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  • Oben powers ahead with 50th showroom, eyes 150 outlets by year-end

    Oben powers ahead with 50th showroom, eyes 150 outlets by year-end

    MUMBAI: From zero to fifty, Oben Electric is revving up India’s EV race at full throttle. The homegrown R&D-driven motorcycle brand has just cut the ribbon on its 50th showroom and service centre in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh marking a pit stop on its road to 150 outlets by the close of this financial year.

    The milestone comes on the back of rapid expansion. In recent months, Oben has entered Visakhapatnam and Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, Ranchi in Jharkhand, Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, Aligarh and Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, and Palakkad in Kerala. With this, its network now spans 15 states and 37 cities, a footprint fuelled by soaring demand for its flagship Rorr EZ and the newly launched Rorr EZ Sigma.

    The Rorr EZ Sigma pitched as the commuter’s next-gen ride builds on the success of the original Rorr EZ with better performance, smarter tech, and everyday practicality. Together, the duo has become the brand’s biggest growth engine, drawing in first-time EV buyers as well as seasoned riders looking for clean mobility alternatives.

    “Inaugurating our 50th dealership is a powerful milestone,” said Oben Electric founder & CEO Madhumita Agrawal. “Andhra Pradesh is a key clean mobility market for us, and with in-house manufacturing and customer-focused service, we’re set on raising benchmarks for electric motorcycle ownership across India.”

    Oben Electric also stands out in the crowded EV space for its vertical integration: it designs and manufactures critical EV components in-house from high-performance LFP batteries to motors, chargers and vehicle control units. This, the company claims, ensures durability and consistency tailored to India’s diverse riding conditions.

    With the Visakhapatnam showroom now open, Oben has 100 more outlets in its sights before March 2026. Each will come equipped with a service centre, promising customers not just a flashy ride but robust after-sales support too.

  • Drama draws the crowd as Zee5 hits 105 billion streaming minutes in FY25

    Drama draws the crowd as Zee5 hits 105 billion streaming minutes in FY25

    MUMBAI: If content is king, then drama is the undisputed emperor of India’s OTT court. Zee5 has revealed its FY25 viewership numbers, clocking a colossal 105 billion minutes of watch time, with audiences binging on high-stakes drama and high-definition screens.

    Drama ruled the charts, pulling in over 40 billion minutes alone, proving that when it comes to streaming, heightened emotions and tangled plots still reign supreme. And where are viewers watching? A solid 64 per cent of premium content watch time came from smart TVs, making the living room the new theatre of choice for Indian families.

    Leading the charge in high-res viewing, South India accounted for 46 per cent of all 4K consumption. Tamil, Telugu and Kannada titles like Aindham Vedham, Paruvu, Thalaimai Seyalagam, and Vikkatakavi featured in the most-watched lists, while films such as Sankranthiki Vasthunam, Hanu-Man, and Identity dominated screens. Meanwhile, Bengali viewership surged, breaking into the top three languages across Hindi-speaking markets.

    Zee5 Originals also had their blockbuster moment. Mrs., starring Sanya Malhotra, shattered records with the platform’s biggest opening weekend ever over 150 million streaming minutes. The socially charged narrative around gender roles and individual agency resonated across metros and smaller towns alike.

    Hindi thriller Gyaarah Gyaarah led as the most-watched web series pan-India except in the South, where homegrown dramas continued to take the spotlight. Bingeing peaked between 5 pm and 11 pm, with half of total prime-time viewing happening post 7 pm.

    The report also flagged a doubling of 4K pack adoption in FY26, a clear marker of India’s pivot towards quality-led viewing. With regional storytelling, multi-language packs and big-ticket dramas leading engagement, Zee5’s language-first strategy is paying off delivering not just what India wants to watch, but exactly how and why they want to watch it.

  • The Health Factory unveils fresh new look with bold rebrand across India

    The Health Factory unveils fresh new look with bold rebrand across India

    MUMBAI: Loaf it or love it, The Health Factory is serving up a whole new look. The brand behind India’s first zero-maida, protein-rich bread has unveiled a bold new identity one that promises to make healthy eating not just simple, but stylish. Now present across 16 cities, stocked in major retail, e-commerce, and q-commerce platforms, and reaching millions of households, the brand has carved a slice of the market despite the dominance of legacy bread makers. Riding the wave of consumer demand for clean-label, high-protein staples, it has positioned itself at the forefront of India’s better-eating revolution.

