced its partnership with Bollywood actor Kriti Sanon as the brand’s newest celebrity ambassador in India. Sanon’s optimism and organic take on fashion closely align with Fossil’s dedication to authenticity and creative spirit, the brand said.

    Her collaboration with Fossil will extend to promoting the watch & accessory categories ranging from traditional & smartwatches to leather products and jewelry for women. Sanon will be seen in an upcoming brand campaign with fellow brand ambassador Varun Dhawan.

    “As one of the leading accessories brands in the country, Fossil has always endeavored to design watches, jewelry and leather goods that preserve a unique modern-vintage spirit and exemplify creativity and optimism. Our commitment to authenticity extends to our products as well as our people,” said Fossil Group India managing director Johnson Verghese. “Kriti’s chic, vibrant fashion sense perfectly expresses her authenticity, aligning with Fossil’s brand ethos and commitment towards being true to oneself.”

    “Crafting timeless styles through beautiful watches along with delicate jewelry and chic bags, the brand’s modern designs are the epitome of timeless style. Embracing the spirit of innovation and individuality, Fossil advocates authenticity that strongly resonates with my personal outlook towards style,” Kriti Sanon said.

  • Piramal Realty ropes in Rahul Dravid as brand ambassador

    Piramal Realty ropes in Rahul Dravid as brand ambassador

    Mumbai: Piramal Realty, the real estate arm of the Piramal Group, has roped in Rahul Dravid as a brand ambassador for its portfolio of residential projects in Mumbai comprising Piramal Mahalaxmi, Piramal Vaikunth, Piramal Revanta, Piramal Aranya, and Piramal Agastya, its state-of-the-art commercial project. 

     As part of its association, Dravid will collaborate with Piramal Realty, speaking directly to the brand’s customers with signature messages on the importance of home ownership. With his reliable and always positive approach on and off the field, the cricketer will be showcased embodying Piramal Realty’s core values of knowledge, action, care & impact, the brand stated. 

    The new association will be promoted with a 360-degree marketing campaign, including print, digital, outdoor, and social media, it added.

    Piramal Realty, chief operating officer, Gaurav Sawhney said, “Rahul Dravid embodies our philosophy of creating a positive impact on people’s lives. As a company, we are constantly evolving to provide a great customer experience that transcends from understanding consumer sentiments to creating developments that encourage community building. Having Rahul Dravid on board will help us enhance our purpose of ‘Doing well and Doing Good’, since he is not just an international sports icon, but also a source of inspiration for many around the world. Rahul Dravid’s qualities of being dependable, authentic, true, and impactful perfectly align with our brand values.”

    Commenting on the association, Rahul Dravid said, “A career in sports is impossible to manage without the support, guidance, and reassurance of family and friends. During tough times, and there always are, home is where we go. As an advocate for the brand, it gives me great pleasure to collaborate with Piramal Realty, which resonates with my own core belief of giving the best throughout the process.”

  • Equitas ropes in Rani Rampal & Smriti Mandhana as brand ambassadors

    Equitas ropes in Rani Rampal & Smriti Mandhana as brand ambassadors

    Mumbai: Equitas Small Finance Bank has roped in women hockey player Rani Rampal and cricketer Smriti Mandhana as its brand ambassadors. This announcement comes at a time when the bank is celebrating its fifth anniversary on 5 September.

    As an entity empowering women across the length and breadth of the country, through its various banking and non-banking initiatives, the announcement reflects the bank’s ethos of adding value to the lives of countless customers by choosing the right representation to inspire women to chase their dreams, said the statement.

    The bank aims to provide a platform to inspire and support Indians to take a step towards following their dreams and aspirations, through its banking as well as non-banking initiatives, it added.

    Rampal holds the record for being the youngest player in the national hockey team, representing India at the age of 15 at the 2010 World Cup.

    Recognised as the ‘Best Women’s International Cricketer’ by the board of control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2018, Mandhana’s extraordinary cricketing skills have grabbed everyone’s attention. Capable of achieving new highs each time they enter the field, both these women with countless others have demonstrated the meteoric rise of women in sports in India.

