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Category: Marketing

  • Starting mutual fund investments: Smart strategies every first-time investor should know

    Starting mutual fund investments: Smart strategies every first-time investor should know

    Did you know that in July 2025, the mutual fund industry reached the ₹75.35 lakh crore mark for the first time? This remarkable rise shows how mutual funds continue to attract investors through benefits such as professional management, diversification, liquidity, affordability via Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs), and the potential for long-term wealth creation.

    For beginners, however, reaping these benefits requires careful planning. To build confidence and avoid common errors, it is important to adopt smart strategies. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

    1. Define your goals and time horizon

    Before you invest a single rupee, you must set financial goals, which could include:

    •    Child’s education

    •    Vehicle purchase

    •    House downpayment

    •    Retirement

    For long-term goals (five to seven years or more), equity funds or hybrid funds could be suitable as they offer higher growth potential. For shorter-term goals, many prefer debt funds, as they carry lower risk. Clarity of purpose ensures the right match between fund type and investment duration.

    2. Understand your risk appetite

    Every mutual fund carries risk, but the type and level differ. For example:

    •    Equity funds can show sharp short-term fluctuations but offer strong potential for long-term wealth creation.

    •    Debt funds react to interest rate changes and credit quality, offering steadier returns but lower growth.

    •    Hybrid funds combine multiple asset classes to balance risk and returns.  

    As a first-time investor, it makes sense to match your financial goals and risk tolerance with the right category. Chasing only high returns often leads to panic during downturns. A clear understanding of risk helps you stay calm and make steady, thoughtful decisions.

    3. Invest in SIPs

    SIPs enable you to put a fixed amount into mutual funds at regular intervals, usually monthly. This method removes the pressure of timing the market and builds discipline by treating investment like a routine expense.

    SIPs benefit from rupee-cost averaging. Your contributions buy more units when prices fall and fewer when prices rise. This gradually smooths market volatility and supports steady wealth creation. For first-time investors, SIPs offer a simple, low-stress entry into mutual funds.

    4. Diversify your portfolio

    Diversification is a golden rule of investing. Divide your capital across different types of funds and asset classes. For example, a first-time investor could consider a mix of large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap funds, or perhaps a hybrid fund that combines both equity and debt.

    This strategy minimises risk, as poor performance in one fund can be offset by good performance in another.

    5. Compare funds using key parameters

    Do not purchase a fund just because it performed well in the past year. Look at its track record over five to 10 years, consistency of returns, and the experience of the fund manager. The expense ratio is also critical, as higher costs reduce net returns. Analysing risk levels, portfolio composition, and fund objectives helps you identify the best fit.

    A thoughtful review ensures the selected fund supports long-term objectives.

    6. Stay disciplined and review periodically

    Mutual funds deliver meaningful results when investors stay committed for the right duration. Exiting too early due to short-term volatility often means settling for less than the investment’s potential. Equity funds often need five to seven years to show results, while debt or hybrid funds may suit shorter timelines.

    Regular reviews, ideally once a year, are important to check performance, costs, and strategy. This balance keeps investments aligned with changing financial priorities.

    To sum up

    Starting mutual fund investments requires sensible planning and discipline. Set clear goals, understand different types of risk, use SIPs for steady contributions, compare funds on meaningful parameters, diversify properly, and stay invested with patience.

    These strategies can help first-time investors avoid common mistakes, gain confidence, and make money work towards defined goals.

    Most importantly, they can build a foundation that supports both short-term needs and long-term aspirations.

    Start your mutual fund journey today! 
     

  • Arpita Roy Luthra swaps building materials for lifts at Schindler group

    Arpita Roy Luthra swaps building materials for lifts at Schindler group

    NEW DELHI: Arpita Roy Luthra has joined Schindler group as vice president for north India, handling sales, strategy and marketing—a September 2025 move that marks her shift from fibre cement boards to vertical mobility.