    Anchored in the philosophy of All for Health. Health for All., the refreshed packaging is built on a structured grid system, a design move meant to highlight transparency, functionality, and a consumer-first ethos. Beyond the pantry shelf, this identity rollout will extend to digital platforms, retail displays, and every consumer touchpoint.

    The Health Factory, CEO Vinay Maheshwari explained, “We did not rebrand for a design update. We want people to remember and celebrate The Health Factory for what it truly stands for. This fresh new look is an evolution of our journey; and this bolder, clearer, sharper identity reflects that.”

    From being a niche challenger to becoming a trusted choice for millions, The Health Factory’s rebrand is less about appearances and more about ambition. With new products and innovations in the pipeline, and a brand film set to spotlight its mission soon, the company is baking a bigger story, one slice at a time.

  • DS Group and WPP decode digital chaos with India’s first marketing playbook

    DS Group and WPP decode digital chaos with India’s first marketing playbook

    MUMBAI: In India’s ever-buzzing ad world, there’s finally a playbook to crack the digital code. FMCG giant DS Group, in partnership with WPP Media, has launched Dcode – The Guide to Digital Marketing, a first-of-its-kind manual designed to streamline and elevate the country’s digital marketing practices.

    Unveiled at a high-profile event featuring panel discussions and keynote sessions, Dcode blends academic rigour with agency know-how to deliver practical templates, systems and best practices across the entire digital spectrum from paid media and SEO to influencer marketing and online reputation management. And here’s the kicker: it’s open access, free to download for anyone from CMOs to curious students.

    The initiative couldn’t be timelier. India’s media and advertising industry is projected to grow 7 per cent in 2025 to Rs 1,64,137 crore, with digital leading the charge at an 11.5 per cent growth rate, cornering 60 per cent of the market share and contributing Rs 10,225 crore of incremental ad spend. But this rapid expansion has been dogged by fragmentation, inconsistent methodologies and inefficiencies. Dcode aims to cut through the clutter by providing a regularly updated, evolving resource.

    “Digital isn’t just an option anymore; it’s a strategic imperative,” said DS Group vice chairman Rajiv Kumar calling Dcode a “legacy resource” for marketers, agencies and enthusiasts navigating today’s complex ecosystem.

    Echoing the sentiment WPP Media South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar described Dcode as a “significant leap” that redefines industry standards, empowering businesses and professionals alike to thrive in a digital-first world.

    Positioned as a living guidebook, Dcode will be refreshed with the latest practices to ensure it remains relevant in a space where algorithms change as quickly as consumer behaviour. For India’s marketers, it might just be the cheat sheet they’ve been waiting for.
     

  • Prime Video reels in Maddock Films with blockbuster eight-film deal

    Prime Video reels in Maddock Films with blockbuster eight-film deal

    MUMBAI: When it comes to streaming, Prime Video clearly isn’t afraid of commitment. The platform has just inked a multi-year global licensing deal with Maddock Films, securing exclusive streaming rights to eight upcoming films that will drop on Prime shortly after their theatrical run. The pact makes Prime Video the one-stop home for Maddock’s celebrated horror-comedy universe, including the upcoming Thama and two yet-to-be-titled instalments slated to roll out between 2025 and 2027. The deal follows the monster success of Stree 2, which didn’t just scare up big numbers at the box office but also streamed to blockbuster status on Prime, amassing a global fandom well beyond India.

    The eight-film slate packs serious star power. Topping the line-up is Param Sundari, headlined by Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor, premiering in cinemas on 29 August 2025 before making its digital debut on Prime. Franchise fever continues with Shiddat 2 and Badlapur 2, both extending Maddock’s well-loved cinematic worlds. Also in the mix is Ikkis, directed by Sriram Raghavan and starring Agastya Nanda, along with other unannounced titles.

    The partnership is not new Maddock and Prime Video have a track record of shared hits, from theatrical-to-digital blockbusters like Stree, Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, and Stree 2, to the co-produced Bhool Chuk Maaf, and the Prime Original Jee Karda.

    “From our horror-comedy universe to our most beloved franchises, our endeavour has always been to create worlds that audiences love to revisit,” said Maddock Films CEO & founder Dinesh Vijan adding that the deal marks a natural extension of their shared goal to take Indian stories global.

    Prime Video India director and head of content licensing Manish Menghani echoed the sentiment: “This multi-film slate not only builds on Maddock’s popular franchises but also delivers fresh storytelling that travels across geographies.”

    With streaming rights locked across 240 plus countries and territories, Prime Video is betting big on Maddock’s mix of chills, thrills, and sequels ensuring its members can binge the blockbusters long after the popcorn’s gone cold.