    “Rani and Smriti are two classic examples of a vibrant youth achieving their aspirations and we are proud to announce them as our brand ambassadors. Banking for women and empowering them is our key focus area and the announcement of our collaboration with these two leading the bank in that philosophy and direction,” said Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd, senior president and country head – branch banking – liabilities, products & wealth, Murali Vaidyanathan.
    “A bank with a soul – this is what Equitas is for me. The fact that they relate to the struggles of those who are hardly noticed and help them out financially is what I could identify myself most with,” said Rampal on the association.

    Mandhana added, “I was truly impressed by Equitas Bank’s stand on not just banking, but going beyond as well. Their sincere and single-minded focus on making banking simpler even for the unbanked and underbanked touched my heart.” 

  • Brands eye stronger recovery in ad spends this festive season

    Brands eye stronger recovery in ad spends this festive season

    MUMBAI:  The year 2020 was a game-changer on many counts for the world in general. Many brands that relied heavily on offline marketing and in-store shopping had no other option but to join the digital marketing bandwagon to engage with their consumers. Now with the festive season almost upon us, how are brands looking to attract eyeballs and consumer footfalls with persisting outdoor restrictions in many parts of the country?

    According to the latest survey – ‘The Festive Season Pulse 2021’ conducted by global technology company, The Trade Desk, nearly 82 per cent of respondents said they shop online at least once a month with nearly one in four making online purchases several times a week.

    “Digital consumption is at an all-time high,” highlights TVS Srichakra head, brand marketing Kavitha Ganesan citing the success of their recent integrated marketing campaign ‘Tyres for a Country full of Turns’. “However, for mass reach, the brand still relies on TV as the main medium. For a category like ours, it is critical to activate marketing campaigns with an integrated 360-degree approach. Hence BTL consumer and trade activations become important. We expect the category to place more and more impetus on the digital front and possibly lower the spends on print.”

    Post-pandemic, the total time spent by Indians on media channels has gone up significantly. According to Havas Media India, managing partner- South, Saurabh Jain, Digital is now mainstream in level with Print, given its multifarious applications and measurable ROI.

    “The growth in advertising would be led by Digital followed by TV, Print, OOH & Radio, yet TV will remain the biggest & most preferred medium for mass & incremental reach,” says Jain, highlighting how Big-ticket properties, especially cricket, have demonstrated the effectiveness of TV in brand building and scaling up reach in a cricket-frenzy nation.

    According to industry estimates, advertisers are expected to invest Rs 4000-5000 crore on sporting properties on TV and Digital in the current scenario where the ad demand is higher than supply. “Print also seems to be much stronger in Unlock 2.0 as compared to the previous unlock,” adds Jain.

    However, brand concur that there is a need to target the customer across multiple touchpoints to ensure they remain ‘top of the mind’ for consumers.

    Fashion and lifestyle e-tailer Myntra expects a similar play between digital and mainline, and is implementing a 360-degree campaign approach, leveraging TV, Digital and social media platforms to cut across diverse markets and build a deeper brand salience with its customers across the country.

    No doubt, industry experts expect high clutter across mediums, mainly TV and digital, this season. The emergent challenge for brands will be to drive more visibility amid this clutter, by looking for opportunities in print, OOH, and cinema.

    “Brands will invest in high-impact properties to break the clutter and achieve high reach during campaigns. The Star group has managed to retain their sponsors for IPL and also roped in many more for the T20 world cup. Other key properties like KBC have already attracted multiple new sponsors,” says Madison Media Ultra COO Jolene Fernandes Solanki.

    Apart from FMCG which leads the ad spends, advertising growth will also be seen across other categories like automobile, consumer durables, e-commerce, OTT, Ed-tech, mobile gaming, retail, tourism, and digital wallet payments. “We are observing a huge rise in new categories and advertisers through a whole bunch of start-ups emerging. They are likely to get active during this festive,” adds Solanki.

    The rise of regional media is another trend that is set to capture the brands’ interest this season, according to agencies. The popularity of regional content and increasing internet penetration in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets will lead to content-driven marketing solutions at a regional level.

