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Weekend Unwind with Chtrbox’s Mrunali Dedhia

Published

2 years ago

April 6, 2024

Mumbai: With another weekend upon us, it is time to unwind with the latest Q&A edition of Indiantelevision.com’s Weekend Unwind-a series of informal chats that peek into the minds of business executives through a fun lens in an attempt to get to know the person behind the title a little better.

In this week’s session, we have Chtrbox vice president Mrunali Dedhia.

Mrunali joined CHTRBOX in 2016 as its first team member and has since played a pivotal role in its growth. With over 8 years of experience in creator marketing, she has led multiple divisions and key partnerships, driving the company’s expansion into new markets. As Vice President, her expertise in influencer marketing and business operations has been instrumental in solidifying CHTRBOX’s position as a leading player in the industry. With her leadership, CHTRBOX is set to thrive in the evolving influencer marketing landscape.

Without further ado here it goes…

Your mantra for life

“In a world where you can be anything, be kind!”

A book you are currently reading or plan to read

I’m currently reading “Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long & Happy Life”, and I’m finding it incredibly interesting and insightful! The book offers a unique perspective on well-being and happiness & encapsulates the essence of finding purpose & joy in everyday life.

Your fitness mantra

In the midst of our hectic schedules, daily gym sessions or home workouts isn’t always realistic (for me). However, my nutritionist introduced me to a simple yet transformative fitness mantra where she asked me to aim for 7K to 10K steps every day. This small change has made a significant impact on my life. Doing these steps not only keeps me active but also makes me feel refreshed. It’s like hitting the reset button in the middle of a hectic day and gives my mind a much-needed break, allowing me to clear my thoughts and regain focus.

Walking daily has been a game changer for me! I honestly feel it’s not about intense workouts but about finding sustainable ways to stay active while still prioritizing your health. And the best part? It’s something I can easily integrate into my day, no matter how hectic things get.

Your comfort food

Pav Bhaji – it’s my ultimate comfort food!

A quote or philosophy that keeps you going when the chips are down

“Everything happens for a reason.” While it may be difficult to see the purpose behind every setback or disappointment, this philosophy encourages me to trust in the greater plan of the Universe. Sometimes, challenges arise to teach us valuable lessons or redirect us onto a different path. Other times, they provide opportunities for personal growth and self-discovery. By embracing this perspective, we can find comfort and reassurance in knowing that there is a purpose behind every experience, even if it may not be immediately clear. It encourages me to have faith in the journey of life and to trust that everything unfolds as it should!

Your guilty pleasure

When I really want to unwind and escape reality, nothing beats a good binge-watch session of reality TV shows. It’s my guilty pleasure that lets me switch off for a while and just enjoy some mindless entertainment.

The last time you tried something new

Attended my very first concert – Ed Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour! The experience was beautiful, surrounded by fellow fans, singing along to every song – it was truly magical!

A life lesson you learned the hard way

I’ve had moments where I’ve looked back and wished I’d spent more time with the people I love. Understanding the importance of having a good balance between work and personal life has been challenging, but it’s what really changed things for me. It’s about finding that sweet spot where both parts of life feel fulfilling!

What gets you excited about life?

New experiences with friends & family, celebrating milestones, traveling to places I’ve never been before and so much more – the list is endless!

What’s on top of your bucket list?

Witnessing the Northern lights in Iceland and indulging in a luxurious self-care pampering session in Korea

If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?

Stop worrying too much & let go of the need to control, everything will work out eventually if you keep doing your best and your heart is in the right place. Take time out for yourself, your family & your friends. It’s important to invest in your personal relationships as much as investing in your work.

One thing you would most like to change about the world

There are a lot of challenges around the world, and it’s difficult to pick one issue that I would resolve or change. However, if there’s one thing I would want to change in us, as humans, is for all of us to lead our lives with kindness, empathy and compassion – in every interaction & decision we make. A world where these values would drive us to lend a helping hand to those in need, to lift each other up; where our differences are celebrated, not feared, where diversity is seen as a strength, not a weakness.

A world where instead of turning a blind eye, we come together as a global community to tackle the big challenges facing humanity. Whether it’s poverty, social injustice or environmental challenges – it’s all dealt with together actively instead of being considered as distant problems.