    Roy Luthra arrives from Everest Industries, where she spent four years and seven months as national sales and marketing head, driving revenue for the boards and panels division. She turbocharged growth in high-value products by building infrastructure around architect engagement, premium retail and distribution networks, whilst steering new product development through a mix of in-house manufacturing and outsourced partnerships.

    Before Everest, she logged nearly two years as head of marketing for Stallion Group in Lagos, managing automotive brands from Hyundai to Porsche across Sub-Saharan Africa. She helped push the conglomerate’s new car market share from 42 per cent to 45 per cent and secured the national distributorship for Bajaj Auto’s three- and four-wheeler business—a $150m annual turnover addition.

    Her African chapter also included a 19-month stint at Bharti Airtel’s Netherlands-based international arm, managing enterprise operations across 14 operating companies, and a 15-month run at Crown Paints Kenya. But her longest tenure was nine years at Bharti Airtel in India, where she climbed from assistant manager in corporate sales to deputy general manager heading B2B marketing, overseeing mobility, fixed-line voice and data products.

    Earlier stints at Pidilite Industries saw her leading B2B lead generation and key accounts for waterproofing solutions, whilst roles at SAB Miller and Godfrey Phillips India gave her FMCG combat experience in institutional sales.

    Roy Luthra’s track record is built on cracking the B2B code—whether pitching premium cars to Nigerian dealers or fibre cement boards to Indian architects. At Schindler, she’ll deploy that playbook in a market where every new tower needs a lift, and competition for developer mindshare is brutal. The question now: can she make elevators as compelling as automobiles?

  • Sporshita Goswami shifts from fundraising to marketing at EAAA Alternatives

    Sporshita Goswami shifts from fundraising to marketing at EAAA Alternatives

    MUMBAI: Sporshita Goswami has joined EAAA Alternatives as director, marketing and communications, returning to pure-play communications after a stint straddling fundraising and PR at Modulus Alternatives Investment Managers.

    The October 2025 appointment marks a homecoming of sorts for Goswami, who spent the bulk of her career in public relations before moving into investor relations. At Modulus, where she spent two years and five months, she married her media savvy with capital-raising, pitching private credit opportunities whilst managing stakeholder communications.

    Before Modulus, Goswami logged nearly five years in group corporate communications at L&T Financial Services, handling messaging for the diversified financial conglomerate. That role followed a four-and-a-half-year stretch as associate director at Perfect Relations, the Mumbai PR shop, where she managed high-stakes client relationships across sectors.

    Her career foundations were laid at Adfactors PR, where she spent two and a half years generating story ideas, managing IPO communications and orchestrating product launches. She later moved through MSLGROUP and a brief independent consultancy before landing at Reliance Communications as manager, corporate communications.

    Goswami’s pitch is simple: the skills that win media coverage—narrative crafting, relationship building, market intelligence—translate seamlessly to wooing limited partners. Understanding what journalists want isn’t far from decoding what investors demand. Both require trust, transparency and knowing your audience cold.

    At EAAA Alternatives, she’ll deploy that crossover expertise in India’s increasingly crowded alternative investment space. The private credit market is heating up, capital is getting pickier, and everyone’s fighting for the same pool of sophisticated money. Goswami’s bet: the firms that tell the best stories will win the biggest cheques

  • Ceuticoz promotes Arvin Mondal to head of marketing as global push accelerates

    Ceuticoz promotes Arvin Mondal to head of marketing as global push accelerates

    MUMBAI: Ceuticoz is gearing up for a growth spurt. The medical-grade skincare brand has promoted Arvin Mondal to head of marketing, tasking him with building a global footprint as the company chases revenues of Rs 150-200 crore by financial year 2029-30—a compound annual growth rate of 30-35 per cent.

    Mondal, who previously steered the brand’s international expansion, will oversee marketing across retail and e-commerce whilst leading regional campaigns in Britain, the European Union, the Gulf Cooperation Council states and south-east Asia. His brief: turn a dermatologist-trusted label into a household name.