    “Print could also see some recovery during this festive season,” opines iProspect’s Kaushik Chakraborty. “The second half of 2021 is witnessing a resurgence in print advertising with brands returning to the medium in a big way. Large-format ads/Jackets have witnessed an increase in recent weeks.”

    However, OOH still has a tough road ahead, with most brands still cautious about investing in outdoor advertising amid apprehension of a third wave coming. However, both OOH and radio are likely to do better than 2020, say experts.

    TV and Digital have witnessed a steady increase. In terms of ad spends, Television will continue to have the highest share – over 40 per cent – of overall ad spends at the back of IPL and T20 WC, followed closely by Digital with 34 per cent share.  The overall ad market is forecast to grow by a further 12.4 per cent in 2022, recovering to pre-pandemic levels suggest reports.

    Furthermore, brands are expected to invest in impact shows such as Amitabh Bachchan hosted KBC, Salman Khan hosted Big Boss and the soon-to-be-launched Big Picture hosted by Ranveer Singh.

    “Brands have understood the importance of a split spending budget in order to obtain better results,” says Admitad Affiliate India, head – ecommerce vertical, Abhijit Banerjee. “To reconfigure their marketing strategy they are investing in partnerships and collaborations with an array of channels to keep the festive spirit intact. Not only that, with each year brands allocate a lot of budgets for inventories like cashback and coupons for lucrative deals and offers.”

    The three festive months of October, November, and December constitute an important decisive phase for brands and affiliate channels as they expect to reap the benefits of these increased ad spends. With regards to expenditures, high-impact properties, integrations, and video platforms are the focus areas for brands apart from their usual channels which are scaling up.

    “Everyone wants to tell a brand story that brings festive cheer and brands are trying to do this with the help of such platforms. The entire ecosystem is now very enthusiastic about this new growth and is passionately driving the adoption of various new products and service offerings which is clearly visible to us,” says Logicserve Digital founder and CEO Prasad Shejale.

    According to Grapes Digital founder and CEO Himanshu Arya, brands like Automobile, FMCG, and E-commerce players could spend around 25 to 30 per cent on digital, which can increase further during the festive period from Dussehra to Diwali. For specific categories like electronics, consumer durables, and jewellery, the festive period is the most crucial time as the maximum sale is derived during this season.

    There is also a lot of advancement in the Connected TV ecosystem and this space is expected to grow multifold, believe industry executives. The media options are limited at the moment and thus there is definitely a lot of din and chaos in the available media mix and brands would need to put extra effort to stand out from the crowd this season.

    “There is no surprise that the media planning is lopsided towards digital. Having said that, Activation is back in the game and we have delivered fantastic results to brands from activations conducted in a safe environment. So, apart from digital, anything that breaks clutter and delivers ROI for brands will definitely find a place in the media mix,” says CupShup co-founder Sidharth Singh.

    Marketing strategies are now pandemic-ready. Earlier marketing calendars would be lopsided towards offline and ATL with less than 10 per cent of budgets assigned to digital marketing and most companies didn’t have basics in place on digital distribution, logistics, and spending metric on digital.

    “Today marketers have evolved and have digitised their businesses. They are present where their consumer is. There is a healthy ratio of spends across platforms. Marketers are more agile and flexible. Communication calendars are being prepared with Plan A’s and Plan B’s. The mood out there is to win over with all the possible preparations and see an upside,” says Tonic Worldwide chief strategy officer and director, India and MENA Region, Unmisha Bhatt.

    Wunderman Thompson, South Asia chairman and Group CEO, Tarun Rai sums up, “India is not one India but ‘many Indias’ with different media consumption habits. As a result, there is a role for both traditional and non-traditional media in the country. We have seen how newspaper advertising has bounced back in the last few months. In fact, many digital-only brands are now using newspapers as a medium and spending huge sums on wrap-around front-page ads.” So, while digital will continue to grow at a fast clip and may even overtake TV in a couple of years, he believes both traditional and digital media are here to stay for, at least, the next decade.

