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  • Drivex rides home with heartwarming Diwali campaign

    Drivex rides home with heartwarming Diwali campaign

    MUMBAI: Drivex, India’s pioneering pre-owned two-wheeler brand, has launched a touching new campaign, Ride Back Home, celebrating the spirit of togetherness, gratitude, and the emotional pull of returning home for Diwali.

    Dedicated to those who work away from their families, the campaign honours the journeys that people take to build a better life. For Drivex, a two-wheeler isn’t just transport; it’s a bridge between distance and belonging.

    “In a season filled with gifts and glitter, we wanted to celebrate something deeper, the joy of going home,” said Drivex head of marketing Vipin Yadav. “Diwali is about moments of connection. Every ride tells a story, and this campaign celebrates those that lead us back to where we truly belong – home.”

    To spread the festive spirit further, Drivex has also introduced Light Up With Drivex, a social initiative inviting people to recognise everyday heroes who make life brighter. Participants are encouraged to tag someone they believe truly deserves a scooter and share, in one heartfelt line, why that person deserves to win, whether for their kindness, hard work, or selfless spirit. One deserving participant will receive a Drivex TVS Jupiter worth Rs 85,000, symbolising how one thoughtful gesture can light up many lives.

    Drivex director Narain Karthikeyan added, “As Diwali approaches, many wish to go home but are held back by costly travel or tight schedules. Sometimes, all it takes is two wheels and a bit of determination to close that distance. With Ride Back Home, we’re celebrating the power of mobility to connect hearts.”

    Running through October 31, the campaign invites India to celebrate connection over consumption and reminds everyone that sometimes, the brightest light isn’t found under the lamps, it’s found at the end of the road home.

  • CTV Ads hit record completion for consumer electronics

    CTV Ads hit record completion for consumer electronics

    MUMBAI: As India’s festive buying fever peaks, consumer electronics ads are enjoying a record-breaking audience on Connected TV (CTV), according to a new study by VDO.AI. The consumer electronics ad engagement benchmark study, analysing over 200 campaigns, found an average video completion rate of 91 per cent, up from 87 per cent last year, proving CTV is more than just a screen; it’s a stage for discovery and conversion.

    Interactive display ads are also hitting new highs, with Click-Through Rates (CTR) peaking at 0.39 per cent in Eastern India, up from 0.26 per cent last year. This demonstrates a growing appetite for consumer-initiated engagement formats that blend entertainment with high-intent exploration. Scratch-to-reveal ads emerged as the most popular interactive format, highlighting a clear shift toward hands-on, engaging experiences.

    “For consumer electronics, purchase decisions are research-driven,” said VDO.AI. co-founder & CEO Arjit Sachdeva. “CTV’s distraction-free canvas allows brands to tell longer, clearer stories that viewers actually watch to the end. When paired with interactive display formats, campaigns are no longer passive, they become immersive experiences.”

    CTV completion rates for categories like televisions, appliances, and personal gadgets suggest viewers are willing to stay engaged while exploring features and demonstrations. Meanwhile, display ads are proving effective for recall, discovery, and direct engagement, particularly in regions like the East, where CTRs are highest.

    With India’s consumer electronics ad spend projected to grow over 20 per cent year-on-year during the festive quarter, VDO.AI’s findings signal that brands leveraging CTV and interactive display will lead the charge, blending entertainment with measurable consumer intent to maximise festive conversions.

  • Casio India celebrates Diwali with heartfelt story

    Casio India celebrates Diwali with heartfelt story

    MUMBAI: This Diwali, Casio India is reminding us that the most precious moments are those that bring hearts together. The brand’s touching new campaign celebrates courage, family bonds, and the beauty of new beginnings, capturing how belief and support can illuminate more than just homes, they can light up lives.

    The film follows a talented young woman passionate about design who keeps her creations hidden from her father, fearing disapproval. During Diwali, her brother bridges the gap, helping her father see her dedication. Moved by her talent, the father leaves her a Casio watch, a quiet, powerful gesture of pride, faith, and encouragement. The watches featured, MTP-1302PD-3AV and LTP-1302DD-4A2, embody elegance, emotion, and the confidence that makes festive celebrations memorable.

