Mumbai: Walt Disney has extended the contract of CEO Bob Iger for two more years.
In a statement, the company said Iger will remain on the post till 31 December 2026.
He joined Disney for his second stint after CEO Bob Chapek was asked to step down. Iger was given the task of improving Disney’s profitability.
Iger’s first stint with Disney as CEO was in 2005 and he was in that role for 15 years.
Mumbai: 360 ONE Asset, a leading alternates-focused asset management firm, which is part of 360 ONE WAM Ltd, has announced the appointment of Aarthi Ramakrishnan as head – strategy for the asset management business. Aarthi will play a pivotal role in enhancing the firm’s focus on global asset management and gift city platforms.
Aarthi Ramakrishnan brings with her a wealth of experience as a seasoned investment banker and business leader, spanning over 20 years in various global banks and asset platforms. Her most recent position was as the country head for India & Middle East at Kristal.AI, where she played an integral role in establishing the platform as the top choice for customers seeking to build global wealth portfolios. Aarthi’s stints include investment banking roles in renowned global firms such as Merrill Lynch, HSBC, and Credit Suisse. She also served as the managing director & country head for Mizuho’s Investment Bank.
360 ONE founder, MD & CEO Karan Bhagat said, “With her diverse experience, strategic thinking and leadership skills, we are confident that Aarthi will be a valuable asset in scaling our global capabilities, delivering innovative solutions, and fortifying our position as a leading player in the alternates-focused asset management industry.”
360 ONE Asset head – strategy Aarthi Ramakrishnan said, “I am absolutely thrilled to join the dynamic team at 360 ONE Asset. The firm’s reputation for innovation, process-driven approach, and commitment to excellence is truly impressive. I am excited to collaborate with the talented professionals at 360 ONE to develop innovative offerings that will continue to set the industry standard. As a team, we will collaborate to drive the firm’s strategic initiatives forward and deliver exceptional value to our investors.”
Aarthi Ramakrishnan holds a gold medal from the National Law School, Bangalore, and an MBA from IIM Calcutta. She is an accomplished professional and an active private investor and entrepreneur, having successfully invested in and mentored several early-stage businesses in the financial services space.
Mumbai: As per reports, Indian conglomerate ITC Ltd has proposed convening an annual general meeting to seek shareholder approval for the reappointment of Sanjiv Puri as the managing director and chairman for a second term, effective from 22 July 2024.
Puri, who joined ITC in 1986, was appointed as a whole-time director on the board of ITC from 6 December 2015, chief executive officer in February 2017 and re-designated as the managing director in May 2018. He was appointed as the chairman effective 13 May 2019.
He is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and the Wharton School of Business, USA.
A news report citing the company’s AGM notice said that it will also appoint its food business chief executive Hemant Malik as a whole-time director on the board, effective 12 August 2023. With his appointment, the company board will have four whole-time executive directors.
As per reports, Nakul Anand, Sumant Bhargavan and Supratim Dutta are also on the board.
The 112th AGM is reportedly scheduled for 11 August.
ITC’s 112th AGM is scheduled on 11 August. With Malik’s appointment, ITC board will have four whole-time executive directors. His appointment will be effective 12 August 2023, for three years.
Mumbai: CleverTap, the all-in-one engagement platform, today announced the appointment of Sidharth Pisharoti as the new chief revenue officer. In his new role, Pisharoti will be responsible for driving CleverTap’s growth across India, META, and Asia Pacific regions, as well as designing and executing the company’s go-to-market strategy.
Pisharoti brings a wealth of experience in the technology and software industries, with a strong focus on revenue generation and driving sales. In his career spanning two decades, Pisharoti has a proven track record of leading sales teams across Asia Pacific, Europe, and LATAM regions. His expertise in business development equips him to accelerate the next phase of CleverTap’s growth journey within these regions.
