ITV

Category: News Headline

  • Zee Media launches Pinewz, the citizen-led hyperlocal news app

    Zee Media launches Pinewz, the citizen-led hyperlocal news app

    MUMBAI: In a break from the top-down model of legacy newsrooms, Zee Media Corp has rolled out Pinewz, billed as India’s first hyperlocal, citizen-led news app. Timed with the seventy ninth Independence Day, the platform invites Indians to be both reporter and editor—capturing life as it happens in mohallas, markets, campuses and street corners.

    Rooted in the credo You are the reporter. You are the editor, Pinewz lets news flow from the ground up, not the other way round. Stories are geo-tagged to users’ Pin codes, offering highly localised feeds and a sharper barometer of public sentiment.

    To keep speed from killing accuracy, each report runs through an AI engine with blockchain-backed verification and editorial checks. “Pinewz is not just an app. It’s a movement that unites the digital citizen and the grassroots reporter,” said Pinewz chief business officer & director Priyadarshan Garg.

    The model, already tested in a pilot across several cities, has yielded stories on neglected infrastructure, civic hazards and emergencies—some triggering action before official response. Users can see their verified reports rise from neighbourhood news to state and national coverage.

    Zee Media says this is journalism “of the people, by the people, for the people” in the most literal sense. The only agenda: real issues, real voices, and real change.

  • Vodafone bets big on AI with veteran’s promotion to digital HR chief

    Vodafone bets big on AI with veteran’s promotion to digital HR chief

    LONDON: Vodafone has elevated Purwa Rathor to global senior human resources product manager for digital and artificial intelligence, promoting a 17-year company veteran as the telecoms giant accelerates its push into AI-powered workplace solutions.

    Rathor, who joined Vodafone in 2008, will spearhead the rollout of AI-driven HR technologies including Microsoft Copilot and experimental “agentic AI” assistants designed to handle everything from interview scheduling to maternity queries. The promotion marks Vodafone’s latest attempt to harness artificial intelligence for competitive advantage in an industry grappling with mounting cost pressures.

    Her track record suggests the appointment is more than corporate window-dressing. As global candidate experience manager, Rathor delivered a 50 per cent reduction in cost-per-hire and time-per-hire, while boosting application rates by 80 per cent across 28 countries. She also improved diversity hiring by 34 per cent and lifted candidate satisfaction scores by 58 points.

    The promotion comes as traditional telecoms operators face intensifying competition from digital-native rivals and pressure to slash operational costs. Vodafone’s bet on AI-powered HR automation reflects broader industry efforts to extract efficiency gains from back-office functions.

    Rathor’s career spans from financial services training roles at ICICI Prudential and India Infoline to nearly two decades architecting Vodafone’s talent acquisition systems. Her experience navigating complex regulatory environments—including negotiations with German and Spanish works councils—may prove crucial as AI deployment raises fresh concerns about worker surveillance and algorithmic bias.

    Whether Vodafone’s AI ambitions translate into sustainable cost savings or merely create new technological dependencies remains an open question. For now, the company appears willing to gamble on internal promotion over external expertise as it races to digitise its workforce operations.

  • Nameeta Saigal climbs the ranks at femtech startup Nua

    Nameeta Saigal climbs the ranks at femtech startup Nua

    MUMBAI: Nameeta Saigal has been elevated to senior vice-president and head of marketing at Nua, the Mumbai-based femtech startup, after nearly four years with the company building its direct-to-consumer presence.

    Saigal joined Nua in December 2021 as vice-president of marketing and has now been promoted internally, marking a vote of confidence in her stewardship of the brand’s growth trajectory. The promotion comes as femtech companies face increasing pressure to differentiate themselves in a crowded wellness market.

    Her career spans over two decades in consumer marketing, with notable stints at telecommunications giant Vodafone Idea Ltd, where she served as vice-president for consumer segments marketing and partnerships. Before that, she cut her teeth in brand management at Godrej Consumer Products, handling household names including Goodknight mosquito repellent and Kiwi shoe care products.

