Category: MAM

  • Smart Retirement Planning: Good Retirement Plans to Consider Now

    Smart Retirement Planning: Good Retirement Plans to Consider Now

    Retirement is a phase when you want to spend quality time with your family and pursue your long-due dreams. However, it requires financial stability as a conventional source of income is not available anymore. Considering this, planning your retirement is necessary. Unfortunately, many people do not plan their retirement, which may cause trouble in future. As you transition from the working years to retirement, financial security is essential. A Best retirement plan helps you live peacefully without worrying about your finances.

    What is Retirement Planning

    Retirement planning is about determining your future financial requirements and making the right choices today in order to fulfil those needs. Retirement planning means selecting good investments, saving every month, and making sure that your savings increase sufficiently to sustain you once you retire.

    Planned retirement involves adopting a long-term strategy and starting early. Numerous individuals shy away from it, believing they have sufficient time. The sooner you begin, however, the greater your funds have the potential to grow with the compounding power.

    Why Should You Start Planning for Retirement Now?

    Starting your retirement planning early is essential for building a secure financial future. Here are a few reasons why it’s important to begin preparing for retirement as soon as possible:

    ●    Security and Stability: A solid retirement plan provides a stable income once you stop working, allowing you to maintain your lifestyle and avoid financial stress.   
    ●    Medical Expenses: As you age, medical expenses tend to rise. A well-structured retirement plan ensures that you are prepared for any healthcare needs without draining your savings.   
    ●    Inflation Protection: Over time, inflation increases the cost of goods and services. Retirement plans that grow over time can help protect your savings against inflation.

    Types of Retirement Plans to Consider

    India offers several good retirement plans, each designed to suit different needs. Let’s look at the most popular ones:

    Immediate Annuity Plans

    Immediate annuity plans allow you to invest a lump sum amount, and in return, you receive regular payouts starting within a year. These plans are better suited for individuals who are close to retirement and need a guaranteed source of income.

    The key benefit of immediate annuity plans is that they provide stable, predictable income throughout retirement. You don’t have to worry about managing investments or market fluctuations.

    Deferred Annuity Plans

    Unlike immediate annuity plans, deferred annuity plans allow the investor to decide when to start receiving annuity payouts. During the accumulation phase, the subscriber makes regular contributions that grow over time. After retirement, these contributions are converted into a stream of income.

    This plan is ideal for individuals who are still a few years away from retirement and want their savings to grow before they begin receiving payouts. The flexibility of deferred annuity plans is appealing to those who want to plan for long-term financial security.

    Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS)

    The Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS) is a government-backed savings scheme designed for people aged 60 and above. It offers regular quarterly interest payouts, making it a popular option for seniors who need consistent income after retirement.

    This scheme offers tax benefits and has a minimum investment of ₹1,000, with a maximum of ₹15 lakh. The current interest rate is 8.2% per annum, which is paid quarterly. The initial tenure is five years, with an option for extension for another three years.

    National Pension System (NPS)

    The National Pension System (NPS) is a government-supported retirement plan available for anyone between the ages of 18 and 70. NPS allows you to invest in market-linked instruments such as equities, bonds, and government securities.

    NPS offers tax benefits up to ₹2 lakh a year and provides the flexibility to manage your investments based on your risk appetite. NPS is especially beneficial for individuals who are comfortable with market risks and looking for a retirement plan with higher growth potential.

    Mutual Fund SIPs (Systematic Investment Plans)

    Mutual funds are a popular choice for retirement planning, and the Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) is a great way to invest consistently in mutual funds. SIPs allow you to invest a fixed amount regularly, helping you build wealth over time.

    By investing in a mix of equity, debt, or hybrid funds, you can create a diversified portfolio that grows as the market grows. SIPs are ideal for individuals with a long-term horizon who are looking for capital appreciation and tax benefits under Section 80C (only under the old tax regime).

    Factors to Consider While Choosing a Retirement Plan

    Choosing the right retirement plan is a crucial step towards securing your financial future. Here are a few factors to consider before selecting a retirement plan:

    ●    Risk Tolerance: Some plans, like pension plans and NPS, offer low-risk, stable returns, while others, such as mutual funds and equities, involve higher risks but provide better growth potential. Choose a plan that aligns with your risk appetite.   
    ●    Flexibility: Consider whether the retirement plan offers flexibility in terms of contribution amounts, withdrawal options, and annuity payout schedules. Flexible plans allow you to adapt your strategy as your financial situation changes over time.   
    ●    Tax Benefits: Many retirement plans offer tax savings either at the time of contribution or when you withdraw funds. Ensure that your plan maximises tax efficiency and aligns with your tax goals.   
    ●    Retirement Age: Your retirement age will determine the type of plan that is suitable for you. If you are young and have many years to save, growth-oriented plans like SIPs or NPS are ideal.