    Ceuticoz projects revenues of Rs 50 crore in FY 2025-26, up from a record monthly turnover of Rs 4 crore in November-December 2024. The brand already operates in over 10 countries, including Canada, Kenya and South Africa. America, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are next on the list, with a target of 25-plus markets by 2030.

    “Arvin has played a vital role in the company’s international expansion,” says managing director Sukhbir Singh Chimni. “His new role allows him to craft our brand’s story as we move towards becoming a globally acclaimed skincare brand, driven by science and authenticity.”

    Founded in 2005, Ceuticoz positions itself as evidence-based and clinically proven—skincare that doctors recommend rather than influencers hawk.

    Whether that pitch resonates beyond dermatology clinics will determine if Mondal’s targets are ambitious or merely optimistic. Either way, he’s got skin in the game.

  • Nexus Select Malls recruits Ayushmann Khurrana to sell emotional decluttering this Diwali

    Nexus Select Malls recruits Ayushmann Khurrana to sell emotional decluttering this Diwali

    MUMBAI: Nexus Select Malls is betting that guilt sells better than glitter. The mall operator has roped in Hindi cinema actor Ayushmann Khurrana for a Diwali campaign urging Indians to declutter their emotional baggage alongside their homes—and then head to the shops to celebrate.

    The digital film, Declutter Wali Diwali, wraps a shopping pitch in feel-good messaging. “Adhure vaade, ankahee baatein, pending apologies iss Diwali, emotional space bhi declutter karo, aur apno ke liye dil mein jagah banao,” Khurrana intones against a backdrop of festive lights. Roughly translated: sort out your unfinished business, make space for loved ones, and—conveniently—do it at Nexus.

    “Our idea was to go beyond traditional festive advertising and tap into what the season truly stands for: togetherness, reflection and genuine joy,” says Nexus Select Malls chief marketing officer  Nishank Joshi.

    The campaign’s sign-off is less subtle: “Asli Happyness sirf yahan hai, at Nexus Select Malls.”

    The film will run across digital and social platforms throughout October, backed by on-ground activations at 19 malls across 15 cities. It arrives as India enters peak shopping season, with Diwali serving as the year’s biggest retail moment.

    Whether consumers buy the emotional angle or just the merchandise remains to be seen. Either way, Nexus is counting on footfall—reconciled or otherwise.

  • Steve Madden taps Shanaya Kapoor as first India brand ambassador

    Steve Madden taps Shanaya Kapoor as first India brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: Steve Madden is rolling the dice on Hindi cinema’s next generation. The American footwear and accessories brand has named actress Shanaya Kapoor as its first-ever brand ambassador in India, marking a calculated bet on youth appeal as it deepens its retail footprint across the subcontinent.

    Kapoor, whose style straddles contemporary trends and accessible glamour, will front the brand’s autumn-winter 2025 and spring-summer 2026 campaigns. The partnership, brokered through Reliance Brands, aims to position Steve Madden’s shoes and handbags as tools of self-expression for a generation that treats fashion as identity.

    “Steve Madden has always been a go-to brand for me—it’s where I find pieces that are both fashion-forward and incredibly versatile,” says Kapoor. “I am honoured to be their first brand ambassador in India.”

    The announcement arrives alongside the brand’s latest campaign, Step Into Your Story, which pitches its products as declarations of individuality rather than mere accessories. It’s standard-issue empowerment marketing, but Steve Madden reckons India’s fashion-conscious youth will buy it—literally.

    Reliance Brands, which operates over 1,590 stores across India, is banking on Kapoor’s reach to crack a market where aspiration meets affordability. Steve Madden already sits in its sprawling portfolio alongside Burberry, Versace and Tiffany & Co.

    For Kapoor, it’s another rung on the ladder. For Steve Madden, it’s a wager that star power still shifts product. Time will tell if the shoes fit.