    “Diwali is about light, hope, and new beginnings,” said Casio India managing director Takuto Kimura. “Our watches are more than timekeepers, they are companions in life’s most meaningful moments. This film celebrates the inner strength and brilliance that Diwali stands for.”

    Produced by Method Productions and directed by Barath Jayarajan, the film combines evocative visuals with relatable storytelling, honouring those who inspire courage, support dreams, and make every moment matter.

  • Pansari Group lights up Diwali for local retailers

    Pansari Group lights up Diwali for local retailers

    MUMBAI: Pansari Group is bringing the festive sparkle back to India’s neighbourhood markets with its heartwarming campaign, This Diwali, Let’s Bring Back the Raunak. The initiative celebrates retailers as part of the extended Pansari family, ensuring every shop shines with joy and togetherness this festive season.

    Under the programme, over 20,000 retailers across the country are receiving Vandanwar and Aarti books, Ganesh-Laxmi statues, sweets, and chai, turning each store into a little corner of festivity. Beyond decorations, Pansari is also providing marketing, logistical, and promotional support, giving shopkeepers the confidence to greet customers with renewed energy and festive spirit.

    “Diwali is about happiness and togetherness,” said Pansari Group director Shammi Agarwal. “While diyas are lit by families at home, we’re lighting up our retailers’ stores. We want each shop to shine bright with positivity and prosperity this Diwali. Ye Diwali, Pansari Vaali.”

    Launched in October, the campaign will continue until Diwali, spreading cheer across India’s bustling bazaars. By restoring the festive glow to local markets, Pansari Group aims to reinforce social ties and remind everyone of Diwali’s true essence: celebration, unity, and shared joy.

    With over six decades of FMCG experience, Pansari Group continues to blend tradition with innovation, supporting home-cooked meals and healthy living while embracing the evolving needs of consumers and communities.

  • NDTV Profit IGNITE Debuts with a Defining Dialogue for Samvat 2082

    NDTV Profit IGNITE Debuts with a Defining Dialogue for Samvat 2082

    MUMBAI: In a grand launch befitting the festive spirit of Diwali, NDTV Profit hosted the first edition of IGNITE in Mumbai, convening India’s top market strategists, corporate leaders, fintech founders, and investors. The event underscored the urgency and optimism with which market participants are looking ahead to the new Samvat, seeking both direction and conviction in the wake of global economic turbulence.

    As the forum opened, veteran investor Ramesh Damani set the tone with a candid assessment: ‘The world today is vastly different from when I began in 1989,’ he remarked, calling for a recalibration of expectations and strategy. While globalization once dominated frameworks, he noted, nations now increasingly must fend for themselves. Yet, he asserted, India remains comparatively well-placed to navigate these headwinds.

    Damani also steered the attention toward sunrise sectors — rare earth minerals, shipbuilding, and infrastructure development — while voicing caution on gold’s long-term track record.

    Manish Chokhani of Enam offered a counter-view on gold’s resurgence as a hedge against inflation and Western monetary excess, though he too reinforced the importance of discipline and patience.

    From the exchange’s vantage, Ashishkumar Chauhan, CEO of NSE, issued a firm caution on leverage and derivatives, warning individual investors that unlike companies, they lack bankruptcy protections. ‘Leverage is the ultimate risk,’ he said, urging restraint.

    Nilesh Shah of Kotak Mahindra AMC underlined how India’s startups are absorbing technology at unprecedented speed and called for reforms to further unlock potential.

    Sundeep Sikka of Nippon Life AMC emphasized the resilience of SIP flows as a safeguard against emotional investing. Harshvardhan Roongta highlighted that no portfolio is complete without insurance, while Ayush Mittal urged investors to use AI as a research ally, not a substitute for judgement.

    The conversation also touched on consumption revival post-GST cuts, with Mayank Shah of Parle Products explaining how pricing benefits would filter down to smaller packs in the months ahead. Market voice Vijay Kedia called the IPO market ‘frothy,’ reiterating his now-signature lines urging discipline, patience, and conviction. Actor-entrepreneur Vivek Oberoi brought a refreshing entrepreneurial lens, sharing how his educational venture Swarnim University is blending degrees with start-up culture to build India’s next generation of founders.