    Saigal’s expertise in building consumer segments and partnerships may prove crucial as Nua seeks to expand beyond its core feminine hygiene offerings. The company operates in India’s burgeoning femtech sector, which has attracted significant investor interest despite regulatory challenges and cultural sensitivities around women’s health products.

    The internal promotion suggests Nua is betting on continuity rather than external recruitment as it navigates the competitive landscape of health and wellness brands. For Saigal, the elevation represents the culmination of a marketing career that began in the spirits industry with Shaw Wallace Distilleries before progressing through pharmaceuticals and consumer goods.

    Whether her brand-building credentials can help Nua capture greater market share in India’s evolving femtech space remains to be seen.

  • Times change again as Varun Kohli exits, Gopakumar takes interim charge

    Times change again as Varun Kohli exits, Gopakumar takes interim charge

    MUMBAI: Another shuffle at Times Network has set the industry buzzing. Varun Kohli, who joined as chief operating officer barely a year ago, has suddenly stepped down from the role. In the interim, Rohit Gopakumar, currently CEO of entertainment and digital business at The Times Group, has been handed charge of the broadcast business.

    The development comes against the backdrop of CEO M.K. Anand’s exit in July 2024, when he quit after more than a decade at Bennett, Coleman & Co. (BCCL). Kohli was brought in just a month earlier, in June 2024, to oversee the network’s revenue function across its television broadcast business.

    Kohli, a seasoned media professional, moved to Times Network from Bharat Express, where he spent a year and a half as director and CEO. Before that, he briefly helmed Sporty Media Solutionz as CEO and held senior stints at ITV Network (group CEO), Network18, HT Media, and Amar Ujala Prakashan.

    Meanwhile, Gopakumar isn’t new to the media house. He joined the group in August 2023 as CEO of Worldwide Media and was later elevated to lead entertainment and digital. His expanded remit now includes steering Times Network’s broadcast operations during a tricky phase for the industry.

    With two top exits in just over a year, Times Network finds itself once again at a leadership crossroads and all eyes will now be on how Gopakumar steadies the ship.

  • Bajaj Freedom 125 marks India’s 79th Independence Day with new TVC campaign ‘Azaadi Aage Badhane Ki’

    Bajaj Freedom 125 marks India’s 79th Independence Day with new TVC campaign ‘Azaadi Aage Badhane Ki’

    MUMBAI – Bajaj Auto Ltd., marks India’s 79th Independence Day by redefining freedom for a new era – freedom that fuels ambition, makes everyday life more affordable and protects the environment. The brand’s latest TVC campaign, Azaadi Aage Badhane Ki, highlights how freedom today is about innovation, affordability, and sustainability, values embodied by the Bajaj Freedom 125, the world’s first CNG-powered motorcycle.

    The ‘Azaadi Aage Badhane Ki’ campaign captures how mobility in our daily lives can take the essence of independence forward in the years to come, showing how innovation on two wheels can support a nation’s march towards self-reliance and environmental responsibility.

    While Independence Day traditionally honours the freedom won in the past, this campaign invites India to look towards the future- a future where growth is driven by innovation and sustainability. The TVC also commemorates a major milestone- one year of the Bajaj Freedom 125.

    In just twelve months, the motorcycle has won the acceptance of riders across the country, crossing the 65,000 sales mark. This remarkable response reflects a growing nationwide shift towards cost-effective and sustainable mobility solutions.
      

  • Davaindia rolls out pan-India ‘#CareForAll’ shelters and emergency

    Davaindia rolls out pan-India ‘#CareForAll’ shelters and emergency

    MUMBAI: Zota Healthcare has a retail business called Davaindia, which has been running its #CareForAllcampaign – a community-based shelter and medical response to help with humane care for stray animals throughout the country. As part of this campaign, Davaindia has been systematically establishing outdoor low-cost, weather-proof enclosures that double as feeding stations outside its COCO stores, providing safe areas for community dogs while ensuring they are fed, cared for, and protected from weather extremities. The #CareForAll campaign also partners and works closely with veterinary practitioners, and NGOs focused on animal-welfare to provide humane uptake, vaccination, sterilisation, and sheltering for animals needing long-term shelter. Building on this well-established network and consistent and successful model, #CareForAll is currently embarking on significant scaling in light of the recent order of the Supreme Court of India that ordered no stray dogs remain in Delhi-NCR within eight weeks, with a planned humane approach to adaptation and shelter guarantee.