    However, if you’re nearing retirement, safer options like annuity plans or SCSS may be more appropriate.

    When thinking about your options for retirement, also consider that there are life insurance products that provide retirement benefits. Most insurers, including Axis Max Life Insurance, provide solutions that allow clients to reap the benefits of life insurance while also comfortably retiring. Most retirement solutions will typically allow you, the client, to make contingent regular payments after you retire, thus financially securing you for your golden years.

    Conclusion

    Good retirement planning is an integral component of a comfortable and secure future. It is important to understand the multitude of options available to you and how your retirement plans will go depending on your individual financial situation, age, and risk tolerance. Though there are options such as pension plans, mutual funds, insurance policies, and government-backed schemes such as SCSS and NPS, you’ll have an easier chance of achieving the financial freedom of your dreams if you start early and save regularly.

    When it comes to retirement, variations in retirement plans are all about, as well as your personal situation, and it is to your benefit to understand each plan and start building your retirement corpus for a future with less worry. The sooner you start, the more you could potentially generate wealth and provide you with the opportunity to spend your golden years in relaxation.   
     

  • Prabhu Tony takes the top job at Alchemist; Farhan Khan to lead Clay real estate unit

    Prabhu Tony takes the top job at Alchemist; Farhan Khan to lead Clay real estate unit

    MUMBAI: Alchemist has rejigged its leadership stack with Prabhu Tony stepping up as chief executive officer – mainline business, and Farhan Khan taking over as head of Clay, the agency’s specialised real estate vertical.

    With over 14 years of brand, strategy and creative leadership under his belt, Tony has been instrumental in driving Alchemist’s growth trajectory, particularly in the Delhi market. In his new role, he will spearhead national operations, doubling down on scale, agility and deeper client impact.

    Meanwhile, Khan—who has spent over a decade building Clay into a formidable force in real estate marketing—will now lead the vertical’s pan-India expansion. Known for his sharp sectoral insights and steady revenue growth, Khan is expected to replicate his regional success across new territories.

    Alchemist managing director Manish Porwal said: “Prabhu has been a reliable driver of our growth, combining strategic thinking with a profound understanding of achieving significant results for our clients. His leadership as CEO will guide us in our next phase of growth. Farhan’s skill and vision have significantly boosted our real estate division, and his expanded role is a logical progression to extend that success to other regions.”
    .”
    Tony, reflecting on his rise, added: ““The Delhi chapter gave me the playground to learn, build, and grow, and now I look forward to extending the same energy across all Alchemist’s offices. I’m grateful to Manish for his mentorship over the years and will continue to draw from his wisdom as I step into this new chapter.”

    The moves mark a decisive push by Alchemist to sharpen its creative-commercial edge and deepen partnerships across its core verticals.

  • Bassi, banter and a bronze: BBH India scores at Cannes Lions 2025

    Bassi, banter and a bronze: BBH India scores at Cannes Lions 2025

    CANNES: BBH India has scrubbed up a shiny Bronze Lion at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025, bagging the metal in the Social & Creator Lions – Use of Humour category for its cheeky campaign: Bassi vs Garnier Men Facewash.

    Crafted for Garnier (L’Oréal India), the campaign took a tongue-in-cheek jab at scepticism itself—by turning comedian Anubhav Singh Bassi, once a mocker of facewash ads, into the star of one. The story escalated with over 100 Indian comedians rallying in support, including Harsh Gujral, before climaxing in a headline-stealing visual: John Abraham, Garnier’s brand ambassador, literally washing Bassi’s face on screen in a TVC.

    Rooted in Bassi’s own stand-up routines about men’s skincare, the film played up “cooling, freshness and comic timing” in equal measure—making it both a cultural moment and a marketing masterstroke. Social chatter soon snowballed into broadcast-level attention.

    “Bassi Vs Men’s Face Wash is an iconic campaign. One that started on social and ended up on broadcast,” BBH India chief creative officer Parikshit Bhattaccharya. “With all the attention the work has already garnered for the brand, a Cannes Lions metal is a great cherry on top. We couldn’t be happier for the teams at BBH and Garnier.”

