Category: People

NK Proteins onboards Bhavna Shah as deputy CEO

Mumbai: NK Proteins Pvt Ltd, an oil company with the popular brand ‘Tirupati’, named Bhavna Shah as deputy CEO. Shah’s expertise and leadership will advance strategic plans and long-term vision.

Her strategic insights and industry acumen will guide the company through market changes and growth exploration. She will oversee operations in Mumbai.

Shah, with a distinguished 30-year career, brings vast experience and strategic vision to her new role. She led initiatives in product promotion, sustainability, and trade relations as head of the Malaysian palm oil council for India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, earning recognition as an industry leader.

Shah has a notable career, having been the past president of the Maharashtra Chapter and co-chair of the national board of advisors for the MSME & Startups Forum for Aatmanirbhar Bharat. She also made valuable contributions as an independent director for Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd.

Throughout her career, Shah has advised management on market development strategies and formulating policies to achieve organisational objectives. Among her notable achievements, Shah was honoured as the first woman to receive the prestigious ‘Globoil Person of the Year’ award in 2018 for her outstanding contributions to the vegetable oils trade and industry. She has also been recognised by SCODET ASIA with a Special Award for her exceptional industry contributions.

NK Proteins Pvt Ltd chairman and MD Nimish Patel said, “Ms. Shah’s appointment underscores NK Proteins’ commitment to strengthening its leadership team with seasoned professionals who align with its strategic objectives. The company remains dedicated to excellence and innovation in the industry, with Ms. Shah poised to play a pivotal role in driving its strategic initiatives forward.”

NK Proteins P Ltd MD Priyam Patel added, “We extend our warmest welcome to Ms. Bhavna Shah and look forward to leveraging her leadership to drive our company towards new heights of success. With her extensive experience and strategic acumen, we are confident in Ms Shah’s ability to drive our company’s growth and success.”

Commenting on her appointment, Bhavna Shah stated, “I am honoured to join NK Proteins Ltd as Deputy CEO and look forward to contributing to the company’s growth and success. NK Proteins is a prominent player in the edible and non-edible oil sector and consistently pursues excellence and innovation. I am excited about the opportunities ahead.”

April 3, 2024
Asia Society India Centre board names Sangita Jindal new chair

Mumbai: The Asia Society India Centre Board has announced the election of Sangita Jindal as the new chair of the board. Her role will be effective from 1 April 2024. “I am so delighted to welcome Sangita Jindal as chair of the Asia Society India Centre Board. She has been an immense support to our mission in South Asia and her work to support contemporary art in India and South Asia has been a transformative force; I look forward to working with her to strengthen Asia Society’s footprint in South Asia,” said Asia Society India Centre CEO Inakshi Sobti.

Sangita Jindal is president, of Art India and chairperson of the JSW Foundation, which is responsible for the social development projects of the JSW Group of Companies. In the twenty years that she has been spearheading the JSW Foundation, it has enlarged its scope of activities in the areas of education, health, livelihood creation, local sports development and conservation of arts and cultural heritage. She established the Jindal Arts Centre in 1992 and founded Art India, India’s premier art magazine, in 1994. She was among the team that conceptualised the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival and was awarded the Eisenhower Fellowship in 2004. She has founded the Hampi Foundation that has undertaken conservation work at three temples in Hampi. She is a Global Trustee of Asia Society and a member of the Board of the National Culture Fund, Trustee of the World Monument Fund, advisor to TEDxGateway and a member of the IMC Ladies’ Wing Art, Culture and Film Committee.

Founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, Asia Society is a nonpartisan, nonprofit institution with major centers and public buildings in New York, Houston and Hong Kong, and offices in Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Mumbai, San Francisco, Seattle, Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo, Washington, D.C. and Zurich. The India Centre was founded in 2006; it is the only Asia Society Centre in South Asia and aims to encompass all of the subcontinent in its mission to bring together diverse perspectives on modern Asia and cultivate a nuanced understanding of Asia-Pacific affairs. To learn more about Asia Society India, head to asiasociety.org/india.

April 2, 2024
VAMA.app strengthens leadership with new CTO, CBO appointments

Mumbai: VAMA.app, a virtual platform transforming the traditional offline Mandir ecosystem into a digital realm, announces the expansion of its leadership team with the appointment of Divick Kishore as chief technology officer (CTO) and Nitin Saxena, previously instrumental within the organisation, ascends to the role of chief business officer- operations & partnership. These strategic hires mark a significant milestone for VAMA.app as it endeavours to fortify its technological infrastructure and propel innovation.