  • Brands gear up for the festive season 2021

    Brands gear up for the festive season 2021

    Mumbai: It’s September. And, there is palpable anticipation tinged with hope, as the country gears up for yet another festive season in the post-pandemic world. Onam has already kick-started the celebrations in Kerala with brands launching exciting offers. Unsurprisingly, a huge chunk of a brand’s annual marketing budget is spent during this time of the year. So, how’s the buzz this year around? Are the brands and businesses buoyant in their expectations on the festive season, or are they wary about going full throttle, amid a looming threat of the third wave?

    Online retailer Myntra said it has witnessed a rise in the pent-up demand over the last few months. “Overall, the whole e-commerce ecosystem in India lights up during this quarter. We are looking to ride the wave by using this opportunity to serve our customers while focusing on every possible festive shopping occasion starting with Durga Puja and moving on to Navratri and Diwali,” said a Myntra spokesperson. “We expect this festive season to be bigger than last year.”

    According to the fashion e-tailer, the demand peaks during the 30 days leading up to Diwali, and it expects the same to happen this year. In fact, the demand in the two months leading to the festive season is expected to be much more than last time, especially across metros and Tier 2/ Tier 3. The adoption of digital channels for shopping also continues to accelerate.

    According to Modi Naturals, chief marketing officer, Shardul Bist, there is a huge pent-up demand, which will make sure, the upcoming festive season is better than that of 2020. It is also planning a 360-degree media campaign this year. “This is the time when people across the country are looking forward to indulging with their loved ones at home. So definitely, this festive season MNL is going all out to woo consumers,” said Bist, highlighting that the FMCG firm is also entering the ready-to-eat segment this time, with a new sub-brand – Oleev Kitchen, and launching new categories – Pasta and Peanut Butter- to bolster its food division.

    The brands are hopeful of a better festive season in terms of business and sales. The sales for certain categories have already begun to rise, and brands hope, it sustains itself during the next few months. For instance, the two-wheeler tyres demand remains strong with substantial growth in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities amid increasing preference for private mobility amongst customers.

    “Our expectations are to create impactful visibility at the retail level by focusing on offtakes. We are happy that sales bounce back is happening, and are witnessing balanced volume growth prior to the festive period,” said TVS Srichakra, head-brand marketing Kavitha Ganesan, who expects consumer sentiments to improve with the resumption of IPL and T20 World Cup. “Barring 2020, our category has always seen consistent investments for brand building and advertising. Comparing ad spends with last year may not be prudent as last year was muted for the category with respect to media spends. Considering the buoyancy in the category, we do feel the ad-ex would grow this year.”

    The brands are all set to celebrate the buoyant outlook of this festive season with curated trade and consumer promotions. This is the ‘Lock and the unlock phase’, highlighted Madison Media Ultra COO Jolene Fernandes Solanki. “Brands had started gearing up for the unlock stage much before to reap the benefits of the unlock period. We will observe a surge in spends by the time the festive season approaches since maximum sales for many categories take place during the festive period. The budgets which were not utilised during the lockdown may be also utilised during this period,” said Solanki.

    However, there is are also apprehensions of a fresh wave of Covid cases, and brands and advertisers remain mindful of it. 

    There is an omnious sense of déjà vu when discussing the ‘pent-up demand’ a year later too, for it was this time last year that there was the beginning of lockdown relaxation in many parts of the country shared Wunderman Thompson, South Asia, chairman, and group CEO Tarun Rai. Brands were then focussed on servicing the pent-up demand of all the previous six months, and because of the ‘second wave’, marketers find themselves in a similar situation to last year.

    Nevertheless, Rai does not rule out a promising season for most product categories, with the general mood on the Covid front getting better every day. He also noted that unlike last year, brands are better prepared and the supply-side issues are largely addressed. “So yes, this year the season is again going to be one of huge importance to marketers. This is the time that brands should not hold back,” added Rai.

    Online marketing agency CupShup co-founder Sidharth Singh also drew attention to the supply bottlenecks due to which brands might not be able to fulfil the customer’s demand. “Trade wars, global turmoil impacts the supply much more than we imagine and impact both the availability as well as pricing of the product. Brands are watching it unfold closely and aligning their spending and strategy accordingly,” he said.

