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Category: MAM

  • L’Oréal India names digital pro Aniket Basu as chief digital officer

    L’Oréal India names digital pro Aniket Basu as chief digital officer

    MUMBAI: L’Oréal India has appointed Aniket Basu as chief digital officer for its consumer products division, tapping the experienced digital marketing specialist to spearhead the beauty giant’s digital transformation strategy in one of Asia’s most dynamic markets.

    Basu joins the Indian operation after nearly three years as digital media lead for L’Oréal’s  south Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa regions, where he was based in Singapore and responsible for digital strategy across 15 markets.

    The appointment marks a homecoming for the Ohio State University graduate, who began his career in India before building an impressive 12-year international résumé spanning multiple markets and agencies.

    “India is a market of immense dynamism, where digital innovation and consumer engagement are evolving at an extraordinary pace,” Basu said of his appointment. “The opportunities to drive impact, scale transformation, and shape the future of growth are limitless.”

    Prior to joining L’Oréal in 2022, Basu served in senior leadership roles at WPP-owned agencies, including senior director positions at Essence in Singapore, where he focused on technology and e-commerce. He also spent over seven years at Wavemaker, progressing from business executive in India to associate digital director for the Asia-Pacific region.

    His expertise spans strategy and planning, data analytics, adtech deployment, search optimisation and first-party data strategy – skills that will prove crucial as L’Oréal seeks to capitalise on India’s rapidly expanding digital beauty market.

    Basu holds an MBA from Singapore Management University, where he made the Dean’s List in 2021, and completed specialised training in premium and luxury brand management at IE Business School.
    Industry observers note that his appointment comes as L’Oréal intensifies its focus on e-commerce and digital engagement in India, where online beauty sales have surged over 300 per cent since 2020.

  • Furlenco rolls into Kolkata with a bold and innovative ad strategy

    Furlenco rolls into Kolkata with a bold and innovative ad strategy

    Mumbai: Furlenco, has expanded its operations to Kolkata, marking its foray into the eastern region. This move aligns with the company’s mission to provide hassle-free, premium furniture rental solutions to urban dwellers. With a customer base exceeding 300,000 across more than 25 cities, Furlenco has established a strong presence in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, and Pune.

    To celebrate its entry into Kolkata, Furlenco has launched a distinctive taxi-top advertising campaign, embracing the city’s rich culture. The initiative transforms the iconic Kolkata taxis into mobile billboards showcasing Furlenco’s premium furniture range. Featuring furniture setups atop the vehicles, the campaign highlights the comfort and convenience offered by the brand’s rental solutions, aiming to engage the city’s diverse audience and boost brand visibility.

    Furlenco CEO & founder, Ajith Karimpana stated, “At Furlenco, our goal has always been to simplify urban living by offering stylish and sustainable furniture solutions that adapt to our customers’ needs. With Kolkata joining our growing network, we are excited to empower more people with the freedom to create comfortable and functional spaces without long-term commitments.”

    With shifting consumer preferences, rental solutions are increasingly becoming the preferred choice for urban dwellers who value convenience and flexibility over ownership. Furlenco’s subscription-based model removes the burden of upfront costs, heavy deposits, and logistical challenges, allowing customers to adapt seamlessly to their evolving needs.

    As a pioneer in the furniture rental industry, Furlenco remains committed to its core values of convenience, affordability, and sustainability. By providing stylish, sustainable, and cost-effective furniture options, the brand is redefining urban living across India.

  • Ad Standards take centre stage as India hosts Global Summit

    Ad Standards take centre stage as India hosts Global Summit

    MUMBAI: India is set to become the epicentre of global advertising conversations as the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) gears up to host the ICAS Global Summit ICAS Global Dialogues 2025 from 17 to 19 March 2025, in Mumbai. This marks a historic first, with the prestigious event being held outside Europe and the US, signalling India’s increasing influence in shaping global advertising self-regulation.

    The by-invite-only summit will convene self-regulatory leaders from 16 countries, alongside global advertising associations, regulators, and top Indian industry players. With AI and emerging technologies rapidly reshaping the industry, the summit aims to foster discussions on ethical, progressive, and consumer-first advertising practices.