    Experts and civic authorities caution that acting in large numbers without proper planning can result in public health and welfare issues  from outbreaks of disease to what ecologists refer to as the “vacuum effect,” whereby territorial, vaccinated dogs will be removed and unvaccinated, potentially more aggressive animals will enter the cleared space. Davaindia states that its programme provides a sheltering model with immediate action, mass vaccinations, and sterilisation in specific areas so communities will be safer humanely.

    Talking on behalf of DavaIndia, Healthcare group CEO  Dr.Sujit Paul stated that “Neutering and spaying of dogs is the only sustainable method of mitigating litter at the source — and that, if undertaken in a systemic manner, the communities will be stabilised in a decade, with spay/neuter averages of aprox ₹1000–₹2000 per animal being small costs relative to the human and animal suffering we are preventing. India lacks shelter infrastructure to humanely house millions of stray animals, which is why DavaIndia is trying to address the issue with a community shelter operation at company stores and mass vaccination campaigns. We must also avoid the vacuum effect — i.e. removing territorial attendant to unvaccinated dogs to occupy their territory creating exposure to zoonotic outbreaks of leptospirosis, mange, parvovirus, etc. During visits to South Africa (content that supports community based sheltering in pet food stores) and Georgia (rural community program) I observed radio/RFID tagging and also willing to pilot microchipping and RFID linkage with municipal records whenever possible (to improve accountability and follow up care)”.

     

  • Tata Motors brings Kerala together this Onam with exciting products and great benefits

    Tata Motors brings Kerala together this Onam with exciting products and great benefits

    MUMBAI: Tata Motors launched its exclusive Onam offers campaign for the state of Kerala. Valid from 25 July to 30 September 2025, the Company is offering special benefits up to 2, 00,000 on Passenger and Electric vehicles with priority deliveries as a part of Onam bookings. Enhancing the festive spirit, Tata Motors has also introduced flexible and value-rich financial plans in partnership with leading institutions. Customers can now avail Balloon Schemes – enabling low initial EMIs for easier upgrades, Step-Up Schemes that provide progressive EMIs tuned to income raises for ease of payment and Low EMI Scheme offering just ₹100 per lakh EMI for the first 3 months. Moreover, EV customers can also avail 6-month financing for accessories, extended warranty, AMC, and servicing, making EV ownership even more accessible.

    Celebrating the festivities across the state, the Company launched a new regional campaign – “Kerala comes together with Tata Motors’. Deeply rooted in local sentiment and cultural understanding, the campaign thoughtfully portrays the meaningful moments that culminate in the Onam festivities. Central to this narrative is the iconic Malayalam track “Nada Nada” by Avial— an enduring and cherished song in Kerala, whose uplifting melody and message to “keep moving forward” resonate deeply with the spirit of Onam.

    Enhancing the festive fervor in Kerala, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd., chief commercial officer, Vivek Srivatsa said, “Kerala has always been a vital market for Tata Motors and holds special significance for the Tata Group. Onam is the most important festival for our customers here, and we are committed to making this celebration even more meaningful. This year’s festive campaign is designed to enhance the overall buying experience with attractive cash offers, easy financing options, and priority deliveries—ensuring a delightful journey for our customers.

    In line with our commitment to seamless ownership, Tata Motors has expanded its service network across Kerala, now boasting 622 passenger vehicle bays in 83 workshops, a dedicated EV battery repair centre, training facilities, and 5 Tata.ev stores. We believe these initiatives, coupled with our heartfelt campaign, will bring added joy to the season and strengthen our emotional bond with our customers.”

  • Media veteran Kumar Ahuja takes the helm at AI upstart Eros Innovation

    Media veteran Kumar Ahuja takes the helm at AI upstart Eros Innovation

    MUMBAI: Kumar Ahuja, a seasoned entertainment industry executive, has been appointed chief operating officer at Eros Innovation, a global technology holding company positioning itself at the intersection of artificial intelligence and media.