  • Ajay Devgn turns on the cool as brand face for Summercool appliances

    Ajay Devgn turns on the cool as brand face for Summercool appliances

    MUMBAI: Hindi cinema’s man of steel is now the man of cool. Ajay Devgn has been roped in as the brand ambassador for Summercool Home Appliances, one of India’s long-standing names in home and kitchen essentials, in a two-year association that promises to crank up the chill factor in the marketplace. The actor, known for his unflinching screen presence, will front campaigns for Summercool’s flagship cooler range, while also unveiling the brand’s upcoming refrigerator and air-conditioner lines. Devgn will first appear in Summercool’s Diwali campaign, followed by a flurry of commercials that will run across TV, print, digital, and outdoor media.

    The brand is rolling out a large-scale activation drive with Ajay Devgn’s face branding on product packaging, plus a blitz of hoardings to strengthen visibility in both urban centres and rural towns. The association reflects Summercool’s ambition to hold onto its leadership in cooling solutions while expanding into adjacent product categories.

    “We are thrilled to announce Ajay Devgn as the new face of our brand for the next two years,” said Summercool Home Appliances Ltd CMD Sanjeev Kumar Gupta. “Ajay’s strong personality, credibility, and pan-India appeal align perfectly with our brand’s values of trust, reliability and performance. This partnership will help deepen consumer trust, strengthen market recall and cement Summercool as a household name in cooling solutions.”

    With a product basket poised to widen and a star endorser whose fan base cuts across regions, the brand is clearly aiming to power up both market share and consumer connect. For Devgn, it’s a role that fits like a glove blending his trademark reliability with Summercool’s promise of efficient, high-performance comfort for every Indian home.

  • Too Yumm! chips away at hangovers with world’s first party snack twist

    Too Yumm! chips away at hangovers with world’s first party snack twist

    MUMBAI: Hangovers just got out-snacked. Too Yumm!, India’s self-styled “disruptive snacking brand”, has unveiled what it calls the world’s first anti-hangover chips, a bold innovation that promises to let partygoers munch, dance, and wake up fresh.

    Branded party harder chips, the snack takes inspiration from Livitup, Vaidya’s trusted anti-hangover supplement. Packed into every crunchy masala bite are natural ingredients clinically known for recovery support turmeric, ginger, black pepper, and green tea antioxidants. The idea: you snack through the night while your body gets a head start on tomorrow.

    The launch was led by hindi movie livewire Varun Dhawan, who unveiled the chips in typically high-energy style. A campaign film sees him deliver cheeky twists on blockbuster dialogues while declaring the snack the “game-changer every party needs.”

    “Too Yumm! has always been at the forefront of snacking disruption,” said Too Yumm! CMO Yogesh Tewari  “With Party Harder Chips, we’re bringing a world-first product designed especially for celebrations. Partnering with Livitup meant we could create a snack that doesn’t just taste bold but also genuinely supports a better next day.”

    Currently available on Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart, the party harder chips are being positioned as the ultimate late-night companion whether at weddings, festivals, or house parties.

    For a brand that has built its identity on cheeky innovations, this one takes the cake or rather, the chip. With Varun Dhawan fronting the campaign and India’s youth as the target, Too Yumm! is betting big that the next morning after every party will finally taste as good as the night before.

  • HT Media cashes in as Swapnil Ravindran takes charge of South revenues

    HT Media cashes in as Swapnil Ravindran takes charge of South revenues

    MUMBAI : HT Media Group has found its new rainmaker in the South. Swapnil Ravindran has been appointed chief revenue officer (CRO) for South, a role that will see him drive growth across Hindustan Times, Hindustan Hindi, and Mint. Ravindran, who took charge in August 2025, brings a two-decade career spanning Yahoo, Inmobi, The Times of India, and Kasturi & Sons, with a strong record of scaling revenue engines across print and digital. At HT, his mandate is clear: accelerate revenue growth, deepen advertiser relationships, and integrate strategy across platforms to bolster the One HT narrative in southern India.

    It’s a homecoming of sorts. Ravindran spent a decade at HT Media (2005–2015), rising from deputy manager to general manager. Since then, he has helmed sales at Yahoo, led national digital and print mandates at The Hindu Group, and spearheaded e-business and branch verticals at The Times of India. Most recently, he was associate vice president and response head at Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. (Nov 2024–Aug 2025) and before that, director of sales (West & South) at Inmobi.

