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  • Fortune Whole Wheat launches first TVC campaign to bake trust into every grain

    Fortune Whole Wheat launches first TVC campaign to bake trust into every grain

    MUMBAI: Fortune Whole Wheat, the packaged whole wheat brand from AWL Agri Business Ltd. (formerly Adani Wilmar Ltd.), has hit the screens with its maiden television campaign titled ‘Shuddhata Ki Sahi Parakh’. Launched on 26 May 2025, the campaign aims to set Fortune apart in India’s fragmented whole wheat segment by leaning on trust, purity, and provenance.

    The TVC, airing in Maharashtra and Gujarat, unfolds in a classic kirana store where a young girl questions the quality of the wheat her family buys. Her curiosity drives home the key differentiators of Fortune Whole Wheat: uniform grain size, colour, strength, and trusted sourcing. The visual storytelling nudges consumers to ditch loose wheat in favour of Fortune’s branded, batch-tested assurance.

    “This campaign is more than just a product message — it’s a heartfelt tribute to the Indian farmer and the informed consumer. Through these TVCs, we invite viewers on a journey to the source of real quality”, said AWL Agri Business Ltd SVP & business head – sales & marketing Mukesh Mishra.

    Fortune Whole Wheat entered the market in May 2023 and quickly positioned itself as India’s only national player in the branded whole wheat category. The brand guarantees access to the purest wheat seeds across varieties like Sharbati, Poorna 1544, Lokwan, Premium Grade 1, and MP Grade 1. These grains are sun-ripened, harvested with precision, and procured from select Indian farms.

    Every batch undergoes stringent quality checks to ensure nutritional value and consistent texture. The campaign underlines this disciplined sourcing and testing, offering consumers confidence that every grain delivers on both taste and health.

    The Marathi and Gujarati TVCs are currently live across television, digital, cinema, and regional platforms, underscoring AWL Agri Business’s strategy to deepen consumer connect in high-priority wheat markets.

  • Nestlé picks up a minority bone in Drools as India’s pet food unicorn gets global tailwind

    Nestlé picks up a minority bone in Drools as India’s pet food unicorn gets global tailwind

    MUMBAI: India’s pet care sector just got a global paw of approval. Nestlé S.A., the Swiss consumer goods giant and parent of Nestlé India, has picked up a minority stake in Drools Pet Food Pvt. Ltd., the country’s first home-grown pet food brand. The investment, confirmed on 26 May, does not alter Drools’ operational independence.

    The move follows a 2023 investment from L Catterton, a global consumer-focussed private equity firm, which also holds a minority share. With both heavyweights now backing it, Drools appears well-fed for global expansion.

    Founded in 2010, Drools has built a robust presence across 40,000 Indian retail outlets and exports to 22 countries. Its recent entry into India’s unicorn club only underscores its appetite for growth.

    “This is a testament to the love and trust of millions of pet parents and to our unwavering commitment to quality”, said Drools founder Fahim Sultan. “Backed by a strong focus on science-based nutrition, Drools continues to drive innovation and build meaningful engagement with the evolving demographic of Indian pet parents, positioning itself at the forefront of the country’s pet care industry”.

    The company runs six manufacturing units and operates out of a 16-lakh sq. ft. warehousing footprint. With a workforce of 3,400 employees, including 1,800 sales professionals, Drools currently offers over 650 SKUs spanning high-protein, prescription, and value-for-money diets. It also maintains a stronghold in the cat food category and leads pet food sales on platforms like Amazon.

    “Drools has achieved significant growth since we invested in the company two years ago”, said L Catterton partner & head of India Anjana Sasidharan. “We are thrilled that Nestlé, that has such a renowned position in the global pet care and consumer brands space, joins as a minority partner”.

  • Pawtrait mode on as tattoos go furry and feel-good

    Pawtrait mode on as tattoos go furry and feel-good

    MUMBAI: A tattoo might fade a little over time, but a paw print on the soul? That one’s permanent. In a bold blend of ink and emotion, Aliens Tattoo has launched Part of You, India’s first national tattoo movement celebrating the bond between people and their pets, and quietly channelling it into purpose.

    The initiative offers more than just body art. It’s a full-blown movement turning wagging tails and whiskered memories into legacy pieces, paw prints, pet portraits, or soulful abstract strokes that carry stories of companionship, loss, healing, and joy. And with 1 per cent of campaign revenues pledged to animal welfare groups across India, the tattoos are doing more than just sitting pretty on skin.