    Witty, well-timed, and wildly shareable—BBH India’s latest proves that when humour meets hustle, global glory follows.

    You can watch the commercial by clicking here

     

  • Seville gets the picture as 4K HDR Summit zooms in for 11th edition

    Seville gets the picture as 4K HDR Summit zooms in for 11th edition

    MUMBAI: Seville is once again in ultra high focus and it’s not just the camera lenses doing the zooming. The 4K HDR Summit is back for its 11th edition, transforming the Andalusian capital into a global hotspot for Ultra High Definition (UHD), cutting-edge streaming, and the future of AI-driven audiovisual production. Running from 10 to 13 November 2025, the event will blend two days of in-person action at the Cartuja Auditorium (10–11 Nov) with two days of virtual sessions (12–13 Nov), syncing with the 22nd Seville European Film Festival for a blockbuster audiovisual week.

    With over 500 professionals and 240 companies attending in 2024, this year’s edition builds on its reputation as the world’s premier forum for all things 4K and HDR, boasting participation from nearly 30 countries across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. From RTVE’s pioneering UHD DTT broadcasts to global giants prepping for LA 2028, the Summit promises to capture every pixel of innovation.

    Expect participation from heavyweights like Dolby, Fraunhofer IIS, EVS, Hispasat, and broadcasters across FORTA, along with UHD Spain’s General Assembly, and top-notch tech, OTT, AI, and immersive audio panels.

    2024’s edition drew 150 million media impressions, with an estimated media value of over 1 million euro, setting a formidable benchmark for the Summit’s hybrid format. Spain’s leadership in UHD content on DTT, underscored by La1’s regular UHD broadcast since Feb 2024, only heightens the stakes.

    As the world gears up for AI-enhanced production and immersive streaming, the 4K HDR Summit remains the place “where technology and content have time to talk.” Bonus: all sessions will be available year-round on Medina Media’s El Observatorio platform because UHD conversations don’t fade to black.
     

  • Tetley brews up a beauty and burn blend with its new green tea range

    Tetley brews up a beauty and burn blend with its new green tea range

    MUMBAI: Tetley Green Tea has stirred the pot with two first-in-category innovations — Tetley Green Tea Slim Care, infused with L-Carnitine, and Tetley Green Tea Beauty Care, boosted with Biotin. These aren’t your usual herbal infusions — they’re smart sips engineered for real results.

    L-Carnitine, a natural nutrient known to burn body fat, headlines the Slim Care variant, while Beauty Care brings Biotin — the go-to vitamin for glowing skin and fabulous hair — into every cup. The twin launch signals Tetley’s pivot from passive wellness to performance-driven, ingredient-led innovation.

    “Tetley Green Tea Slim Care isn’t your regular green tea — and that’s exactly why I love it. It’s powered by L-Carnitine, a natural nutrient proven to burn body fat. For someone like me, always on the move, this blend of flavour and function fits right in. It’s smart, simple, refreshing, purposeful and makes every cup count.”, adds Kriti.

    Steeping into the spotlight is actor and wellness aficionado Kriti Sanon, who fronts the new campaign, #NotYourRegularGreenTea. Sanon’s fitness-first appeal lends muscle to Tetley’s reimagined health narrative, where tea isn’t just soothing — it’s smart, targeted, and trendy.

    Tata Consumer Products, president – packaged beverages, India & South Asia, Puneet Das added, “Consumers today are looking for more from their everyday wellness choices — they want efficacy with enjoyment. Tetley Green Tea Slim Care and Beauty Care are tailored for this evolving mindset. With functional ingredients backed by science, we are offering green teas that not only taste great but also support consumer’s wellness goals. These are truly not just regular green teas.”

    MullenLowe Lintas executive director – head of creative (South); Arpan Bhattacharyya said, “Green tea with added L-Carnitine is new news in the category. Our attempt was to bring alive the new proposition with a deep-rooted consumer insight of how even for celebrities, like Kriti Sanon, the best laid wellness and fitness plans are hard to stick to in everyday life. We crafted slice of life moments and positioned the new Tetley Green Tea with added L-Carnitine as a solid modern wellness companion with proven efficacy. Kriti’s charm and authenticity adds relatability to the campaign, and we hope that it resonates with the consumer.”