    Rahul Kanwal, CEO & Editor-in-Chief of NDTV, said: ‘IGNITE is about bringing the market’s most trusted voices together. At a time when investors are flooded with noise, we want to create a space that offers clarity and reason. Our goal is to help people understand where real opportunities lie, and to make those conversations accessible to everyone who looks to NDTV Profit for guidance.

    The launch of IGNITE marks a new chapter for NDTV Profit — a conversation designed to explore the choices investors must make in an uncertain world. With its first edition setting the bar high, IGNITE will return through the year as a space where clarity, wisdom, and foresight come together to shape the conversation on India’s financial future.
     

  • Jaypore’s Threads of Light celebrate craft & women

    Jaypore’s Threads of Light celebrate craft & women

    MUMBAI: Lighting up Diwali with craft, culture, and courage. Jaypore is weaving a luminous festive story with its latest campaign, Threads of Light, celebrating India’s rich artisanal heritage and the women who inspire. In collaboration with veteran designer Anju Modi, the campaign blends tradition, creativity, and contemporary elegance, casting a glow on craftsmanship and resilience alike.

    The cinematic campaign features four remarkable women, each embodying strength and artistry. Actor Shefali Shah brings depth and grace, singer-songwriter Bindu Subramaniam represents harmony between tradition and modernity, Gita Prakash reflects courage and reinvention, and Anju Modi herself completes the circle with her devotion to craft. Together, they illuminate the poetry of heritage and the quiet power of women who lead with creativity.

    “Threads of Light celebrates the magic of Indian craft and the women who carry strength, creativity, and grace in every step of their journey,” said Jaypore vice president & brand head Manu Gupta. “This festive season, we wanted to create a campaign that honours both the hands that make and the hearts that inspire.”

    The festive collection showcases rich emerald, red, and antique gold tones, adorned with zari and zardosi embroidery alongside delicate block-printed details. Shot in sweeping cinematic frames, the campaign journeys from artisans at work to a vivid tableau of festive living, seamlessly integrating Jaypore’s home offerings in brass, kansa, dokra, and décor.

    With Threads of Light, Jaypore reaffirms its commitment to celebrating heritage that is not only preserved but lived, in what we wear, how we celebrate, and the stories we carry forward.

  • CSI sports scores big with John Skipper on board

    CSI sports scores big with John Skipper on board

    MUMBAI: CSI Sports kicks off a winning streak. CSI Sports is gearing up for a game-changing move with the appointment of renowned sports television executive John Skipper to its board of directors. Skipper, the former president of ESPN, co-chairman of Disney Media Networks, executive chairman of DAZN, and co-founder of Meadowlark Media, will also serve as senior executive advisor to co-founders Richard and Craig Miele. His decades of global experience promise to bring a fresh playbook to the sports, streaming, and media arena.

    The announcement comes just ahead of Sportel, signalling CSI Sports’ ambition to level up its presence in the global sports content market. CSI Sports has also strengthened its executive team with HBO Sports veteran Mark Taffett as head of global live events, reality TV producer Brian Robinson as senior supervising producer of reality programming, and communications leader Chris DeBlasio of Showtime Networks as head of global communications.

    The organisation continues to invest heavily in global content acquisitions as it gears up for strategic partnership launches in 2026. With this stellar lineup, CSI Sports is clearly playing to win and redefining the rules of engagement in sports entertainment.

  • Appsflyer lights up post-Diwali growth for marketers

    Appsflyer lights up post-Diwali growth for marketers

    MUMBAI: From Diwali sparks to a nine-week growth blaze. India’s festive season is no longer a one-week sprint to Diwali, and Appsflyer is showing marketers how to keep the momentum glowing. The global marketing measurement leader has released its 2025 India Festive Report, revealing that high-intent app activity now stretches across a nine-week window, offering brands extended opportunities for growth.

    Analysing 20.5 million app installs and over 576 million dollars in user acquisition and remarketing spend, the report highlights booming post-Diwali activity. Gaming and food & drink apps saw post-peak install growth of 29 per cent and 16 per cent respectively, while Android remarketing spend in travel jumped 40 per cent. Ios Shopping engagement surged with session volume up 20 per cent, boosted by extended deals and gift redemption cycles.