An activity that keeps you motivated and charged during tough times

Going for walks while listening to music has turned out to be an activity that’s been extremely helpful in tough situations and otherwise. It helps put my thoughts together, calmly evaluate things and doesn’t hurt that it’s a good habit to have!

What lifts your spirits when life gets you down?

Spending time with my loved ones – nothing lifts you up more than the people who truly love you, and I’m blessed with an entire army that I can rely on

Your go-to stress buster

It’s quite funny honestly but watching baby videos is my ultimate stress buster – I have an entire collection on IG dedicated to baby videos

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India’s Economic Survey 2025-26 calls for ban on junk food ads from 6am to 11pm

Published

1 week ago

January 30, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

DELHI: India is staring down a junk food epidemic, and the government wants to fight back with an advertising ban. The Economic Survey, tabled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, has pitched a radical proposal: prohibit ultra-processed food advertisements from 6am to 11pm across all media platforms.

The timing is hardly coincidental. India has become one of the world’s fastest-growing markets for ultra-processed foods: those calorie-laden concoctions of burgers, noodles, pizza and soft drinks that increasingly dominate Indian diets. The consequences are written in the waistlines of a growing number of Indians.

Excess weight among children under five has jumped from 2.1 per cent in 2015-16 to 3.4 per cent in 2019-21, the survey notes. More troubling still, over 3.3 crore children in India were obese in 2020, with projections suggesting that figure will balloon to 8.3 crore children by 2035.

The numbers for adults paint an equally grim picture. According to the 2019-21 National Family Health Survey, 24 per cent of Indian women and 23 per cent of Indian men are overweight or obese. Among women aged 15-49 years, 6.4 per cent are obese, whilst among men, 4 per cent are overweight, the survey said.

The pre-budget document doesn’t mince words about the scale of the challenge. To tackle ultra-processed foods, it advocates front-of-pack nutrition labelling for high-fat, sugar and salt foods, with warnings that restrict marketing to children and ensure trade agreements don’t undermine public health policy.

The survey also suggests restrictions on marketing infant and toddler milk and beverages, whilst flagging growing obesity among children.

The proposed marketing ban would run from 0600 hours to 2300 hours across all media, with mandatory enforcement of restrictions on marketing infant and toddler milk and beverages.

India isn’t treading new ground here. The survey points to Chile, which has integrated such laws, along with Norway and the UK, where advertisement restrictions are already in place for ultra-processed foods.

Britain recently banned junk food advertising before 9pm on television and online to reduce children’s exposure and curb childhood obesity. Further action on other marketing activities, including school and college sponsorship of events by ultra-processed food manufacturers, can be designed, the survey said.

Yet India’s regulatory landscape remains muddled. Rule 7 of the Advertisement Code prohibits misleading, unverified, or unhealthy advertisements but doesn’t define “misleading” with measurable or nutrient-based criteria, leaving interpretation subjective and inconsistent.

Similarly, the Central Consumer Protection Authority guidelines for prevention of misleading advertisements (2022) mandate that advertisements must not exaggerate health benefits or exploit children.

Yet they lack clear nutrient thresholds or a framework for identifying misleading claims in food marketing, the survey said, adding that this regulatory ambiguity allows companies marketing ultra-processed foods to continue making vague health, energy, or nutrition cues without violating any clearly defined standard, highlighting a critical policy gap that needs reform.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. India is one of the fastest-growing markets for ultra-processed food sales, contributing to chronic diseases worldwide and widening health inequalities.

The survey lays bare the commercial triumph of junk food in India. Sales of ultra-processed foods grew more than 150 per cent between 2009 and 2023. Retail sales surged from $0.9 billion in 2006 to nearly $38 billion in 2019, a 40-fold rise. It is during the same period that obesity has nearly doubled in both men and women, the survey said.

The document advocates a multi-pronged approach to tackle the rising consumption of ultra-processed foods (popularly known as junk foods), which includes burgers, noodles, pizza, soft drinks, and the like, warning it is contributing to chronic diseases worldwide and widening health inequalities.

Improving diets cannot depend solely on consumer behaviour change, the survey argues. It will require coordinated policies across food systems that regulate ultra-processed food production, promote healthier and more sustainable diets and marketing.

