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  • Unny Radhakrishnan to step down as Digitas India chief after 5.5 years

    Unny Radhakrishnan to step down as Digitas India chief after 5.5 years

    MUMBAI:  Digitas India chief executive officer Unny Radhakrishnan will exit the agency at the end of September, drawing a close to a 5.5-year run at the Publicis Groupe-owned digital marketing firm.

    Radhakrishnan, who took charge in March 2020, steered Digitas India through a period of growth that saw it expand to a 450-strong team split between local clients and a global delivery hub. Under his leadership, the agency pushed deeper into data, user experience and technology services, cementing its position as a marketing transformation partner for brands.

    In a farewell note, he said leadership was about “bringing together people with different expertise and temperament to do things which otherwise could not have been done by any single individual”. He emphasised that before the “great place to work” labels, the focus was on being known for “great work and great people to work with.”

    Radhakrishnan’s career spans nearly three decades across GroupM, WPP and Publicis, with stints as chief digital officer for Wavemaker South Asia and earlier as head of digital at Maxus. A strong proponent of team building, he often described business as having “the responsibility to influence people to become better human beings, looking beyond the financial scorecards.”
    His next move has not been disclosed.

  • Mobileum and NoHold partner for AI development for telecoms

    Mobileum and NoHold partner for AI development for telecoms

    CUPERTINO: Mobileum Inc., a leading global provider of analytics and network solutions, and NoHold, a pioneer in AI-powered automation solutions, have announced a strategic alliance to advance AI enablement in the telecom industry. The partnership is a major move toward creating a scalable AI ecosystem that integrates with multi-vendor telecom operations, allowing operators to fully leverage their data.

    As telecommunications companies race to modernise operations and monetise increasing amounts of customer and network data, the Mobileum-NoHold alliance seeks to streamline and accelerate AI adoption for communication service providers in increasingly complex environments. The joint effort will provide AI-powered support solutions capable of ingesting and interpreting data from diverse systems, improving alignment between customer needs and the reality of modern network services, analytics platforms, and 5G infrastructure.

    The alliance is built on a shared AI framework that connects telecom providers, technology partners, and sales and support leaders. This framework allows for interoperability between AI assistants from different vendors and systems, addressing long-standing support issues that arise when multiple vendors are involved in providing a single solution. It provides deeper insight into users’ needs and opportunities to continuously improve their experience.

    “As telecom ecosystems become more complex, delivering fast, effective support has never been more critical,” said NoHold CEO and founder Diego Ventura. “This alliance brings AI to the forefront of the telecom experience, helping providers resolve issues more intelligently and efficiently while reducing complexity for both customers and internal teams. We are excited to partner with Mobileum and deliver meaningful value to the industry together.”

    Mobileum chief product officer  Miguel Caramés added, “Mobileum has been a driver of telecom innovation for the last 25 years. We see generative AI and intelligent agents as the next frontier, not just for automation, but for creating entirely new revenue opportunities from telecom data. This alliance with NOHOLD allows us to bring this vision to market with agility, scale, and impact.”

    The alliance will provide telecom operators with the tools to monetise data by embedding AI-driven insights into enterprise services, deploying AI assistants that scale across consumer and B2B segments, and accelerating resolution and upsell opportunities through intelligent support automation. Mobileum and NoHold invite other telecom and technology leaders to join the alliance and shape the future of scalable, intelligent support and automation in the telecom industry.

  • Avanish Kumar takes charge of government digital business at NDTV

    Avanish Kumar takes charge of government digital business at NDTV

    NEW DELHI: NDTV has named Avanish Kumar as head of digital business (government), tasking him with leading its engagement with ministries, departments, PSUs and state bodies at a time when government advertising and campaigns are becoming increasingly digital.

    Kumar joins from the India Today group, where he spent more than two years as chief manager of government business. There he managed the Business Today “Multiverse” – spanning the magazine, businesstoday.in and BTTV – with a sharp focus on monetising digital assets, building state and central government associations, and positioning the brand as media partner for investor summits and public events. He also worked directly with political parties to craft campaign solutions across platforms.

    Before India Today, Kumar was head of media marketing at Bharat Prakashan, publisher of Organiser and Panchjanya, where he managed pan-India teams and drove digital and content-marketing strategies for clients. He earlier served as business head at Flame Advertising, handling PSU and BFSI accounts, and was instrumental in developing government activations across radio, print, digital and cinema.

    Kumar cut his teeth in the private-sector media houses. At Hindustan Times, he generated advertising revenue across print, digital and radio while monetising flagship events such as the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Mint Energy Conclave and HT Palate Festival. At The Hindu, he focused on government features, supplements and sponsorship deals, working with ministries on campaigns such as “Incredible India”. His early years were spent at Nava Bharat, liaising with ministries and advertising agencies for media plans.