CleverTap CEO Sidharth Malik said, “I am thrilled to announce the appointment of Sidharth as our new chief revenue officer (CRO) for the India, META, and APAC regions. His addition will help accelerate our growth and strengthen our presence in these crucial markets. Thanks to the varied demands of a diverse customer base, these regions drive our MarTech innovation even further. Sidharth’s expertise in driving sales and revenue will help us achieve unprecedented levels of growth while delivering localized solutions that meet the distinct needs of the market.”
Pisharoti said, “I am ecstatic about joining CleverTap. It’s an incredible opportunity to be part of a company scaling at such an exponential pace within the customer engagement domain. CleverTap’s commitment to maximizing a brand’s customer lifetime value aligns perfectly with my personal drive to deliver unparalleled growth and innovation for clients. I am confident that together, we will empower businesses to forge stronger connections with their customers, drive growth and foster long-term success.”
Mumbai: Clix Capital, co-founded by Pramod Bhasin and Anil Chawla and supported by AION Capital, has announced a new chairman, C.M. Vasudev. Vasudev was formerly the Secretary of the Department of Banking, Expenditure, and Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, with the Government of India. Vasudev was appointed as a GOI nominee on the boards of several public-sector financial institutions and the Central Board of RBI. Having chaired the NBFC sector reforms committee, he was also part of the World Bank as an Executive Director for over three years in the past. Vasudev is the former chairman and independent director of HDFC Bank. Vasudev takes over the chairmanship from Bhasin and is joined on the board by two additional independent directors, Anuradha Bajpai, and Ajay Candade.
Bajpai comes with over three decades of experience in audit and assurance. She worked with Deloitte, Haskins, and Sells for 17 years, where she led the team responsible for statutory audit and group reporting under IFRS and US GAAP for various NBFCs, including those forming part of the Merrill Lynch Group, the Morgan Stanley Group, and the Caspian Group. Her expertise extends beyond the financial services sector, as she has serviced media companies in India forming part of the WPP Group, companies in the telecom sector, the retail industry, other service industries, and manufacturing companies in the iron and steel sector.
Candade is currently the managing partner and co-founder of Fractal Growth Partners, a scale-up-focused investor in technology-enabled businesses. In his prior assignments, he worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company in New York and Mumbai, an investor with Warburg Pincus, and also with KKR’s private equity team. He has served on and/or been an observer on the boards of several companies, including Alliance Tire, Avendus Capital, Continental Warehousing Corporation Ltd., Euro Kids Group/Lighthouse Learning, Magma Fincorp, Magma Housing Finance, Max India, Max Healthcare, and TVS Supply Chain Solutions. Candade was also a member of the CII National Committee on Logistics.
“In line with SEBI regulations, Mr. Vasudev will be taking over from me as an independent chairman. The invaluable contribution and support of the new board members will play a crucial role in Clix Capital’s mission to foster credit inclusion among Indian SMEs. We anticipate the unveiling of new growth prospects under their esteemed direction and guidance,” expressed Bhasin.
“We are always grateful for the invaluable contributions of our esteemed board members. With the addition of new independent members, we are poised to harness an even greater depth of expertise that will propel Clix Capital towards unparalleled success in its next era of hypergrowth,” said Clix Capital CEO & MD Rakesh Kaul.
Apollo head of private equity, Utsav Bajilal also commented, “As the business of Clix Capital matures, we are thrilled to invite Mr. Vasudev to chair the Board. We believe onboarding Mrs. Bajpai and Mr. Candade will significantly strengthen the Board. Bringing in experienced professionals to guide the management team will provide the level of oversight needed for a lending franchise.”
Mumbai: Sony Marathi is in its fifth year and has made a place for itself in this market. A few years back the Marathi audience was divided between Hindi and Marathi content but that has changed now. The urban Sec A+B audiences prefer watching Marathi content.
The community is very rich in its literature, theatre, and even music. Music has been big and it’s not just film music, it’s also non-film music which has been present since the 60s, 70s, and even in the 50s it was big.