As the CTO of VAMA.app, Divick will leverage his extensive expertise to drive technological innovation, enhance product offerings, and accelerate the platform’s evolution in the digital spiritual services landscape. Nitin, in his elevated role as chief business officer of operations & partnership, will continue to drive operational efficiencies to new heights, enrich VAMA.app’s strategic partnerships, and spearhead initiatives that will solidify the platform’s presence in the market and fuel its ascent.

Commenting on bolstering the leadership team, VAMA.app co-founder Manu Jain said, “The future of the astrology and Religious Tech market in India is on a trajectory of exponential growth. The foundational shift in consumer behaviour towards digital spirituality, bolstered by our innovative platform, sets the stage for this expansion. With Divick and Nitin’s impressive backgrounds and visionary leadership, we are poised to propel VAMA.app into its next phase of expansion. Our aim is to enhance the technological infrastructure and business strategies to better serve the digital and spiritual needs of our growing user base.”

Speaking on his appointment at VAMA.app, Divick Kishore said, “Joining VAMA.app marks the commencement of an exciting chapter where the confluence of opportunity and innovation beckons. I am committed to steering our technological vision towards realising efficiencies and enhancing productivity through the adoption of cutting-edge solutions. Our goal is to elevate the spiritual experience for our users, setting new benchmarks in the digital spirituality realm.”

Further adding to this, Nitin Saxena, said, “It’s exhilarating to further my journey with VAMA.app in this enhanced capacity. The digital transformation of spiritual services offers a unique landscape to innovate and expand. I look forward to deepening our business strategies, cultivating meaningful partnerships, and driving growth that is both sustainable and impactful. Together, we are set to redefine the spiritual journey for our users, ensuring value creation for all stakeholders involved.”

Divick brings over two decades of invaluable experience as a tech entrepreneur, showcasing expertise across diverse technological domains. Divick arrives at VAMA.app with a notable background, including a significant tenure as co-founder and former CTO of InstaAstro, where he was pivotal in scaling the platform’s operations significantly since its inception. Divick’s entrepreneurial prowess is evident in his role in establishing GoRapid Technologies, steering it to significant success before its acquisition by PhonePe. This further highlights his exceptional ability to develop, scale, and lead technology-driven enterprises to triumph. His career journey also includes a leadership stint at Times Internet Limited.

Nitin brings to VAMA.app over two decades of extensive experience spanning various industries including Power, Telecom, ITES, and International Business. He will assume responsibility for overseeing Business Operations and Partnerships. His comprehensive understanding of the D2C business, Go-to-Market Strategy, Mass Retail landscape, Customer Experience Excellence & New Geography Commercial Launches cultivated through extensive engagements across India, Nitin’s distinguished tenure as the Head of Business Development & Expansion to New Geographies at Adani Group driving GTM for launches, streamlining business operations & creating state-of-the-art business processes, coupled with notable accomplishments at Vodafone, underscores his adeptness in driving substantial growth and operational excellence.

Established in late 2020 by visionaries Aacharya Dev, Himanshu Semwal and Manu Jain, VAMA.app has rapidly evolved to redefine the spiritual landscape for its users. With an impressive roster of partnerships that includes over 250 temples and a network of more than 300 astrologers, VAMA.app stands as a beacon of innovation in the faithtech domain. By offering a comprehensive suite of services such as e-pujas, e-darshans, and astrology consultations, VAMA.app caters to a wide array of spiritual needs, firmly establishing itself as a pivotal platform for those seeking to connect with their faith in the digital age.

April 2, 2024
Eureka Forbes appoints Vikas Jayna as CTO

Mumbai: Eureka Forbes Ltd has announced the appointment of Vikas Jayna as its chief technology officer. With a wealth of experience, Vikas’ appointment fortifies Eureka Forbes’ commitment to technological innovation, shaping the company’s trajectory towards a dynamic future.

Prior to joining Eureka Forbes, Vikas’s professional journey encompasses impactful roles at renowned companies such as Swiggy, OneAssist, Amazon, and InfoEdge India Ltd.

Vikas Jayna holds an engineering degree in Computer Science and has further honed his skills through an Executive Course in Business Analytics from ISB. Beyond his professional pursuits, Vikas finds solace in traveling, reading books, and cherishing moments with his family, including his parents, wife, and ten-year-old son.