    Across these roles, Kumar has built a reputation as a government-business specialist with deep relationships across ministries, state information departments, investment boards and advertising agencies. His skill set blends digital marketing, media sales and event monetisation – areas critical for broadcasters and publishers as government spending increasingly shifts from print to online.

    At NDTV, Kumar’s brief is clear: maximise public-sector partnerships, align with government communication priorities, and grow digital revenues. His appointment comes as NDTV, part of the Adani group, looks to strengthen its foothold in digital news while navigating a fiercely competitive and politically sensitive landscape.

  • ideabaaz names Mudit Kumar as co-founder and COO

    ideabaaz names Mudit Kumar as co-founder and COO

    NEW DELHI: Ideabaaz, an Indian platform aimed at supporting startups, has appointed Mudit Kumar as its new co-founder and chief operating officer.  Kumar brings nearly two decades of experience in private banking and wealth management, having previously worked with prominent financial institutions such as the Aditya Birla Group, ICICI Securities Private Wealth, and, most recently, LGT Wealth India.

    During his career,  Kumar has advised ultra-high-net-worth individuals and family offices on wealth strategies and strategic investments. His experience extends to curating cross-border asset management solutions and integrating startup ideations into client portfolios. An active participant in India’s vibrant startup ecosystem, he has also invested in and mentored founders of early-stage ventures in sectors like climate tech, spacetech, healthtech, legal tech, and fintech.

    In his new role,  Kumar will help lead Ideabaaz’s mission to connect innovators from across “Bharat” (a term for a more inclusive, rural India) with capital, mentorship, and markets. The company aims to democratise access to these resources, particularly for founders from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities who often struggle to get the exposure and support they need.

    “Ideabaaz is more than a platform—it’s a movement to bring ambitious ideas and capable founders into the spotlight,” said Kumar. “I’m excited to help shape its journey and create meaningful opportunities for startups across India, especially from emerging cities.”

    The appointment is expected to strengthen Ideabaaz’s focus on building a structured framework for innovators from smaller cities to thrive. The company was co-founded by Jeet Wagh and describes itself as “Bharat ka apna startup manch” (India’s own startup platform).

  • Neha Singh Warrier joins Amazon Ads as lead content monetisation

    Neha Singh Warrier joins Amazon Ads as lead content monetisation

    MUMBAI: Neha Singh Warrier, a veteran in media sales with over two decades of experience, has joined Amazon Ads as lead content monetisation for the west and south regions in India. Warrier announced her new role on LinkedIn, expressing her excitement to be at the “intersection of content, commerce and technology.”

    She joins Amazon Ads after a significant tenure at Sony Pictures Networks India, where she served as associate vice president of SonyLiv digital ad sales. Her role involved transforming marketer engagement on over-the-top (OTT) platforms and securing sponsorships for major sporting and entertainment intellectual properties (IPs). Before that, she was the head of digital sales at Zee5, where she consistently exceeded revenue targets and pioneered long-term strategic sales plans.

    Warrier’s career also includes a decade-long stint at Discovery Inc, where she was an associate director of advertising sales, leading ad sales for the Discovery network’s flagship channels. She was recognised as a “stellar performer” for her role in achieving a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24 per cent over ten years. She also held roles at Mirriad, CNBC-TV18, and Sony Entertainment Television, where she worked on monetising marquee IPs like Bigg Boss and Indian Idol in their inaugural years.

    A professional athlete in her early career, Warrier stated that she applies the same dedication and teamwork skills to her professional endeavours. She is known for her ability to take calculated risks and propose innovative strategies to deliver tangible results.

  • Škoda shifts gears with ‘Recess’, a playground twist on car pride

    Škoda shifts gears with ‘Recess’, a playground twist on car pride

    MUMBAI: Playground bragging rights just got turbocharged. After melting hearts with its viral ‘Doda’ film, Škoda Auto India and Publicis Groupe India’s bespoke unit Team Drive are back with a cheeky new chapter in the ‘Fans Not Owners’ campaign and this time, the action unfolds in a schoolyard.

    Titled ‘Recess’ and creatively helmed by BBH India, the film captures children flaunting their families’ Škoda cars like badges of honour. From specs to features, the showdown escalates until a young girl drops the ultimate mic line: her Škoda can fly to Jupiter. With that rocket-fuelled claim, she hops into her Kushaq and drives off, leaving her peers gaping.