    The summit will feature a series of thought-provoking sessions addressing key industry shifts. It will kick off with the ICAS Global Self-Regulation Awards (March 17), celebrating the most innovative and impactful advertising self-regulation initiatives worldwide. This will be followed by the ICAS Think Tank & Panel Discussion, where ASCI, alongside Hindustan Unilever, Marico, Cipla Health, and Kenvue, will shape the future of global advertising standards. On March 18, the session ‘Tomorrow’s Regulation Today’ will explore emerging consumer vulnerabilities and the evolving role of advertising regulations in tackling them. The final day, March 19, will see ASCI Academy’s Global Adda, unveiling two major research studies, ‘Manifest: Masculinities Beyond the Mask’, a deep dive into male representation in media, and ‘AdNext: The AI Edition’, which explores AI’s transformative impact on advertising.  

    With over 250 attendees expected, including industry leaders, regulators, and marketing professionals, the event promises insightful discussions, knowledge-sharing, and future-focused advertising strategies.

    ASCI CEO & secretary general Manisha Kapoor said, “Hosting the ICAS Global Summit in India is a proud milestone for ASCI and the Indian advertising industry. We look forward to collaborating with global experts and gaining insights that will help us navigate new complexities while strengthening consumer trust.”

    ASCI chairman Partha Sinha added, “The timing of this summit is crucial as AI and other technologies rapidly reshape advertising. Bringing global perspectives together will help us collectively design forward-looking approaches that balance innovation with responsibility.”

    The summit will host a star-studded lineup of speakers, bringing together influential voices from across industries. Key speakers include Abhishek Singh, additional secretary, MeitY; Devdutt Pattanaik, renowned mythologist and author; Michael Todd, global director at Google, and Guy Parker, president of ICAS. Adding to the distinguished roster are Mary K Engle, EVP-policy at BBB National Programs, USA; Mohan Jayaraman, partner at Bain & Company; Ruchira Jaitly, CMO of Diageo India and Paromita Vohra, acclaimed filmmaker and writer. Their collective expertise promises to drive meaningful discussions on the future of advertising and self-regulation.  

    Supported by Diageo India, Hindustan Unilever, Google, United Breweries, Makemytrip, Games24x7, Khaitan & Co., and Lexplosion, the ICAS Global Summit 2025 is poised to drive progressive, ethical, and future-ready advertising practices with India leading the charge.

  • PhonePe surpasses 600M users, expands its digital payment ecosystem

    PhonePe surpasses 600M users, expands its digital payment ecosystem

    Mumbai: PhonePe has announced that it has crossed 600 million (60 crore) registered users on its platform, marking a significant milestone as the company approaches its 10 anniversary this year.

    The digital payments and financial services provider attributes this achievement to its continuous innovation, enhanced service offerings, and a growing user base. By prioritising security, reliability, and speed in its payment system, PhonePe has strengthened customer trust and expanded its reach across India’s merchant network, fostering a comprehensive digital payments ecosystem for consumers and businesses alike.

    PhonePe co-founder & CEO, Sameer Nigam stated, “Reaching 60 crore registered users is a proud moment for all of us at PhonePe. Every milestone brings us closer to realising our vision of building a truly inclusive financial ecosystem. We will continue developing homegrown solutions to meet the evolving needs of our users and support India’s digital transformation.”

  • Microsoft AI welcomes Umesh Shankar as VP, engineering for AI safety

    Microsoft AI welcomes Umesh Shankar as VP, engineering for AI safety

    Mumbai: Microsoft AI has appointed Umesh Shankar as corporate vice president of engineering, where he will spearhead initiatives in AI innovation, security and privacy.Shankar brings nearly two decades of experience from Google, where he served as chief technologist for Google Cloud Security and engineering director for Google Assistant Ecosystem. His work focused on strengthening AI security frameworks and advancing data protection to enhance user trust and safety.

    At Microsoft, he will direct efforts to develop responsible AI, ensuring secure and ethical AI integration across products and services. His appointment underscores Microsoft’s commitment to advancing AI with robust privacy and security standards, reinforcing its global AI-driven strategy.

    His work focused on making GCP the safest environment for AI development and leveraging AI to tackle critical security challenges, such as cloud posture management, threat intelligence, fraud prevention, and secops. Prior to this, he was engineering director for Google Assistant’s Ecosystem, handle a team of 180 engineers across global locations to develop AI-driven services like duplex on the web, actions on Google, identity and transactions APIs. His earlier tenure at Google also included pioneering efforts in data protection, key management, authentication, authorization, auditing, and insider risk controls, building security infrastructure used across Google’s products and services. Notably, he led the access transparency project, providing Google Cloud customers with real-time logs of data access events, unlocking nearly 900 million dollars in revenue. Before joining Google, he held roles as an advisor at LiquidTalent, a research intern at IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, and a software engineer at Idiom Technologies.