Expressing his enthusiasm about the new role, Vikas Jayna remarked, “Joining Eureka Forbes as chief technology officer presents an exciting opportunity to leverage technology for enhancing the lives of millions. I look forward to collaborating with the talented team at Eureka Forbes to drive innovation and customer-centric solutions.”

Eureka Forbes Ltd MD and CEO Pratik Pota commented, “We are thrilled to welcome Vikas Jayna to our Core Leadership Team. His extensive experience and proven track record in technology leadership align perfectly with our vision for innovation and growth. We are confident that under his guidance, Eureka Forbes will continue to set new benchmarks in the industry.”

April 2, 2024
Abhinandan Gopalsetty elevated to the head of MINI India

Mumbai: The head of sales and marketing at BMW Motorrad, India – Abhinandan Gopalsetty has been elevated to the post head of MINI India.

In his new role, he is eager to utilise his expertise and insights to spearhead strategic initiatives and propel this iconic brand to new heights in our market. He also expressed gratitude to his esteemed colleagues across BMW Motorrad for their steadfast support.

Gopalsetty shared the news through a LinkedIn post.

April 2, 2024
coto welcomes Ankita Gupta, CEO & founder at Digitactix, as their new community advisor

Mumbai: coto, a leading community-driven platform, proudly announces the addition of Digitactix CEO & founder Ankita Gupta to their team as their new community advisor. As a seasoned entrepreneur and digital marketing expert, Ankita Gupta brings extensive experience and expertise in digital marketing to the coto platform.

Over the span of eight years, Ankita has led her team at Digitactix to successfully serve over 250 global clients earning her various accolades. At coto, she will play a crucial role in advising the consultants and experts on digital marketing trends, social media engagement, and brand positioning. This will further help the consultants and experts at coto to build compelling digital marketing campaigns for their respective communities and also empower them with diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise that will hone their entrepreneurship skills online.

Ankita expressed her enthusiasm for partnering with coto, stating, “I believe that digital marketing isn’t merely a choice but a revolutionary change that compels startups to rewrite their marketing playbooks. By joining coto’s Community Advisory Board, I am excited to share my expertise and collaborate with women on innovative marketing strategies that drive diverse communities toward success. Together with coto, our emphasis will be on fostering community, practising ethical marketing, and sharing knowledge, alongside the focus on women-led Q&A content, quick consultations, and round-the-clock support for women, which distinguishes coto as the preferred social community platform for women.”

coto co-founder Aparna Acharekar, commented on Ankita’s recent onboarding, stating, “As a women-led platform, we are thrilled to announce that Ankita’s inclusion as one of our community advisors serves as an inspiration for all our coto communities. With digital empowerment advocates like Ankita on board, I am confident that we will create content and commerce opportunities to secure financial independence for women.”

Ankita’s educational experiences at prestigious institutions such as IIM Ahmedabad and Harvard have honed her business expertise, and her background at the Indian Institute of Modern Management in Pune has solidified her marketing fundamentals.

Apart from digital marketing, Ankita is also dedicated to sustainability. She firmly believes that in the digital realm, sustainability isn’t just an option but a necessity for the future. Her dedication to integrating sustainable solutions into digital marketing strategies has set her apart in the industry.

April 2, 2024
Infectious Advertising’s Ramanuj Shastry joins NY Festivals Grand Jury 2024

Mumbai: Globally celebrated international advertising competition New York Festivals announced the appointment of Infectious Advertising’s Ramanuj Shastry as one of the Grand Jury members for its 2024 Advertising Awards. The NYF awards are held across regional, national and continental boundaries and provide a complete representation of the best in communications.

“Ramanuj Shastry brings over 25 years of creative leadership and industry expertise to the 2024 NYF Advertising Awards Grand Jury panel,” said Scott Rose, executive director of the NYF Advertising Awards. “His award-winning work has earned him a trophy shelf of accolades, and his experience crafting campaigns for prestigious global brands truly makes him an asset in honouring trophy-worthy work.”

Infectious Advertising creative chairman Ramanuj Shastry added, “Chuffed to be picked as a juror for the 2024 edition of the prestigious New York Festivals of Advertising. I am excited to see tremendous ideas from around the world and discuss them with some of the finest minds in the business. Eagerly looking forward to this!”

An alumnus (PRM-90-92) of IRMA (Institute of Rural Management, Anand), Ramanuj has more than 25 years of experience in advertising. He learnt his craft at Ogilvy and McCann and served as CCO at Publicis Ambience, Rediffusion Y&R and Saatchi & Saatchi (in that order) before launching his agency, Infectious Advertising with Nisha Singhania in 2013.