    The spot wraps up with a montage that celebrates not just the features of Škoda cars but the sheer pride and joy they inspire among fans staying true to the campaign’s core message that Škoda owners don’t just drive their cars, they adore them. With ‘Recess’, Škoda once again proves that when it comes to storytelling, it’s not just about horsepower, but heart power.

  • Actus Digital powers up AI media monitoring with LiveU boost at IBC2025

    Actus Digital powers up AI media monitoring with LiveU boost at IBC2025

    MUMBAI: Actus Digital, now a LiveU company, will showcase groundbreaking advances in intelligent media monitoring at IBC2025, demonstrating how strategic investment and resources from LiveU are driving unprecedented innovation in its broadcast compliance and monitoring solutions.

    Intelligent Distributed Monitoring Architecture 

    Actus customers can experience the future of multi-site operations with Actus X’s new distributed monitoring capabilities. By providing the ability to manage multiple regional facilities from a centralized control center, while ensuring each location receives only relevant alerts and customized views, the enhanced solution enables information overload to be reduced, and operational efficiency maximized.

    Smart-Monitoring-as-a-Service (SMaaS) 

    In its new fully hosted deployment option, Actus X is delivered as a secure, cloud-based service, eliminating infrastructure headaches entirely. Customers can simply log in via any browser to access complete monitoring, recording, and analysis capabilities.  With no on-premises hardware required or IT overhead, it is easier than ever for incremental value to be created.

    AI-Powered Content Monitoring

    Actus Digital continues its leadership in AI-enhanced intelligent monitoring tools that transform compliance from a regulatory burden into a business accelerator:

    . AI-Powered Insights – Uses transcription, translation, keyword alerts, summarization, and facial recognition to support news monitoring, editorial and marketing.

    .  Schedule vs. Broadcast Comparison – Identifies mismatches such as incorrect ad placements that result in lost revenue.  

    .  Automated Content Repurposing – Generates clips for VOD or web with automatic ad removal, speeding delivery to viewers and reducing post-production work. 

    Smart Alert Management and Remote Multiviewer 

    The Actus X platform delivers alert systems that work with customers’ workflow, not against it. Each user can design their own multiviewer layout and manage just the channels they need whether on-site or remotely making large-scale, multi-location monitoring simple and efficient.

    Users can also stay in control from anywhere with the browser-based multiviewer their content, their way, anytime. Live broadcast, online, and OTT streams can be monitored side by side, all on one screen. Archived footage can be instantly reviewed for rapid issue resolution, and unlimited drag-and-drop layouts created, tailored to the specific location and workflow.  

    Actus Digital president and founder Sima Levy said “With access to LiveU’s resources, we’ve been able to accelerate our ambitions to enhance the value creation, flexibility and scalability aspects of our platform. Our new multiviewer and distributed monitoring capabilities, combined with the option to run fully as a service, are great examples of how we are helping our customers deliver more value from video. No matter where they are, they’ll never miss a moment!”

    Visit Actus Digital at IBC2025 in Amsterdam, Hall 7, Stand 7.C19 (LiveU stand), September 12-15 to experience the Actus platform. Schedule demonstrations at https://ActusDigital.com/Events/Tradeshows/ or request online demonstrations.

    For comprehensive platform information, visit http://ActusDigital.com.

     

  • Mavericks appoints Gaurav Tuli as new digital and tech director

    Mavericks appoints Gaurav Tuli as new digital and tech director

    MUMBAI: When brands talk clicks, The Mavericks wants to talk connections and its latest hire proves it’s serious. The integrated marketing communications agency has appointed Gaurav Tuli as director digital & tech, a move set to sharpen its AI-first, insight-led storytelling play. Armed with over 16 years of cross-market experience across India and Canada, Tuli has worked on marquee accounts including Bayer, Ford, Wendy’s, Jamie’s Italian, Pepsico, Swaraj Tractors, Hyatt, Interglobe, Oriflame, Luminous, and Himel. His track record spans sectors as varied as Auto, Healthcare, FMCG, Aviation, Hospitality, Banking, Alcobev, Education and Beauty blending tech with creativity to deliver campaigns that don’t just convert, but connect.

    At The Mavericks, Tuli will anchor digital transformation with new service lines built on Generative AI, predictive analytics, and automation. But for him, AI isn’t about replacing creativity, it’s about amplifying it. “The intersection of data, technology, and creativity is where the most exciting things are happening,” he said. “From Generative Engine Optimisation for AI discoverability to predictive performance models, these tools help brands move faster, listen smarter, and create more meaningfully.”