    “This isn’t just a tattoo. It’s a legacy,” said Aliens Tattoo founder and chief visionary artist Sunny Bhanushali. “When someone loses a pet, or even wants to celebrate the little joys of companionship, we believe that story deserves more than a memory. It deserves permanence. And with ‘Part of You’, we’re making sure that permanence helps more lives not just honours one.”

    The numbers already speak in barks and tail wags. The campaign has notched over 7 million organic impressions online, with pet-themed tattoo bookings surging by 43 per cent across Aliens studios in Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. The stories are heartbreakingly beautiful like the woman in Pune who inked her late dog’s paw to mark 15 years of unconditional love, or the man from Assam who flew to Mumbai to get his cat’s eyes immortalised in ink.

    But Part of You goes beyond the studio chair. A video storytelling series captures the raw emotions behind each tattoo, why people choose permanence, and how the ink becomes therapy, tribute, and identity all at once. There’s also a microsite that guides pet parents through their own tribute journey, with curated design options and artist collaborations that simplify translating feelings into form.

    What makes this more than a marketing masterstroke is its structure: Part of You is stitched together like a cultural movement. Aliens Tattoo has looped in animal welfare partners like People for Animals, Pedigree, and Heads Up For Tail alongside tattoo artists and pet parents, making this the first large-scale, brand-led initiative in India to formalise emotional tattooing in a thoughtful, scalable way.
     

    Globally, emotional ink is growing from ashes-infused tattoos in the West to soundwave tributes and pet noseprints. But in India, Part of You is a pioneering howl, giving grieving pet parents not only a safe space but a meaningful ritual.

    In an age where tattoos are no longer rebellion but reflection, Part of You reminds us that sometimes, the deepest connections don’t speak, they purr, they nuzzle, and when they’re gone, they leave behind more than memories. They leave a story worth etching forever.

  • ‘Solo Leveling’ dominates Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025 with record 51 million global votes

    ‘Solo Leveling’ dominates Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025 with record 51 million global votes

    MUMBAI: The Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025 closed on a thunderous note in Tokyo, as Solo Leveling bagged Anime of the Year amid a record-breaking 51 million votes from fans across the globe. Held at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa, the event marked the ninth edition of anime’s biggest global celebration, honouring the studios, creators, and performers driving the genre’s cultural dominance.

    Voice actress Sally Amaki and TV personality Jon Kabira returned to host the show for the third consecutive year, setting the tone for an evening filled with fanfare and fervour. Global icons like Kacey Musgraves, Finn Wolfhard, J Balvin, Chloe Kim, and Rina Sawayama presented awards across 30+ categories, joined by anime royalty including Kanata Hongo, Dean Fujioka, and Mayu Matsuoka.

    Attack on Titan was conferred the first-ever Global Impact Award, recognising the anime’s decade-long influence on storytelling and fandom. Director Yuichiro Hayashi of MAPPA accepted the honour on behalf of the entire creative team.

    Crunchyroll president Rahul Purini said, “Fans form deep emotional connections to anime. These are not just series, films or songs, but rather works of art that help define the identity of anime fans. With an incredible 51 million votes this year, the 2025 Anime Awards are celebrating the creators in Japan who have captured the hearts of fans and are powering anime’s prominence in global pop culture”.

    Live performances electrified the show. Creepy Nuts delivered the viral opening theme ‘Bling-Bang-Bang-Born’ from Mashle: Magic and Muscles and ‘Otonoke’ from Dan Da Dan. Rock icons Flow performed ‘Days’ for Eureka Seven’s 20 anniversary. Lisa lit up the stage with fan favourites from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.

    Winners included:

    ●    Anime of the Year: Solo Leveling

    ●    Film of the Year: Look Back

    ●    Best Continuing Series: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc

    ●    Best Director: Keiichiro Saito (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End)

    ●    Best Main Character: Sung Jinwoo (Solo Leveling)

    ●    Best Japanese Voice Artist: Aoi Yuki (Maomao – The Apothecary Diaries)

    ●    Best Hindi Voice Artist: Lohit Sharma (Satoru Gojo – Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2)

    Notably, countries like Canada and Chile broke into the top 10 voting nations for the first time, alongside India, Brazil, and the U.S. Crunchyroll will make the full show available as video-on-demand across Youtube, Twitch, Sony Pictures Core, and Sony Group Corp’s global platforms.

    Sony Music Solutions Inc. and Dempsey Productions co-produced the show.

  • TRAI gives buildings a digital reality check with connectivity rating reboot

    TRAI gives buildings a digital reality check with connectivity rating reboot

    MUMBAI: In a country obsessed with skyscrapers, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is more interested in what’s inside the walls—signal strength. On 22 May, TRAI issued a formal response to the department of telecommunications (DoT), which had sought clarifications on the regulator’s earlier recommendation for a new system to rate buildings and areas based on digital connectivity.