    Over the years, he has managed marquee brands, sharpened sales strategies, and built high-performance teams skills now directed at expanding HT Media’s footprint in one of India’s most competitive regions.

    Armed with a PGDBA in Marketing from VIT (1999) and nearly 20 years of leadership across advertising sales, business strategy, and digital transformation, Ravindran is expected to play a pivotal role in powering HT Media’s South operations to new heights.

    From Yahoo to Hindustan Times and back again, his journey is a story of full-circle ambition only this time, the brief is bigger, bolder, and distinctly southern.

  • Skoda fuels fanfare with ‘Fans Not Owners’ drive for 25 years in India

    Skoda fuels fanfare with ‘Fans Not Owners’ drive for 25 years in India

    MUMBAI: For Škoda, it’s not just about cars, it’s about cult status on wheels. Marking its 25th year in India, the Czech automaker has rolled out an integrated campaign titled ‘Fans Not Owners’, in partnership with ‘Team Drive’ at Publicis Groupe India, creatively led by BBH India.

    The campaign flips the conventional script of horsepower and specs, spotlighting Škoda drivers not as customers but as true-blue fans. It seeks to bridge the gap between admiration and action, nudging legions of admirers to take the leap into ownership.

    At the heart of the campaign is ‘Doda’, a heartwarming film that captures the whimsical love of a young girl for her Škoda. The story unfolds through the eyes of children who see magic in the machines, celebrating decades of emotional connections. Another film celebrating young fandom and pride is set to follow soon.

    The brand went a step further with a playful ‘Doda Takeover’ on Instagram, where Maya, the child protagonist, engaged Škoda’s followers. Even dealerships joined the celebration at some outlets in Mumbai, the Škoda logo was swapped out for Doda.

    Škoda Auto India brand director Ashish Gupta explained: “Our customers are more than just owners, they’re passionate fans who truly live the brand. As we celebrate 25 years, it’s this deep emotional connection that powers us forward.”

    Škoda’s 360-degree campaign doesn’t just dwell on sentiment, it reinforces the company’s reputation for European engineering, safety, and reliability while positioning its cars as practical, aspirational, and ready for modern Indian lifestyles.

    Saatchi & Saatchi India, BBH India and Saatchi Propagate CEO Paritosh Srivastava called the campaign “a step forward in building brand love and trust.” BBH India Chief creative officer Parikshit Bhattaccharya summed up the spirit: “Škoda was never just a car, it was always an emotion.”

    With 25 years on Indian roads and a fandom passed down through generations, Škoda is steering into the future with more than an engine, it’s running on emotion.

  • Birla Opus paints the town festive with Ganesh Chaturthi digital film

    Birla Opus paints the town festive with Ganesh Chaturthi digital film

    MUMBAI :  When Bappa arrives, even the walls want to dress up. This Ganesh Chaturthi, Birla Opus Paints part of Aditya Birla Group’s Grasim Industries has unveiled a heartwarming digital film under its Duniya Ko Rang Do philosophy, capturing the spirit of devotion, colour, and community.

    The film, conceptualised by Leo India, tells the simple yet stirring story of a young boy yearning to welcome Lord Ganesha into his home for the first time. Initially hesitant about the extra effort, his family eventually gives in to his determination, deciding to host Bappa and repaint their home, a reminder that festive joy often begins with fresh walls and fresher spirits.

    Ganesh Chaturthi, one of India’s most vibrant festivals, is portrayed not just as a ritual but as an emotion that unites families, neighbours, and entire communities. The film highlights how a fresh coat of paint isn’t merely cosmetic, it’s symbolic of opening doors to divinity and joy.

    Birla Opus Paints head of marketing Inderpreet Singh explained: “Ganesh Chaturthi is a time of celebration, bringing homes and neighbourhoods alive. With this film, we wanted to tell the story through the eyes of a child welcoming Bappa home for the first time. Paints play a unique role on such occasions, transforming spaces and adding colour to the memories that will be cherished for years.”

    Leo South Asia chief creative officer Sachin Kamble echoed the sentiment: “Birla Opus has always celebrated the transformational power of colours in our lives. This film shows how they go beyond beautifying walls to help turn houses into spaces of celebration and love.”

    Streaming across Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin, the campaign is designed to spread festive cheer and inspire families to brighten both homes and hearts this season. Ending with the line “Rangon Ko Khushiyan Phailane Do, Duniya Ko Rang Do,” the film reminds viewers that colour isn’t just what we see on our walls, it’s what we feel in our celebrations.