    Shankar holds a PhD and M.S. in Computer Science with a focus on security and privacy from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. in Computer Science from Harvard University. His extensive expertise in AI security and privacy positions him to play a crucial role in shaping Microsoft AI’s responsible AI initiatives and strengthening its global AI-driven strategy.

  • Network18 ropes in digital entrepreneur Angad Bhatia to helm Firstpost and Creator18

    Network18 ropes in digital entrepreneur Angad Bhatia to helm Firstpost and Creator18

    MUMBAI: Network18 has appointed seasoned digital entrepreneur Angad Bhatia as chief executive of Firstpost and its freshly minted creator-focused venture, Creator18.

    Bhatia, who founded and scaled the influential men’s lifestyle platform MensXP before its acquisition by Times Internet, brings over 15 years of digital media expertise to the role where he’ll steer India’s international news brand while simultaneously building a creator network across Network18’s digital properties.

    His appointment marks a strategic push by the media conglomerate to capitalise on the booming creator economy while strengthening its news credentials.

    The digital veteran most recently served as chief executive of India Lifestyle Network and spearheaded brand and marketing growth initiatives at Mensa Brands. His career has spanned content, technology and digital commerce, including the development of influential digital-first consumer brands such as iDiva and Hypp.

    Industry observers note Bhatia’s reputation for identifying growth adjacencies and applying entrepreneurial thinking to established media businesses – precisely the toolkit Network18 appears keen to harness as traditional and social media boundaries continue to blur.

    “Bhatia represents the new breed of media executive who understands both content creation and commercial models in the digital sphere,” said a media analyst at a leading consultancy firm. “His experience with MensXP demonstrated he can build audiences while driving commercial success.”

    In his new role, Bhatia will report directly to Rahul Joshi, managing director and group editor-in-chief of Network18, as he attempts to bring fresh thinking and audience growth to the organisation’s digital portfolio.

  • Bajaj Consumer Care bags Vishal Personal Care’s Banjara’s brand in southern swoop

    Bajaj Consumer Care bags Vishal Personal Care’s Banjara’s brand in southern swoop

    MUMBAI; Bajaj Consumer Care, one of India’s oldest and most trusted FMCG companies with a 70-year legacy, has planted its flag firmly in the herbal beauty market by completing the first phase of its acquisition of Vishal Personal Care, maker of the popular Banjara’s range of natural beauty products.

    The company announced today it has secured a 49 per cent stake in the Hyderabad-based manufacturer, with plans to acquire the remaining 51 per cent  within the next three to four months, subject to regulatory approvals.

    The deal, valued at approximately Rs 120 crore for complete ownership, gives Bajaj immediate access to Banjara’s burgeoning business of ayurvedic and herbal personal care products, which generated revenues of Rs 51.53 crore in the 2023-24 financial year.

    “This strategic acquisition perfectly aligns with our growth ambitions in the natural beauty segment,” said Bajaj Consumer Care managing director Jaideep Nandi. “Banjara’s botanical brilliance and strong southern presence provides us with both product prowess and geographical growth opportunities, complementing our existing portfolio of trusted brands like Bajaj Almond Drops Hair Oil and Nomarks.”

     

    Established in 2012, Vishal Personal Care has shown consistent revenue growth, climbing from Rs 39.43 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 45.36 crore in 2022-23, before reaching Rs 51.53 crore last year.

    The Banjara’s brand is particularly well-established in southern India, offering more than 60 products including rose water, face washes, hair oils and natural henna. The company operates a manufacturing facility in the outskirts of Hyderabad with Ayush licensing for ayurvedic and herbal production.

    The acquisition comes as Bajaj Consumer Care continues its expansion beyond its flagship hair oil products. Part of the storied Bajaj group, the company has been an integral part of the Indian consumer experience for over seven decades, with its products reaching households across the country and international markets.

    Industry analysts note that Bajaj’s herbal handshake with Banjara’s could create competitive challenges for established players in the natural beauty space, particularly given Bajaj’s extensive distribution network currently being optimised through Project Aarohan.

    “This acquisition crowns Bajaj with credible credentials in the fast-growing natural beauty segment,” said a market analyst from a leading brokerage firm. “The company can now harness Banjara’s herbal heritage while leveraging its own distribution dominance and the trust it has built over generations.”

    The purchase agreement was originally approved by Bajaj’s board on 14 February, involving Peepul Capital Fund III LLC as the selling majority shareholder.

    Bajaj Consumer Care indicated that the acquisition will accelerate its innovation pipeline and new product launches in the five southern states, while providing access to Vishal’s robust sales processes and experienced management team.