    Available across major retail and digital platforms, the new range is a heady mix of lifestyle aspiration and functional efficacy. With this sip of science, Tetley is betting on India’s thirst for wellness that actually works.

  • The Trade Desk checks out with Zepto to deliver retail media magic on the open internet

    The Trade Desk checks out with Zepto to deliver retail media magic on the open internet

    MUMBAI: The Trade Desk has zipped into a game-changing partnership with quick commerce darling Zepto, unlocking fresh firepower for advertisers hungry for precision, scale, and results. The deal blends Zepto’s rich first-party data – drawn from over 60 million monthly shoppers across 80+ Indian cities — with The Trade Desk’s open-internet muscle, paving the way for sharper targeting and real-time optimisation.

    Unlike walled-garden retail media that confines campaigns within app borders, this tie-up takes Zepto’s audience segments — from grocery and baby care to wellness and electronics — and serves them up across the digital landscape. Think connected TV, OTT, music streaming, and more — wherever the eyeballs are, the ads will follow.

    Marketers using The Trade Desk’s platform can now track the full shopper journey, connecting media spend with actual sales on Zepto. It’s closed-loop attribution meets open-internet scale — a cocktail built for today’s ROI-obsessed climate.

    With this partnership, Zepto isn’t just delivering groceries in 10 minutes — it’s delivering marketing intelligence faster than ever before.

    “Retail data represents an incredible opportunity for brands looking to connect their marketing spend to sales. As marketers continue to seek ways to demonstrate the return on investment of their media spend, they increasingly value the data-driven precision of the open internet that enables them to effectively measure campaign performance,” said The Trade Desk managing director, India, Tejinder Grill. “Together with Zepto, we’re enabling a more scalable, privacy-conscious, and outcomes-focused advertising approach for modern marketers.”

    As marketers seek to drive greater effectiveness and efficiency, access to real-world consumer insight has become a top priority. This is especially critical in today’s volatile economic climate, where every marketing dollar must deliver tangible results. By connecting the right brands with the right buyers at the right time, this partnership promises to maximize campaign performance and deliver tangible business results — a critical need in today’s ROI-driven environment.

    Zepto’s unique first-party data unlocks high-intent audience segments across multiple buying categories including health and wellness, grocery, baby care, household, electronics and value bundles.

    “As the digital landscape evolves, privacy has become a key concern for consumers and marketers alike. This partnership reflects that shift, reinforcing our commitment to protecting customer data, while still enabling advertising that’s relevant and respectful,” said Zepto CBO Devendra Meel. “By grounding media decisions in actual purchase behavior, brands can better understand their audiences, optimize performance, and drive meaningful business outcomes. We’re proud to partner with The Trade Desk to build a more transparent and effective approach to advertising across on the open internet.”

  • Milking the Commute Mother Dairy wraps Lucknow metro in fresh branding

    Milking the Commute Mother Dairy wraps Lucknow metro in fresh branding

    MUMBAI: Who needs a hoarding when you can brand a whole metro? Mother Dairy’s latest move in Lucknow makes your daily commute hard to miss and surprisingly milky. In a bold out-of-home (OOH) activation, Mother Dairy has launched a full-scale metro branding campaign in Lucknow, transforming an entire train inside and out into a rolling canvas of dairy goodness. The campaign includes a complete external train wrap along with internal panel branding, offering an immersive brand experience to thousands of daily commuters.

    Executed through a dynamic collaboration between Moms Outdoor, The Local Talk, and Priority Media, the campaign signals a new high in transit media innovation for Tier-2 cities. The Lucknow metro, typically a space for quick glances and hurried steps, now plays host to a brand takeover designed to delight, inform, and remain top-of-mind with urban audiences.

    The Local Talk director Diamond Dogra summed it up, “This campaign is a perfect example of how local relevance can amplify brand visibility. By combining our deep understanding of city dynamics with Moms Outdoor’s strategic planning and Priority Media’s ground execution, we created an impactful and seamless metro experience.”

    With Tier-2 cities like Lucknow emerging as critical growth centres, this campaign showcases the creative potential of public transport as premium media real estate. It also demonstrates how smart regional targeting, coupled with visual dominance, can create high recall at mass scale without needing a single TV spot.

    For commuters, it’s a metro ride with a makeover. For Mother Dairy, it’s a journey from brand awareness to brand everywhere.