    The recommendations in question—first proposed on 20 February 2023—aim to address the gnawing issue of poor signal penetration in buildings, despite India’s heady digital growth. While rooftop towers and fibre lines have made it to headlines, indoor connectivity has lagged, often trapped behind concrete, bureaucracy, and dated building codes.

    TRAI pointed out that despite several policy nudges over the years, in-building connectivity continues to be a digital blind spot. With the fusion of IoT and smart workplaces on the rise, there is an urgent need to bake digital connectivity infrastructure (DCI) into the design of new buildings—much like water, electricity, or fire exits.

    The 2023 recommendations call for a rating system embedded within local building bye-laws and municipal approvals. TRAI argues this will not only prepare buildings for the 5G era but also avoid a repeat of the signal dead zones plaguing 4G users. And with 6G already on the horizon, the Authority warns that the higher frequency bands used will face even steeper resistance from walls and materials.

    TRAI’s formal response, now uploaded on its website, comes in reply to the DoT’s back-reference dated 19 March 2025. For those seeking fine print or footnotes, the advisor (QoS-I), Tejpal Singh, remains available for clarifications.

  • Max gets a manga-nificent makeover with Japanese drama rollout

    Max gets a manga-nificent makeover with Japanese drama rollout

    MUMBAI: Is it a romcom? A legal thriller? A dark comedy with a deadly title? Max says: Why not all of the above? In a bold eastward expansion of storytelling, Warner Bros. Discovery and Japanese streaming powerhouse U-Next are taking their relationship to the next level by giving Japanese dramas a global passport.

    After launching Max within U-Next in Japan last year, the partners are now flipping the narrative. A curated bouquet of 10 Japanese series, including TBS’s much-awaited Love is for the Dogs and TV Tokyo’s deliciously morbid Please Die My Beloved, will be released across key international markets starting with the U.S., Brazil and Southeast Asia.

    Also in the lineup: Ignite (a legal drama with teeth), Mr. Mikami’s Classroom, Who Saw the Peacock Dance in the Jungle?, La Grande Maison Tokyo, its special episode Light of My Lion, Until I Destroyed My Husband’s Other Family, and Baby Assassins. The slate cuts across genres from slow-burn psychological thrillers to culinary family sagas and assassin-led chaos ensuring there’s more than one flavour for every binge palate.

    This cross-cultural programming exchange is no accident. U-Next president and CEO Tenshin Tsutsumi confirmed that since their exclusive tie-up with WBD in September 2024, expanding Japanese IP globally has been a core focus. “We’re handpicking shows that don’t just do well at home but hit the right emotional notes internationally,” he said.

    U-Next currently offers the largest SVOD catalogue in Japan, per GEM Partners, with add-ons like e-books, e-manga, e-magazines, and a seven-year Premier League streaming deal thrown into the mix. Its 2023 merger with Paravi has also deepened its access to local favourites from TBS and TV Tokyo making it a treasure trove of binge-worthy content.

    For WBD, it’s another power move in its global localisation playbook. Operating across 220+ territories in 50 languages, the media giant is leaning into regional partners to give local stories international wings, proving that you don’t need subtitles to go viral, just good storytelling.

    The international rollout of the Japanese drama collection on Max will begin later this year. Dates? Still hush-hush. But the message is loud and clear: Japan’s dramas are no longer just for Japan. And Max is ready to stream the love.

  • Preeti Jain joins Adani-GCC as CPO to shape talent and transform HR playbook

    Preeti Jain joins Adani-GCC as CPO to shape talent and transform HR playbook

    MUMBAI: After nearly thirty years of HR firefighting, boardroom negotiations, and decoding what ‘synergy’ really means, Preeti Jain has waltzed into her latest gig—chief people officer at Adani-GCC. She officially grabbed the role in March 2025 but decided to let Linkedin in on the secret just yesterday. From her new HQ perch in Ahmedabad, she’s already rolling up her sleeves to rewire the group’s talent machinery.

    As CPO, Jain is steering Adani-GCC’s strategic HR vision to build a world-class global capability centre grounded in process rigour, innovation, and internal talent hubs. “As the CPO driving the strategic initiative of the group of building a world class GCC focused on processes, innovation and a talent hub internally”, Jain stated.

    Before joining Adani-GCC, she served as vice president of human resources at Airtel for over three years, based in Gurugram. Her tenure was marked by efforts in strategic human resources leadership, career development, and organisational transformation.