  • Cars24 turns Zomato delivery bags into mobile adverts across Bengaluru

    Cars24 turns Zomato delivery bags into mobile adverts across Bengaluru

    BENGALURU: Bengaluru’s gridlock has found a new purpose. Cars24, the used-car platform, has plastered its branding across thousands of Zomato delivery bags, turning food couriers into roving billboards. The logic is simple: if the city won’t move, let the marketing do the moving.

    The partnership transforms everyday delivery bags into brand real estate. With Zomato’s army of riders weaving through traffic and queuing at signals, Cars24 reckons it’s found a captive audience where traditional out-of-home advertising stands still.

    “OOH is great. But MOH—moving out of home—is better,” says Cars24 head of creative, content and communication Prachi Sharma. “We had one simple idea: take the brand to the streets in a city that is constantly moving.”

    The company frames this as part of a broader hunt for unconventional brand surfaces. Delivery bags today, something else tomorrow. For now, Cars24 is treating the exercise as an experiment, promising to share learnings and impact data once the campaign wraps.

    It’s marketing that moves with the traffic—and in Bengaluru, that means it moves very slowly indeed. Which, for advertisers, may be precisely the point.

    Second-hand car platform tests “moving OOH”  as traffic-choked city becomes captive audience

     

  • Papa Johns slices into India with Bengaluru launch

    Papa Johns slices into India with Bengaluru launch

    MUMBAI: Bengaluru is getting a taste of international flavour as Papa Johns makes its Indian debut with four restaurants in Indiranagar, Hennur, Electronic City, and Sarjapur Road. Operated by PJP Foods India Private Limited, the launch brings the brand’s iconic promise of “Better ingredients. Better pizza.” to local diners, featuring a Bengaluru-exclusive ghee roast pizza.

    Speaking on the launch, PJP Investments group – group CEO Tapan Vaidya said, “This is a proud moment as we deliver the Papa Johns experience to Indian customers. Our pizzas are crafted with fresh, never-frozen dough and premium toppings. Bengaluru is the perfect city to start this journey, and we look forward to expanding rapidly across the country.”

    Papa Johns chief financial officer & executive vice president Ravi Thanawala added, “Opening our first restaurant and quality control center in Bengaluru sets a strong foundation for long-term growth and ensures the highest standards of quality and service that define our brand.”

    The brand’s entry blends global favourites with local innovation. Each pizza is made with fresh dough, real mozzarella, and vine-ripened tomato sauce, staying true to its international recipes. The ghee roast pizza, available in chicken and paneer variants, infuses south Indian spices with indulgent ghee, creating a distinct local twist.

    Pulsar Capital & Ambrosia QSR managing partner Vish Narain said, “Our goal is to provide excellent quality pizzas at affordable prices while appealing to India’s diverse palate.”

    All Bengaluru outlets will be supported by a centralised Quality Control Center in Hennur to maintain consistent freshness. Customers can enjoy dine-in, takeaway, and digital ordering through the app and website, with delivery services coming soon.

    With this launch, Papa Johns India signals the start of an ambitious expansion, bringing premium-quality pizzas to a growing market hungry for global flavours and local twists.

  • Pulsar shifts into creator gear with AI-fuelled Underground platform

    Pulsar shifts into creator gear with AI-fuelled Underground platform

    MUMBAI: If rebellion had an engine, it would probably sound like a Pulsar. Bajaj Auto, the world’s most valuable two- and three-wheeler maker, has fired up a new chapter of youth expression with the launch of Pulsar Underground, an AI-enabled creator platform built for India’s boldest dreamers, doers, and daredevils.

    From stunts and soundtracks to graffiti and AI art, the platform celebrates those who express their individuality by creating not just consuming. Staying true to the brand’s iconic mantra of being “Definitely Daring”, Pulsar Underground takes that spirit off the road and into the creator economy, giving young Indians a digital stage to show off what drives them.