He has won several Indian and international awards and served on the film jury at Cannes Lions 2010. Ramanuj has more than 200 ad films to his name and some of the landmark campaigns he has worked on are ‘Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola’, Saffola – ‘Kal Se’ and OLX – ‘Bech De’. He was one of the Jury Members for New York Festivals 2021 as well!

The official deadline to enter the 2024 New York Festivals Advertising Awards is April 5 with a final closing deadline of April 26, 2024.

All entries into the 2024 NYF Advertising Awards competition will be judged by 400+
members of NYF’s Executive Jury and Grand Jury, a panel of prominent global creative minds, who collectively cast over 400,000+ votes to select the World’s Best Advertising.

The New York Festivals Advertising Awards competition receives entries from more than 60 countries. It is judged by more than 400 NYF’s Executive and Grand Jury members, who collectively cast their votes to select the year’s trophy-winning work.

April 1, 2024
Tata International Ltd appoints Rajeev Singhal as MD

Mumbai: Tata International Ltd, the global trading and distribution arm of the Tata Group has appointed Rajeev Singhal as its managing director. He will take over the new role on 1 April 2024, from Anand Sen, who superannuated on 31 March 2024. Prior to this, Singhal was executive director & chief operating officer (COO) at Tata International.

Tata International chairman Noel N Tata said, “I am pleased to welcome Mr Rajeev Singhal as the Managing Director. We are confident that under his leadership, Tata International will scale to greater heights into its next phase of growth.”

Tata International Ltd MD Rajeev Singhal said, “I am honoured to take on the role of Managing Director at Tata International Limited. With the support of the dedicated Tata International team, I am confident that we will continue to drive value for our stakeholders.”

Singhal brings over 36 years of experience to his new position, having transitioned from Tata Steel. At Tata Steel he held various positions of increasing responsibility, culminating in his most recent role as vice president of marketing and sales for flat products.

April 1, 2024
Kunal Joshi joins Enormous as chief strategy officer

Mumbai: Kunal will lead the strategy charge & pave the path for the agency’s vision towards strengthening strategy-first solutions.

Enormous has always been known for their sharp strategic edge, recently they won the Grand Effie’s this year showcasing their market strategic capabilities

Kunal is a veteran in the industry with over 25 years of experience. During his time he has worked in Mumbai, Dubai, Istanbul, and Singapore managing brands across global markets. Throughout his career, he has worked on brands including Unilever, Tata Motors, Axis Bank, Etisalat, and leading e-commerce brands including Flipkart and Swiggy. He has worked as a global strategy planning director on Unilever’s Dirt is Good Laundry portfolio helping make it Unilever’s largest brand globally. He has won multiple awards including Global, regional and national Effies as well as awards at Cannes and D&AD.

Kunal joins Enormous after a long innings at Lowe. On the move to Enormous, Kunal says Enormous shows remarkable agility and resilience that makes them perfectly suited to current business and marketing environments. Enormous is one of the most pedigreed Indian independent agencies with a proven track record and an enviable body of work making it a perfect place to continue growing brands and businesses in the new marketing reality. With Ashish Khazanchi at the helm, it also presents a great opportunity for me as a strategist to collaborate with one of India’s best creative leaders.

Enormous managing partner Ashish Khazanchi said, “We have been building an agency that the biggest businesses in the country will trust their brands with. We want to be a place that creates market-moving solutions for the biggest in business. Kunal, with his absolutely stellar reputation and an enviable track record, ups the game for us and all our clients. His experience on Unilever and Tata motors makes him bring a deep knowledge of markets that we’re looking to leverage for our work.”

April 1, 2024
Dr Lavanya Wadgaonkar named Nissan’s chief communications officer

Mumbai: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today announced the following senior management appointment effective as of April 1, 2024:

Dr. Lavanya Wadgaonkar, currently vice president, of Nissan Global Communications, will be promoted to corporate vice president and chief communications officer. In this role, she will oversee all of Nissan’s communications activities in Japan and globally, elevating trust and reputation at a critical juncture as Nissan launches The Arc, its new business plan to drive value and strengthen competitiveness. She will also continue in her role as the global champion for DEI responsible for actively promoting a diverse, supportive, and inclusive workplace.

She will report to Makoto Uchida, president and chief executive officer (CEO).

March 29, 2024