    Jain’s earlier roles included CHRO at Droom (Feb–Oct 2021) and director of HR at Huawei Consumer Business Group for over 11 years, where she led manpower transitions, audits, certifications, and policy execution across functions. She has also held senior HR positions at Conexant and HFCL.

    From managing startups to overseeing multinational transitions, Jain brings deep operational insight into people development, executive coaching, stakeholder engagement, and performance frameworks. Her journey reflects a consistent push towards aligning HR with core business goals.

    In her current capacity, she is expected to anchor Adani-GCC’s long-term talent pipeline, craft scalable L&D frameworks, and implement people-first initiatives while balancing the pressures of scale.

  • Bhuvanesh Mendiratta steps into spotlight as MD of Miraj Cinemas

    Bhuvanesh Mendiratta steps into spotlight as MD of Miraj Cinemas

    MUMBAI: The curtains have risen on a new leadership act at Miraj Cinemas. On 26 May 2025, the company appointed Bhuvanesh Mendiratta as its new managing director, succeeding Amit Sharma, who exits after a 14-year stint to explore new avenues.

    Mendiratta has been no stranger to the Miraj marquee. As chief operating officer, he helped script the chain’s rise to India’s third-largest multiplex network, with 235 screens across 70 locations in 48 cities. In his new role, he will chart business strategy, lead daily operations, and drive future growth.

    With two decades in entertainment and hospitality—including tenures at PVR and Cinemax—Mendiratta has worked across verticals like F&B, programming, and marketing. He holds a degree in Hospitality Administration from NCHMCT and an executive MBA in hospitality management.

    “Bhuvanesh has been part of our core team for a long time and understands every aspect of the business. With his strong industry knowledge and execution skills, we believe he is well-placed to lead Miraj Cinemas into its next phase of growth. We are excited about what lies ahead”, said Miraj Group group CEO Arvind Jain.

    In his first comments as MD, Mendiratta said, “It’s been an incredible journey so far, and I’m truly honoured to take on this responsibility. Our focus will remain on strengthening our presence, adding premium formats like IMAX and Neo-M, and creating the best possible experience for moviegoers across India”.

    He also pointed to expansion plans targeting tier two and tier three cities with content strategies tailored to regional audiences and sustainable cinema formats.

    Under Mendiratta’s direction, Miraj Cinemas aims to double down on premium screen formats, upgrade sound and projection tech, and deepen its national footprint—ensuring the story at Miraj continues to unfold on a bigger, bolder canvas.

  • Manoj Padmanabhan takes charge as chief growth officer at Smitson Entertainment

    Manoj Padmanabhan takes charge as chief growth officer at Smitson Entertainment

    MUMBAI: In a career move that straddles the worlds of OTT and grassroots sports, Manoj Padmanabhan has taken over as chief growth officer at Smitson Entertainment. The announcement was made public via Linkedin, where Padmanabhan confirmed he would continue in his role as chief revenue officer at Sportvot while spearheading growth at Smitson.

    Smitson Entertainment is building its identity around storytelling for the new-age Indian audience. From web series and show formats pitched to top OTT players to music IPs designed for global stage experiences, the company aims to put Indian creative narratives in the global spotlight. Padmanabhan’s entry comes at a time when Smitson is ramping up content pipelines and forging international collaborations.

    “Pranaay Pradhaan let’s make this count”, Padmanabhan said in a post, hinting at an ambitious new chapter.

    Padmanabhan brings more than two decades of experience across sports broadcasting, digital media, and entertainment. Currently at Sportvot, he has been instrumental in building a cost-effective live streaming platform tailored for community and grassroots sports. Under his leadership, Sportvot launched the Sportvot Cloud Studio—a web-based production tool enabling multi-camera sports broadcasts from smartphones, professional rigs, or even AI-driven cameras.

    Prior to this, Padmanabhan held leadership roles at Alpha Metaverse Technologies, Total Esports (TES), Dailyhunt, and Star TV Network, where he led niche sports sales and helped establish leagues like Pro Kabaddi and Premier Badminton League. He also played a foundational role in shaping Indian Super League (ISL) at RISE Worldwide, transforming India’s football broadcast ecosystem.

    With his music initiative Soulful Vibrations and past ventures into production and programming at Ten Sports and UTV, Padmanabhan brings a multidisciplinary flair to the table—equally at home with tech stacks and turntables.

    As Smitson positions itself at the intersection of entertainment, technology, and cultural storytelling, Padmanabhan’s blend of experience, agility and industry foresight could help shape a powerful creative engine built for scale.