    Ahuja brings nearly three decades of experience to the role, having most recently served as chief revenue officer at Sony Music Entertainment from December 2023 to August 2025. Before that, he spent over 26 years at Eros International, where he held various leadership positions including chief operating officer and president of business development.

    Eros Innovation describes itself as a technology holding company with ambitions spanning AI, media, entertainment, sports, education and bio-life sciences. The firm serves as parent company to Immerso AI and other subsidiaries, claiming to leverage four decades of investment expertise to back disruptive technologies.

    The company boasts 1.5 trillion AI tokens and operates AI data parks in Malaysia and GIFT City, India. It positions these facilities as innovation hubs for cutting-edge AI research with a particular focus on entertainment applications.

    Ahuja’s appointment comes as traditional media companies grapple with the rapid advancement of AI technologies. His extensive background in strategic partnerships and business development at major entertainment firms may prove valuable as Eros Innovation seeks to bridge the gap between established media and emerging AI capabilities.

    The company says it is pioneering “next-generation intellectual properties” through blockchain, generative AI and tokenisation, though it remains to be seen how these technologies will translate into commercial success in an increasingly crowded AI landscape.

  • Trilok names Suno as platform partner

    Trilok names Suno as platform partner

    MUMBAI: Collective Artists Network announced a new collaboration between its AI band Trilok and Suno, where Trilok will also serve as a Suno brand ambassador. The collaboration pairs Trilok’s creative direction and original compositions with Suno’s powerful music-production tools for generation, arrangement and high-quality song delivery.

    Since its debut, Trilok has released music that blends devotional themes with contemporary sounds, introducing traditional stories and melodies to new audiences. Partnering with Suno opens the door to even more possibilities.

    Suno’s strong presence in the international music-tech space will help bring Trilok’s sound to listeners far beyond India, while Collective Artists Network’s deep roots in the country’s music and cultural networks will help AI-driven music find more ears, and hearts, here at home.

    Collective Artists Network founder & group CEO, Vijay Subramaniam said: “Trilok started as a small experiment in blending tradition and technology, and it’s grown into something so much greater. Partnering with Suno has taken that journey to a new level, helping bring the music to global audiences. This is a collaboration I’m proud of, one that keeps the heart of the music intact while opening new ways for people around the world to connect with it.”

    “We’re fortunate to work with music creators all over the world to help bring their visions to life,” said Suno chief music officer Paul Sinclair. “Trilok is using the newest creative tools to push musical storytelling into exciting territory, blending heritage and innovation in ways that weren’t possible before. At the same time, they’re building a genuine artist-fan connection, using these advancements to create new opportunities for collaboration.”

    The first Trilok releases with Suno are slated for late 2025.
     

  • IAA India partners with BrandMusiq to launch its sonic identity

    IAA India partners with BrandMusiq to launch its sonic identity

    MUMBAI — The International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter, the country’s only cross-industry body uniting advertisers, agencies, and media professionals, has partnered with BrandMusiq—Asia’s pioneering sonic branding agency—to launch its sonic identity.

    In a world where brands are increasingly defined by how they make us feel, IAA’s new sonic identity offers a bold and emotionally resonant way to experience the brand—not just see it or read it, but hear it.

    As a part of the collaboration, BrandMusiq has crafted a distinct Mogo (musical logo) and an immersive Mogoscape—a rich sonic environment that reflects IAA’s archetypes: the Hero (courageous, inspiring) and the Creator (imaginative, expressive). Rooted in Indian aesthetic philosophy, the identity draws from the Rasas of Veera (inspiration), Adbhuta (awe), and Karuna (empathy)—echoing IAA’s purpose to lead, uplift, and connect with heart.

    IAA president India Chapter Abhishek Karnani shared,  “IAA has always stood for ideas that move industries forward. With this sonic identity, we now have a new language—one that’s emotionally alive and future-facing. It reflects who we are today and who we hope to become tomorrow.”

    BrandMusiq founder & soundsmith, Rajeev Raja added, “IAA isn’t just an institution—it’s a creative spirit that brings people together across borders and disciplines. The Mogoscape we’ve created is more than a sound—it’s a musical embodiment of courage, curiosity, and care.”