Maharashtrachi HasyaJatra, on Sony Marathi, is a comedy show but it has a lot of literary value to it. It is not a mindless comedy. Mr Bachchan is an ardent fan of the show and has told his grandchildren that if you want to watch Indian (regional) comedy it is Hasya Jatra, which has the true essence of our soil. Our shows are something.
The shows are conceptualised in such a way that we even love rewatching them. That is one of the lenses that we have and that’s what has made us stand out from the rest of the crowd.
Indiantelevision.com in a one-on-one chat with Sony Marathi business head Ajay Bhalwankar – spoke on the growth of the channel, their flagship show KBC Marathi and other differentiating content and much more……
On the rise in Marathi channels was it due to the pandemic
No, it has happened much before COVID. The biggest thing that has happened is the shift from watching Hindi channels and daily soaps to Marathi. Earlier, all Marathi channels put together were less than 300 GRP and if you look at the Hindi channels, they use to be around 1400-1500 GRP. There were only seven Hindi channels back then. Now there will be no less than 20 Hindi channels but the GRPs have come down to 800. It is late to launch a channel and to make it grow and it is not happening. I can tell you more channels have shut down. But still, they’re hovering around 30-40 GRPs, not more than that. Whereas we’re currently sitting at 80-plus GRPs.
On the launch of Sony Marathi five years ago and the challenges faced in most cities in Maharashtra, where Hindi content is also consumed
We’re not just fighting against the Marathi genre, but also Hindi channels. If you look, we’re already on number three, as far as reach is concerned. For a new channel to come in and dislodge established channels and go to number three is because we are probably thriving and we’re feeding off the cultural heritage of Maharashtra and that is our USP. Also, we get about 81-83 per cent of audiences from NCCS AB and CCSA. That’s where we stand because our content is richer, that’s why we are premium. Our advertising revenue is also good because we can cull out the affluent class to the advertiser, who has the purchasing power.
On other content other than reality shows
We have daily soaps starting at 6:30 pm and our last show ends at 11:00 pm. We have about six daily soaps that are a very interesting mix and not the regular ones. At 6:30 we have a mythological show called ‘Gatha Navnathanchi’, which is the first ever show on audiovisual media ever on Navnaths. Navnaths were revolutionary people who wanted to help people and get out of this ritualistic and exploitative side of religion and give the right message to people. So, when we do mythology also it’s a different kind of mythology.
Then at 7 pm, we have a story of a female wrestler, ‘Tuj Maj Sapan’. A wrestler girl marries a guy who is also a wrestler, but he’s left wrestling out of depression. It is about how both of them come together to build their dreams. At 7: 30, we have a show called Jivachi Hotiya Kahili. Jivachi, is a popular song from Sanyukt Maharashtra. It is a story about the Maharashtra and Karnataka border dispute and a love story.
At 8 – Ashirvad Tujha Ekvira Aai
At 8:30- Chotya bayochi mothi swapna
At 9:00 – Kon Honar Crorepati
At 10- Pratishodh Zunj Astitvachi
At 10: 30- Karan Gunhyala Mafi Nahi
On KBC being an iconic tentpole property for SONY(SET) and evolution of the audience starting from the first season
People watch KBC (Hindi) in Maharashtra and it is one of the key markets. The reason why we are doing it in Marathi is because KBC is in Hindi, the entire world is about Hindi not about Marathi. Language matters to people. Also, the kind of questions that come in are very different from what Hindi will have. Kon Honar Crorepati is Maharashtra-specific. The questions are related to history, mythology, literature, etc which are Maharashtra-centric.
It has grown over the years. So last season, we got about 6,35,000 entries and this season we got 14,85,000. These contestants are called and asked a few random questions, once the right answers come in, they are interviewed, and there’s an exam. The top contestants are interviewed again by a panel of people from Studio Next and the channel brings down the number to around 400. Then there’s another panel which consists of an external person (Bharat Dabholkar) who is not connected with Studio Next or Sony, we watch all the interviews and give marks, there are also marks for personality etc. The cumulative scores are added and 100 people are selected. Out of which only 66 are lucky to get on to the hot seat, the rest are on stand-by.