  • Amway stirs up the wellness game with ‘Nutrilite Triple Protect’

    Amway stirs up the wellness game with ‘Nutrilite Triple Protect’

    MUMBAI: Amway India has added extra muscle to its wellness playbook with the launch of Nutrilite Triple Protect, a plant-based dietary supplement designed to support immunity, gut health, and skin vitality — all in one go.

    Infused with three natural heavy-hitters — Acerola cherry (a Vitamin C powerhouse), turmeric (for anti-inflammatory flair), and licorice (to soothe the gut) — this latest offering delivers a triple-action formula minus the fluff. Each serving clocks in with 100 per cent of your recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C, courtesy of acerola cherries plucked from certified organic farms in Brazil — said to contain nearly seven times more Vitamin C than amla.

    Commenting on the launch, Amway India managing director Rajneesh Chopra stated, “As poor nutrition continues to impact over half the nation’s health, the need for clean, plant-based solutions for overall wellbeing has never been greater. Today’s consumers are prioritizing health like never before, with 52 per cent ranking immunity as the top benefit they seek in supplements – underscoring a growing demand for holistic wellness recommendations. 

    Keeping in mind the consumer needs and as part of our strategic business priority of Accelerating Product Innovation Pipeline, we are happy to introduce our latest innovation – Nutrilite Triple Protect by Amway.This one-of-a-kind formulation brings together science-backed ingredients to support immunity, gut and skin-empowering individuals to take a proactive, holistic approach to wellness. With a health-first approach, we at Amway are committed to empowering individuals to take control of their health and wellbeing and focus on enhancing their healthspan—living not just longer, but healthier lives.”

    Backed by 90 years of nutrition science, Triple Protect champions Amway’s seed-to-supplement philosophy, combining bioavailability with sustainability. With 40 mg of turmeric extract (equivalent to 50 times raw turmeric) and 167 mg of licorice extract (equal to six times the raw stuff), the formulation cuts no corners. No artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives — just clean, potent plant power.

    As Indian consumers lean into proactive health and preventive care, Amway is angling to be their supplement of choice. With Triple Protect, the brand isn’t just selling capsules – it’s bottling up nature’s immunity arsenal, ready to take on stress, pollution, and dodgy diets, one serving at a time.

  • Metafusion plugs in Avinash Trivedi to supercharge growth ops

    Metafusion plugs in Avinash Trivedi to supercharge growth ops

    MUMBAI: Vision AI specialist Metafusion has named Avinash Trivedi as its new chief growth officer, charging him with ramping up the company’s go-to-market strategy, scaling enterprise adoption, and unlocking new global partnerships across traffic, safety, and urban intelligence.

    Trivedi brings over 20 years of hard-won experience in video surveillance, SaaS, and smart infrastructure, with deep roots in high-growth markets across APAC, the Middle East and Europe.

    He joins Metafusion from Zygal, where he led sales and business development as president — driving expansion into VSaaS (Video Surveillance-as-a-Service) and Command Center-as-a-Service models. His resume also features senior leadership roles at Videonetics, Sony India, and Score Information Technologies, building high-performance growth pipelines.

    At Metafusion, Trivedi will take charge of revenue acceleration across its flagship AI product suite — from Metavisio (video intelligence) and Metatraffic (smart traffic management) to PixelFACE (facial recognition) and fuseNETS, a collaborative vision research platform.

    The appointment comes as Metafusion steps on the gas, expanding rapidly into smart city projects, traffic ecosystems, enterprise security, and intelligent highways.

    “I am excited to join Metafusion at such a pivotal moment in its journey,” said Metafusion chief growth officer Avinash Trivedi. “What drew me in was the vision and the clarity of purpose. We are shaping the digital nervous system for safer cities, smarter transport, and more responsive infrastructure. I look forward to partnering with our customers, team, and ecosystem to scale meaningful impact.”

    Metafusion founder & CEO Yatin Kavishwar added, “Avinash brings the right blend of enterprise acumen, GTM rigour, and industry foresight that aligns with our mission. As we scale our AI capabilities across sectors, his leadership will be instrumental in building new growth frontiers and deepening trust with our customers and partners globally.”

    Co-founded by Kavishwar, Saransh Karira, and Manish Soni, the company is carving out a niche at the intersection of generative AI, computer vision, NLP, and big data — decoding video, audio and metadata in real time to deliver actionable insights across industries.

    With Trivedi now in the cockpit, Metafusion seems primed to go from smart to unstoppable.