    The Mavericks India founder & CEO Chetan Mahajan echoed the sentiment, noting: “Integrated communications is no longer about channels ,it’s about cohesion. In the digital age, integration means agility, real-time impact, and context. Gaurav will be integral to building that ecosystem.”

    With brands now seeking outcome-driven communication rather than vanity metrics, The Mavericks’ appointment signals its ambition to push boundaries. For Tuli, the task is clear: keep brands discoverable, scalable, and emotionally resonant in an AI-led, digital-first world
     

  • Game on ASEAN as Johor hosts 2000 plus at digital content summit

    Game on ASEAN as Johor hosts 2000 plus at digital content summit

    MUMBAI: Johor Bahru turned into a playground for pixels, panels, and pavilions today as the ASEAN Digital Content Summit 2025 (ADCS 2025) opened its doors at Persada Johor International Convention Centre. Organised by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2025, the summit aims to power up cross-border collaboration in animation, gaming, and creative technology bringing ASEAN’s creative industries onto the global stage.

    The summit was officially inaugurated by YAB Dato’ Onn Hafiz Ghazi, Menteri Besar Johor, and YB Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong, deputy minister of Digital Malaysia, signalling Malaysia’s intent to position ASEAN as a hub of innovation and storytelling. With over 2,000 attendees, more than 10 country pavilions including Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Cambodia, and Vietnam 50 visionary speakers, and over 100 exhibitors, ADCS 2025 is less a conference and more a carnival of creativity.

    Highlights include the ASEAN Roundtable on Digital Content Collaboration, which explores AI-driven innovation and shared policy frameworks; Kre8tif! Business Xchange, ASEAN’s flagship B2B platform linking creators to global investors; and appearances from icons such as Koji Morimoto, co-founder of Japan’s famed Studio 4°C. Public showcases such as the Malaysia Animation Film Festival (MAFF) and Asia Creators Fest (ACF) pavilion round off the festival feel.

    “The ASEAN region is home to a vibrant pool of talent in animation, game, and digital content. ADCS 2025 allows us to move beyond servicing into creating original intellectual property that can compete globally,” said YB Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong, underscoring Malaysia’s MADANI government’s push to empower the next generation of creators.

    The summit also set the stage for Malaysia’s upcoming global moment hosting Siggraph Asia 2026, one of the world’s largest computer graphics conferences, expected to attract 3,000 professionals from Asia, the US, and Europe. Supported by the Johor State Government, TM, SME Corp Malaysia, Unisza, Asia Creators Fest, KL Chapter ACM Siggraph, Malaysia Esports Federation, and Rewardinme with media backing from RTM, Animationxpress, Gofluence, and more ADCS 2025 isn’t just a summit; it’s ASEAN’s creative coming-of-age story.LE

     

  • Pantaloons weaves Pujo magic with ‘Hok Tomar Agomon’ festive campaign

    Pantaloons weaves Pujo magic with ‘Hok Tomar Agomon’ festive campaign

    MUMBAI: When the dhaak rolls, the shiuli blooms, and Kolkata’s skyline glitters with pandals, you know Durga Pujo has arrived. But this year, Pantaloons wants the celebration to be as much about your arrival as Maa Durga’s. The fashion retailer has launched its heartwarming new campaign, Hok Tomar Agomon (Celebrate Your Arrival), turning the festive lens from collective joy to individual expression. Inspired by the iconic “Maa asche” call, the campaign captures how Pujo is not only about welcoming the Goddess but also about embracing one’s own journey with style, flair, and a fresh start.

    “Durga Pujo is a festival of joy, belonging, and new beginnings,” said Pantaloons and Style Up CEO Sangeeta Tanwani. “With Hok Tomar Agomon, we wanted to capture that spirit of arrival not just of Maa Durga, but of every individual stepping into the season with confidence and style.”

    Conceptualised with Talented, the campaign infuses nostalgia with modern flair. From kaash phool and joba blossoms to bamboo scaffoldings and boats symbols of Maa’s arrival Pantaloons’ visuals are paired with Indo-Western silhouettes, contemporary accessories, and a flair designed to spark that unmistakable IYKYK feeling among Bengalis.

    The festive collection features vibrant designs and easy-to-wear pieces curated for every mood of Pujo from pandal-hopping and adda sessions to family feasts. It promises memorable festive moments for a new generation, while staying rooted in cultural traditions.

    With a high-impact media rollout spanning television, digital, outdoor, and in-store activations across West Bengal and beyond, the brand aims to bring its campaign to life wherever Pujo is celebrated.

    This year, Pantaloons isn’t just dressing up Pujo. It’s inviting every individual to celebrate their own arrival with confidence, individuality, and style. Hok Tomar Agomon.