On Sachin Khedekar as the host
Fantastic! Bachchan Sahab called him and appreciated him for the special gestures he does on the show. All the anchors that do KBC shows around the world have learned from the greatest man (Bachchan) himself.
On doubling the money this year and the other offerings that you’re giving to the winners
Looking at the entire excitement on the show, and the number of people who wanted to participate, I felt that we should be closer to Hindi, which is 7 crores. So there are lots of other smaller things like, everybody gets this huge silver coin from PNG Brothers who are the sponsors of the show. Also, sponsors have more than doubled this year. Last time we had about five-six sponsors. This time we have around 13-14. We have Gemini Oil and other integrations like RBF that come on Kon Honar Crorepati to spread awareness on safe banking.
On the strategies to market the show
All our promos come on, all the network channels like Sony SAB, SET Max, etc. Apart from that we have spent a huge amount of money on various outside network channels like news channels, movie channels, music channels, and everywhere else. We practically had every single print publication on which we circulated the ads.
On the brand integrations
We had spots on the IPL finale on JioCinema. Wherein Sachin Khedekar went there for the final match LIVE, for 40 minutes. We also did a bit of KBC gameplay there with the players. This was done only on the Marathi feed.
On movie promotions on the show
We don’t do movie promotions but we do have celebrities coming in on the show. Sachin Pilgaonkar was there with his daughter, Paresh Rawal, Mahesh Manjrekar and Shivaji Satam, among others were there on the show.
Most channels have now started doing episodes on Sundays, are you also following that now
We don’t do it seven days a week, we do six days and have been doing it since the very beginning. Only on Sunday, sometimes we have ‘Maha episodes’.
On the one differentiator that KBC Marathi offers for its advertisers
Looking at audiences from the NCCS AB, we get a little more premium audiences because Maharashtra is a wealthier state. The other thing is that people can apply through the Lenskart app to come to KHC.
On Sony being perceived as a very urban channel, you haven’t been able to reach inroads into tiers 3 and 4. Today broadband connections, and connected TV happening how have you been able to reach the extra 20 per cent mass
Yes, we are an urban network and when we are talking about Sony Marathi, Maharashtra itself is the most urban state and so we can reach deeper. We are appealing to their sensitivities. So unlike Hindi speaking markets, for us, it is a natural fit to reach out to smaller places because today’s date if you take any state, barring the capital, will not find many more megacities. The reach for Sony Marathi is because we appeal to urban sensitivity. That is why we are number three. We are the only network to have two big formats, Crorepati and Indian Idol. This was the first regional Indian Idol. So that gets us the premium audience which then gets us the premium advertisers. Regional opens up hyperlocal advertising.
On STAR Pravah dominating the Maharashtra market
Yes, they are number one by far. Television, according to me, is kind of a habit and habits don’t break that fast. My understanding on TV is what kind of habit are you generating? If that habit is breakable then it is not great for a television network. But if the habit is very strong, and one cannot get out of it. For example, back in 1994, Kellogg’s head told me in an interview that they were trying to get into the Indian market to break the habit of how you have breakfast. They had a huge issue, so they researched Kellogg’s to become part of our breakfast. So at Sony Marathi, what we are looking at is, forming this kind of loyalty to audiences, and if you notice the last six months our heavy viewers are growing. The reason is that we are being consistent in our offering.
STAR Pravah was the leader in 2011 also but why did they go down so drastically? If you look at the number of STAR Pravah six years back, they were nowhere. So that is why Sony Marathi’s motto is Vinuya Atut Nati (Let’s Build Unbreakable Bonds). We are seeing the growth and if you see Sony Marathi’s consistency of growth will be growing 24 per cent per year. So we are building brick by brick.
Mumbai: Since inception, when the world zigged, Scarecrow has been known to zag. In a time when everyone is looking to consolidate, we continue to expand our horizons with new talents, and local and global clients with unconventional needs.