    As captured in the campaign “Duniya Dekhti Hai Tu Dikha”, Pulsar has always urged riders to step out and be seen. Now, with Pulsar Underground, that daredevil DNA goes digital blending performance and creativity for a generation that prefers throttle to theory and reels to routine.

    The initiative opens its doors to over 5,000 creators across India, inviting them to take on challenges across biking, stunts, music, dance, art, graffiti, and even AI. The process is refreshingly simple: pick a challenge on www.bajajauto.com/pulsarunderground, create content, and post it on Instagram using #PulsarUnderground while tagging @mypulsarofficial.

    In true Pulsar fashion, rewards are revved up too. Top creators can win a virtual internship with the Pulsar content crew, a Pulsar NS200 or NS400Z, exclusive merchandise, and Amazon vouchers. The best entries will also be featured on Pulsar’s official social handles alongside leading Indian influencers, an open road to recognition for creators who dare to dream loud.

    What makes Pulsar Underground more than just another content contest is its built-in AI tool suite, designed to simplify creation and enable anyone whether a pro or a beginner to produce polished, high-quality content effortlessly. The brand calls it India’s first AI-powered creator economy IP in the automotive space, merging tech innovation with cultural expression.

    “Pulsar has always inspired riders to be daring and stand apart,” said Bajaj Auto Ltd president of marketing Sumeet Narang. “Pulsar Underground extends that same spirit into the digital space giving India’s creators a platform where performance meets creativity. Whether through stunts, music, dance, or art, this initiative is about turning individuality into influence and spotlighting the next generation of daring talent.”

    At its core, Pulsar Underground isn’t just about likes or hashtags, it’s about creating a movement. It’s where bike engines meet beat drops, and every wheelie, verse, or brushstroke becomes a statement of fearless identity. By fusing the thrill of speed with the power of self-expression, Pulsar is redefining what it means to be “definitely daring” in the digital age.

    With this campaign, Bajaj Auto doesn’t just continue to lead on the road, it also accelerates into India’s creator culture, giving young talent the tools and the throttle to push boundaries.

    Because when the underground roars, the world looks up and Duniya Dekhti Hai Tu Dikha gets a whole new meaning.
     

  • Sanjay Dutt sparks digital push with Getepay’s Vega

    Sanjay Dutt sparks digital push with Getepay’s Vega

    MUMBAI: He’s known for power-packed performances, now Sanjay Dutt is helping power Digital Bharat. The Hindi cinema icon unveiled Vega, an indigenously built payment switch by Getepay, at an event in Mumbai, joining forces with Getepay founder and managing director Pravin Sharma, to celebrate a major stride in India’s fintech innovation.

    Headquartered in Jaipur, Getepay is a payment aggregator on a mission to make digital transactions simpler, faster, and more inclusive. Its latest creation, Vega, is a certified next-generation payment switch designed to serve banks, fintechs, and merchants with seamless scalability and security. Built on a microservices-based architecture, Vega promises lightning-fast processing, real-time settlements, automated reconciliation, and intelligent merchant management, all crafted in India, for India.

    Speaking at the launch, Sanjay Dutt said, “I’ve always believed in backing things that are real, solid, and made with heart, and that’s exactly what Vega is. This is about more than technology; it’s about giving every entrepreneur, from a street vendor to a shop owner, the confidence to go digital. That’s the Bharat I want to cheer for.”

    Pravin Sharma added, “Vega is not just a technological leap, it’s a bridge for millions of small entrepreneurs powering India’s economy. With Vega, we’re simplifying digital payments while enabling every corner of India to participate confidently in the digital revolution.”

    With its regulatory-compliant, future-ready design, Vega ensures secure, uninterrupted payment processing even during high-traffic periods. Its scalable framework allows banks and merchants to modernise swiftly without disrupting business operations.

    Following an 8 million dollars funding round led by Virender Sehwag, alongside Hyderabad Angels, ITI Growth Fund, and DBR Ventures, Getepay continues to strengthen its digital infrastructure, driving financial inclusion and accessibility for businesses of all sizes.