    “India’s festive season has evolved into a sustained momentum period that demands smarter campaign pacing and post-Diwali re-engagement,” said Appsflyer general manager INSEA and ANZ Sanjay Trisal. “Android delivers long-tail value when remarketing is timed right, while Ios needs sharper sequencing and early conversion. Brands that invest in lifecycle strategies and fraud protection at key moments can maximise both growth and efficiency.”

    Key takeaways from the report show that top shopping apps grew share of paying users by 32 per cent year-on-year, while post-festival fraud rates spiked, particularly in food & drink on Ios (up 176 per cent) and entertainment on Android (up 74 per cent). Remarketing budgets should be reallocated to the post-Diwali period, with segmented push campaigns and reactivation flows between Days 10 and 14 ensuring retention beyond the first week.

    Meta vertical head of gaming, tech, health & education Rishad Chindamada added, “Mobile platforms drive rapid acquisition and re-engagement, enhanced by AI tools optimising campaigns. Brands that leverage full-funnel marketing across channels can turn festive season spikes into lasting loyalty.”

    Appsflyer’s report underscores a shift in festive marketing strategy, it’s not just about winning Diwali week, it’s about sustaining the spark long after the lamps go out.

  • Kia drives peace of mind with 7-Year warranty

    Kia drives peace of mind with 7-Year warranty

    MUMBAI: Seven years of smooth sailing for Kia owners. Kia India is taking the worry out of car ownership by extending its warranty programme up to seven years, giving drivers extra miles of peace of mind. The move covers popular models including the Seltos, Sonet, Syros, and Carens, for both new buyers and loyal customers who already enjoy a five-year plan.

    Existing owners can upgrade from a five-year warranty to a 5 plus 2-year plan starting at Rs 32,170, while new customers can secure the full seven-year coverage from Rs 47,249. The extended programme is available at any authorised Kia dealership across the country.

    “At Kia India, we are committed to making ownership truly worry-free,” said Kia senior VP, sales & marketing Atul Sood. “By extending our warranty, we are showing confidence in the durability of our vehicles while ensuring our customers have continued support through our service network.”

    Kia has consistently focused on enhancing the ownership experience through tailored programmes that reduce maintenance costs and boost resale value. The brand has rolled out nine vehicles in India to date and boasts a network of 744 touchpoints across 329 cities.

    Since opening its Anantapur plant in 2019, Kia India has dispatched over 1.5 million vehicles, including more than 1.2 million domestically, cementing its position as a leader in connected car technology with over 4.7 lakh connected vehicles on the road.

    With this seven-year warranty, Kia is making it clear: owning a car should be more about the journey and less about the worry.

  • Oncemore.io hits 1 million users in record 42 hours

    Oncemore.io hits 1 million users in record 42 hours

    MUMBAI: When it comes to fan frenzy, Oncemore.io is playing for keeps. In just 42 hours, the AI-driven entertainment platform has hit a staggering 1 million users across 60 countries, faster than Chat GPT, Instagram, Tiktok, or Spotify at launch. Only Threads has matched the pace, but Oncemore.io stands as the fastest independent platform to reach the milestone.

    The platform is designed to make entertainment interactive rather than passive. Fans can explore movies, music, sports, and more through dedicated partner sections packed with exclusive content, immersive games, AI-powered interactions, digital collectibles, and behind-the-scenes access.

    Oncemore.io’s debut partnership was with the Telugu blockbuster They Call Him OG, starring Pawan Kalyan. Fans joined a collective unlock experience, playing themed games to reveal a digital comic book of the hero’s backstory. Every participant also received a personalised digital card, quickly turning into a viral sensation online.

    Founder Akash Mamidi said, “Movies and music have brought me comfort through tough times. Seeing fans crave meaningful interactions with their favourite art has been incredible. We are building a platform that spreads that joy to billions.”

    The platform is backed by Unshackled Ventures, Cherubic Ventures, TA Ventures, Sketchnote Venture Partners, and prominent angels. Following its record-breaking debut, Oncemore.io has already secured a partnership with a major Indian film releasing in early 2026.

    Looking ahead, the platform will introduce adaptive storylines, dynamic challenges, and AI-driven worlds where each fan’s journey is unique. With this next wave of experiences, Oncemore.io aims to be the happiest place on everyone’s device.