    Nonetheless, brands are looking forward to better investments to accelerate growth. According to iProspect senior VP Kaushik Chakraborty, key sectors such as Automobiles, E-Commerce, FMCG, and BFSI are set to increase spends during the season to make up for the impact of the second wave.

    Historically, the festive months of September-December contribute more than 40 per cent of overall ad ex. This year the contribution will increase further with the eight weeks of intense cricket from the upcoming IPL second phase and T20 WC. Also, with leading GEC channels launching big-ticket shows like KBC, India’s Best Dancer, Big Boss, advertisers will definitely utilise this opportunity and expects significant growth in ad ex in comparison to 2020, he added.

    According to a recent report by Dentsu International, adspend is expected to grow by 10.8 per cent in 2021 to reach $9 billion. India’s television, print, and digital advertising revenues are showing signs of revival after declining by almost 20 per cent in 2020. This data, coming on the back of the setback suffered by the industry during the April-June quarter this year, is significant.

    “India is estimated to grow more than 20 per cent in 2021 compared to 2020. Growth in advertising would be led by Digital followed by TV, Print, OOH & Radio. With increased demand, we will also see some rate hikes by the broadcasters to make up for the lack of ad rate growth in the last 18-24 months,” said Havas Media India, managing partner – South, Saurabh Jain adding that the vaccination drive has also uplifted consumer confidence. “This spike in positive sentiments will result in ‘revenge shopping’ this festive season as more people step out for shopping or consumption.”

    In terms of festive ad spend and marketing strategy this time around, Jain said, “Since COVID-19, the campaign duration and planning cycles have become shorter and the shift to digital has accelerated, impacting the overall marketing strategies.”

    Industry executives are, however, not without caution when it comes to the upcoming festive period. “There are a lot of brands with their ears to the ground and they are working with much more alertness and dexterity in their plans. The fear and anxiety associated with Covid third wave are noticeable. So there would always be a plan B and plan C. Brands will stock up on a limited quantity,” said Tiger Advertising partner Pantul Kothari. “Having said that- most businesses believe that it is an opportunity that can’t be missed. And we expect aggressive marketers leading to a huge media noise.”

    Industry executives agree businesses have achieved a new normal or baseline of business after the effect of the pandemic. The aim will be to move forward from that point. Going back to pre-Covid trends and spends is no longer part of the industry’s playbook. Brands are trying to cover up for what is lost by upping their game and leveraging the festive season to connect with their audiences.

  • MG Motor teams up with para-athlete & Arjuna awardee Deepa Malik

    MG Motor teams up with para-athlete & Arjuna awardee Deepa Malik

    MUMBAI: MG Motor India has announced Paralympic athlete and Khel Ratna Awardee Deepa Malik to be the voice of the personal AI assistant in its upcoming SUV – MG Astor to deliver a unique voice experience to its consumers as it looks to disrupt the Indian automotive industry.

    Called ‘The Woman on Wheels’, Deepa Malik has enlisted herself in the record books for several driving feats across deserts & mountains. The woman extraordinaire will humanise the voice of the personal AI assistant in the soon-to-be launched SUV MG Astor, it said in a media statement.  

    Talking about the partnership, MG Motor India president & managing director, Rajeev Chaba, said, “At MG, we strive to consistently create exciting and meaningful experiences for our customers. In another first, we are introducing a personal AI assistant in MG Astor. Having Deepa Malik, a woman of many firsts, as a voice for Astor, is in line with our commitment to both community and diversity. Deepa is the epitome of women empowerment and her voice in Astor is a message for everyone to be unstoppable.”

    Deepa Malik, the first Indian woman Paralympic medalist, said, “I am delighted to be the voice of the next MG SUV. I have closely followed MG’s journey in India, and I applaud their vision. MG has not only led the disruption in the automotive industry, but it has contributed to the empowerment of different sections of society. It is commendable that MG’s one-third of the active workforce is women. I am confident that MG will emerge as a champion with the industry-leading features of Astor.”