What started as a traditional creative agency over the last 13 years has continued to transform, keeping in sync with the ever-changing market and consumer behaviour. The agency has expanded the horizon, delved deeper into the craft, explored audio as a niche medium, done unconventional research for seasonal ad campaigns and more.
Now with an ambition to soar high by diving deeper, Scarecrow is poised to expand its offering for creative and business strategy. This includes focusing on brand building and product launches integrated with effective go-to-market strategies. Additionally, Scarecrow will enhance its digital offerings, covering areas such as performance marketing, UX/UI design, consumer segmentation, customer experience design, market research, and creating new IPs (Intellectual Properties).
To further accelerate its expansion, the agency is thrilled to have Khan spearheading the agency’s creative strategy and planning initiatives as she joins us as an innovation consultant. Her deep understanding of the advertising industry and extensive international experience bring invaluable expertise to the table.
Khan, an erstwhile creative native with a multiverse experience in mainline, digital, and planning, boasts an impressive track record of over 17 years. During this time, she has worked in countries like UAE, Kuwait, Australia, and India, with agencies such as Ogilvy, DraftFCB, Havas, and Dentsu Webchutney as EVP-strategy & B2B business head. Somewhere midway within her journey, she transitioned from mainline advertising to digital advertising, moving from creative to strategy. While doing this, she worked for brands like Red Bull, Flipkart, Vodafone, Airtel, Shoppers Stop, Baxter, Teach for India, and many Unilever brands.
Aligned with Scarecrow’s vision of nurturing the next generation of creative professionals, Khan has also been an adjunct professor at Xavier’s College and Miami Ad School in Mumbai. Currently, she imparts her knowledge in Interactive Conceptualisation, Digital Marketing, UX/UI, Consumer Behavior, and Creative Strategy at MICA, Ahmedabad.
Adept at breaking the glass ceiling, Khan stated, “I am delighted to spearhead Scarecrow’s mission of expansion. The agency’s innate understanding of human insights, culture, and technology serves as the perfect bedrock for the next step of innovation-led growth. The pre-existing organic juxtaposition of creative and strategy will help the company leapfrog into charted and uncharted horizons.”
Scarecrow M&C Saatchi founder director Manish Bhatt stated, “As Scarecrow seeks out new frontiers, we are always eager to onboard individuals who contribute to our eclectic mix. Samera Khan’s glocal and cross-functional experience make her a valuable asset to our team. We consider her a crucial resource for cross-media strategy, branding, new business development, and exploring new avenues for Scarecrow M&C Saatchi. We wish her all the best.”
And as Spock would say to Captain Kirk, “Unlike Noonien, this Khan knows how to navigate in 3D space.”
Mumbai: India Today Group and Hearst Magazines International are pleased to announce the appointment of Harper’s Bazaar India as editor Rasna Bhasin.
This is a homecoming for Rasna, who earlier worked with the group as digital media head of Harper’s Bazaar Bride India and oversaw the transition of the magazine to Brides Today India.
As a lifestyle content creator with over ten years of experience, Rasna is a luxury brand expert. Our new print editor will explore the multifaceted world of fashion, beauty, art, culture, and beyond, seamlessly adapting to the ever-evolving landscape.
Lifestyle Division’s Group, digital editor Sonal Ved will continue to lead all editorial initiatives for our websites and social media platforms. After launching the much-awaited Harper’s Bazaar India’s website last year, she and her team look forward to drawing stronger synergies with the print editor.
Hearst Magazines senior vice president of editorial and brand director Kim St. Clair Bodden said, “I do not doubt that Rasna’s passion, creative talent, and deep knowledge of fashion in India will inspire and inform the brand’s audience of influential and modern women”.
India Today Group vice chairperson Kalli Purie said, “We are confident that Rasna & Sonal will use their first-hand experience on social media to bring an injection to Harper’s Bazaar that is truly in tune with our audience. I am looking forward to the merging of influencers and legacy brands to create an incomparable experience for our readers. The new HB will have the youthful energy of social and the vigour and trust of legacy”.