    This move into herbal beauty aligns with Bajaj’s recent quarterly reports highlighting the company’s focus on diversification and strengthening its modern trade and e-commerce channels, which have shown robust growth despite challenges in traditional general trade segments.

  • Emcure Pharmaceuticals taps ebullient Vidya Balan to front new Arth wellness range

    Emcure Pharmaceuticals taps ebullient Vidya Balan to front new Arth wellness range

    MUMBAI; Emcure Pharmaceuticals has recruited Bollywood star Vidya Balan as the face of its expanded Arth wellness range, marking the company’s strategic entry into the daily supplements market.

    The Pune-based pharmaceutical firm is leveraging its women’s health expertise to launch products that blend traditional Indian herbs with modern science.

    Balan will headline campaigns for three flagship products: Intimate Care for feminine hygiene, Sleep Support Gummies for rest quality, and Brain Fog Aid for cognitive function.

    “Women are the backbone of families and communities, yet their health often takes a backseat,” said Balan. “True empowerment begins with good health, and I hope to inspire women to prioritise themselves through informed choices.”

    The collaboration aims to break taboos around women’s health issues, particularly those considered sensitive or rarely discussed in public forums.

    Namita Thapar, whole-time director at Emcure Pharmaceuticals, praised Balan’s credentials for the role: “We are excited to partner with Vidya, as she is bold, authentic, and truly embodies what our brand stands for. As a strong advocate for women’s health, she is known for speaking her mind.”

    Emcure, which operates in more than 70 countries including Europe and Canada, has previously focused on menopausal health products. This expansion broadens its wellness portfolio with solutions targeting everyday health concerns.

    The company’s decision to enter the supplements space comes amid growing consumer interest in preventative health measures and holistic wellbeing solutions, particularly products addressing specific women’s health needs.

    The new Arth range is available nationwide and through the brand’s dedicated website.

  • Signpost CFO Rameshwar Agrawal resigns, exit set for 31 March

    Signpost CFO Rameshwar Agrawal resigns, exit set for 31 March

    MUMBAI: The financial corridors of Signpost India Limited are witnessing a shift as the company’s chief financial officer (CFO), Rameshwar Prasad Agrawal, has tendered his resignation. Agrawal, who held the key managerial position, cited personal reasons for stepping down, with his last working day marked for 31 March 2025.

    Signpost India Ltd, known for its digital and transit media dominance, informed the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) about Agrawal’s exit in an official communication.

    In his resignation letter addressed to the Board, Agrawal expressed his gratitude for the opportunities and support he received during his tenure. “I want to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunities I have had during my tenure here. It has been an honour to work alongside such a dedicated team and contribute to the company’s growth and success. I appreciate the support and trust the Board has placed in me, and I am truly grateful for the experience and knowledge I have gained,” he wrote.

    While the company has yet to announce a successor, the leadership transition process is expected to commence soon. With an emphasis on ensuring smooth financial operations, Signpost’s management will likely focus on appointing a replacement who aligns with the company’s strategic goals.

     

  • Rise Worldwide to rep Manchester City in India

    Rise Worldwide to rep Manchester City in India

    MUMBAI: Reliance Industries-owned sports management firm  Rise Worldwide has secured a stellar signing with Manchester City, forming a formidable partnership that promises to boost the brilliant Blues’ brand in the burgeoning Indian market.

    The dazzling deal designates Rise Worldwide as City’s commercial crusaders in India, tasked with tracking down tailor-made tie-ups for the Premiership powerhouse. This partnership presents a perfect platform for Indian brands to capitalise on connecting with the club’s growing galaxy of fans across the subcontinent.

    Rise Worldwide, which has firmly footed itself as India’s matchday maestros in sports management, will leverage its local leverage and marketing muscle to help Manchester City  score spectacular sponsorships across India’s commercial landscape.

    Manchester City, whose trophy cabinet continues to creak under considerable silverware success, has signalled its serious stance on the Indian market through this calculated collaboration.

    “Manchester City is one of the biggest clubs in the world, and we are honoured with the opportunity to engage and enable partnerships for them in India,” said Rise Worldwide head Nikhil Bardia. “We aim to identify and engage in long-term partnerships that will drive business growth and contribute to the development of football.”

    This pitch-perfect partnership promises to propel both parties forward, with Manchester City gaining greater ground in one of football’s fastest flourishing frontiers, while Rise reinforces its reputation as the premier player in India’s sports business sector.

    Football fanatics across the nation will be watching with wonder as this commercial courtship kicks off what could be a long and lucrative liaison between Indian brands and the Etihad outfit.