The gauntlet has been thrown. Whether India’s policymakers have the stomach to take on the junk food industry remains to be seen.

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PHD Media names Vinita Shrivastav VP – business planning to lead Marico mandate

Published

2 weeks ago

January 28, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: PHD Media has appointed Vinita Shrivastav as vice president – business planning, taking charge of the agency’s Marico portfolio and reinforcing its strategic leadership bench. The move signals the agency’s commitment to delivering future-ready, high-impact solutions for one of India’s most iconic FMCG brands.

Vinita brings over 17 years of experience across brand strategy, integrated marketing, media planning, research, and business leadership. Recognised as Best South Asian Strategic Planner of the Year by Campaign Asia, she is known for building insight-led, scalable growth platforms across categories.

She started her career with a research foundation at TAM Media, before taking on leadership roles across Reliance and Zee. She later joined Mindshare’s core strategy team, led the marketing vertical at IN10 Media, and most recently drove the L’Oréal business at Wavemaker, delivering integrated, high-impact media and brand-building solutions across markets.

In her new role, Vinita will steer the Marico mandate, focusing on strategic innovation, business growth, and integrated, future-ready media solutions. She will collaborate closely with both Marico and PHD Media leadership to build scalable, impactful brand platforms that deliver long-term business value.

“This appointment strengthens our strategic leadership and reinforces PHD Media’s commitment to insight-led planning and execution excellence. Vinita brings the analytical depth, commercial acumen, and strategic vision to drive innovation and growth for one of India’s most respected FMCG brands,” said a spokesperson for PHD Media.

Vinita said, “I am excited to join PHD Media and lead the Marico portfolio. In today’s dynamic market, building scalable, insight-driven brand platforms is critical. I look forward to collaborating with the teams at PHD Media and Marico to deliver strategic, high-impact solutions that drive long-term business value.”

With this appointment, PHD Media underscores its focus on category-defining brand partnerships and intelligence-led planning, ensuring the agency remains at the forefront of strategic media innovation.

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India’s top 100 advertisers set to chase Rs 1.15 lakh crore in 2026

Published

2 weeks ago

January 27, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

New Delhi: India’s biggest advertisers are gearing up for a spending spree. Fresh Adex estimates show marketing spends crossing Rs 1.15 lakh crore in 2026, with digital accounting for more than half of total outlays and the top 100 brands tightening their grip on the market.

Data tracking ad spends across 2024 and projected growth through 2025 suggests rising concentration at the top. Around 35 per cent of total adex is expected to come from just the top 50 marketers, underscoring the growing clout of a handful of deep-pocketed brands.

India crossed the Rs 1,00,000 crore advertising milestone in 2025, posting over 10 per cent year-on-year growth, making it the fastest-growing major ad market globally. The pace shows little sign of easing.

At the summit, FMCG remains unshakeable. Unilever continues to lead the pack, with Procter & Gamble, Reckitt, Mondelēz International, Godrej Consumer Products, ITC, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, L’Oréal, Amul, Nestlé and Colgate-Palmolive showing no appetite for budget cuts.

Reliance Industries is expected to overtake India’s second-largest advertiser, closing in on Unilever at the top of the table. Autos are the next big battleground, with at least 25 new car and two-wheeler launches pushing Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Honda and Hero MotoCorp to step up spending.

Digital-first brands are now firmly entrenched among the heavyweights. Amazon, Google and Flipkart sit alongside quick commerce players Swiggy, Zomato and Zepto, reflecting a decisive shift in where the money follows attention.

Fintech is emerging as the fastest-growing category. Groww, NPCI and Angel One are scaling spends rapidly, filling the vacuum left by gaming firms, which saw the sharpest pullback in 2025.

India’s home-grown stalwarts—LIC, Asian Paints, UltraTech Cement and Havells—continue to deploy capital steadily, while pan masala advertisers remain reliably aggressive, indifferent to cycles or sentiment.

Behind the numbers lies a structural shift. Television budgets are steadily moving towards connected TV, OTT platforms, digital video and OOH screens as advertisers chase sharper targeting and measurable returns.

The conclusion is blunt: the chase for India’s top 100 advertisers will be brutal in 2026—but the real opportunity may lie just beyond them. In a slowing global economy, India’s ad engine is still accelerating.