Mumbai: Carat India, the media agency from the house of dentsu, has roped in Sanchayeeta Verma as chief executive officer (CEO). She will report to dentsu CEO Media, South Asia Anita Kotwani.
Verma’s appointment marks a strategic advancement for Carat India as it continues to fortify its presence in the market. She will be based in Bangalore and will be responsible for boosting the agency’s growth trajectory through strategic leadership. Verma will also concentrate on mentoring the agency’s incredibly broad talent pool, encouraging them to explore disruptive innovation-led solutions that lead to tangible client-centric business outcomes.
She will lead new business opportunities, and nurture existing client relationships through operational excellence, becoming a trusted partner for clients. Verma will work in alignment with the network’s global brand proposition, further enhancing the revenue streams in India.
Commenting on Verma’s appointment, Kotwani said, “The network’s focus on strengthening our media businesses aligns with our global ambition. Getting the best people on board is, therefore, very critical. Sanchayeeta’s ethos and the value systems that drive Carat are inextricably linked. Her varied expertise in consumer research, business planning, and client leadership has kept her abreast of the shifting media landscape. She is also dedicated to lifelong learning and staying ahead of the curve, making her an ideal candidate for this position. Carat has increased its scope over the recent year with notable wins such as Tata Neu, Tata Croma, Hero Vida, Times Pro, and others. Sanchayeeta will accelerate expansion and propel the Carat brand to the forefront of the Indian market.”
Verma added, “Dentsu and Carat continue to be the front-runner in addressing critical industry issues such as audience attention, brand EQ and sustainable media. They continuously pioneer and lead in digital and CXM. I am very excited to join the Carat-dentsu family. I look forward to Carat being a fantastic partner to its clients, as well as an ideal place for our employees and the planet at large, by marrying the warmth of ‘creating for people’ with the dynamism of media, content, data, and technology.”
Verma is a senior business leader with a 27-year of experience in the advertising, media & marketing industries. Over the years, she has gained expertise while navigating through streams across media, content, data, and technology. Before joining dentsu, Verma held varied senior management positions at GroupM’s Mindshare & Wavemaker, where she made significant contributions across multiple regions. Her expertise has also been instrumental at companies such as Lintas Media Group, JWT, Kiwi TTK, etc. Throughout her career span, Verma has worked across diverse categories including FMCG, durables, telecom, finance, retail, e-commerce, fashion, and lifestyle, servicing renowned brands like ITC, Titan Company Ltd, Google, Tata Global Beverages, Myntra, Wipro Consumer Care, Nestle, GSK, Motorola, Kellogg’s, Ford, ICICI, Castrol, DTC, Nike, PepsiCo, to name a few.
Mumbai: Pepper Money India, a subsidiary of global consumer finance company, Pepper Group, has announced the appointment of Hardeep Singh as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Singh will spearhead the financial strategy and management to accelerate the growth of the firm’s India business.
The leadership appointment follows Pepper Group’s recent commitment to invest USD 150mn in India to introduce personal finance products to a sizable and fast-growing market of young aspirational consumers in Tier 2 and 3 cities.
Singh brings over two decades of rich experience across companies like Clix Capital, GE Capital, Pine Labs, American Express, KPMG and 3SC.
Pepper Money India CEO & founding member Abhishek Kothari said, “We are very excited to have Hardeep join our leadership team. Pepper Money India is gearing to transform consumer finance for Bharat and Hardeep’s rich experience of working with some of the leading payments and lending organizations will help us march towards that mission with confidence.”
Singh commented, “I am very excited to be a part of Pepper Money India. India is leading the revolution in the payment segment, and the affordable consumer credit segment is poised to grow exponentially. I aim to leverage my experience to drive consistent growth and power the team to bring alive the vision of serving the underserved.”
The appointment aligns with Pepper Money India’s commitment to assemble a robust leadership team to navigate the evolving business landscape and drive the company’s growth.