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Tag: Anuj Bansal

  • Candyman gives Halloween a tangy desi twist

    Candyman gives Halloween a tangy desi twist

    MUMBAI: This Halloween, ITC’s Candyman Sourzzz is serving up scares with a splash of sour. The candy brand’s new campaign, “A Desi Halloween,” swaps haunted mansions and carved pumpkins for eerie banyan trees, bhoot banglas and Indian-style mischief, all packed with its signature lip-puckering twist.

    While the world celebrates Halloween with witches and werewolves, Candyman Sourzzz has resurrected a trio of homegrown legends, tangy tantrik, sour sundari and meetha khatkula, to reclaim India’s own folklore of fright. These zesty spirits star in a digital-first campaign that unfolds like a mini Hindi cinema horror flick, complete with neon chaos, comic chills and nostalgia-laced spookiness.

    “With Candyman Sourzzz, we’ve always aimed to make sourness fun for young India,” said ITC Limited vice president and head of marketing – chocolates, coffee and confectionery, foods division Anuj Bansal. “This Halloween, we wanted to localise the thrill by celebrating our own folklore in a playful, modern way.”

    Candy man

    Conceptualised by FCB India, the campaign takes inspiration from the delightfully campy Hindi cinema horror of the 90s, think smoky graveyards, echoing laughter, and a bhoot with attitude. “Halloween may be new to India, but horror isn’t,” said FCB India national creative director Suchitra Gahlot. “We wanted kids to meet our own spooky icons, tantriks, daayans and bhoot banglas, and make ITC Candyman the brand that owns Halloween, desi style.”

    The fun doesn’t stop on screen. The brand’s special edition Halloween pack, complete with a mask that doubles up as a candy bag, is now available on quick-commerce platforms in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, the desi Halloween spirit is spilling into the streets with RWA activations, vibrant OOH displays and influencer collaborations featuring spooky storytellers and GRWM content inspired by the campaign’s folklore icons.

    With its mix of flavour, folklore and fright, Candyman Sourzzz has turned Halloween into a deliciously desi affair, where every scare comes with a splash of sour.

  • Sunfeast melts hearts with a squeeze of chocolate

    Sunfeast melts hearts with a squeeze of chocolate

    MUMBAI: When life gives you bread, drizzle chocolate on it. ITC’s Sunfeast Fantastik! is making that sweet fantasy a delicious reality with its latest innovation, Choco Meltz, a rich, smooth molten choco that’s playful, portable and priced at just Rs 5.

    Reimagining how India indulges, Choco Meltz isn’t just another chocolate fix. It’s a squeeze of joy that can be sipped, drizzled or spread, over toast, paratha, fruit bowls or even straight into your mouth. With its no-fuss packaging and silky texture, this one’s designed to turn every “yum” moment into a “yummy” one.

    The new campaign, crafted by FCB Ulka, captures that feeling perfectly through a series of fun, relatable stories, from siblings sneaking a molten choco moment to friends sharing secret squeezes under desks. Each film showcases how Choco Meltz makes even everyday snacks feel indulgent.

    Speaking on the launch, ITC Foods VP & head of marketing (confectionery, chocolates and coffee) Anuj Bansal said that Choco Meltz was all about “democratising indulgence,” making rich chocolate accessible, affordable and irresistibly fun. Meanwhile, FCB Ulka national creative director Suchitra Gahlot noted that the campaign blends “indulgence and emotion” to show how a squeeze of chocolate can melt hearts as easily as it melts on toast.

    Currently available across Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, Sunfeast Fantastik! Choco Meltz is already sweetening shelves and smiles at just Rs 5, proof that a little chocolate can go a long way. 
     

  • Candyman turns kids into storybook stars with ‘Once Upon a Time’

    Candyman turns kids into storybook stars with ‘Once Upon a Time’

    MUMBAI: Bedtime stories just got a sugar rush. ITC Candyman, the confectionery brand known for its vibrant flavours and cheeky charm, has launched a new initiative ‘once upon a time by Candyman’ that turns children into the heroes of their very own storybooks.

    In a world where digital distractions often steal reading time, the brand is reimagining storytelling as a personalised, interactive experience for families. Parents can now log onto the Candymanclub website, pick from a range of whimsical tales, and with just a few clicks seamlessly weave their child’s name and photograph into the storyline. The result? A printed or digital book where the child doesn’t just read the adventure, they live it.

    The stories, brimming with mischief, magic, and epic little quests, are designed to keep young readers engaged on every page. The idea is simple but powerful: instead of watching others play the hero, children see themselves centre stage.

    “With Once Upon a Time by Candyman, our goal is to spark kids’ imagination and make reading a delightful family ritual,” said ITC Limited vice president and head of marketing for chocolates, coffee and confectionery, foods division Anuj Bansal. “When children see themselves as the heroes of their own adventures, it builds confidence, joy, and memories that last.”

    The platform is secure, easy-to-use, and family-friendly, blending creativity with digital innovation. Parents can personalise multiple stories, creating keepsakes that combine entertainment with bonding.

    For Candyman, a brand rooted in fun and flavour, this initiative is more than playful mischief, it’s about making reading irresistible in the swipe-and-scroll age. By giving children the spotlight in their own tales, the brand is not just sweetening storytime but fostering a love of storytelling that could last well beyond childhood.

  • Fabelle crafts personalised Rakhi chocolates using AI for siblings

    Fabelle crafts personalised Rakhi chocolates using AI for siblings

    MUMBAI: Why gift socks or a last-minute card, when you can gift nostalgia, inside jokes, and a sprinkle of AI wrapped in chocolate? This Raksha Bandhan, Fabelle Exquisite Chocolates, the luxury brand from ITC Ltd., is out to rescue brothers from the tyranny of generic gifting. Enter #WorthTheOne, a personalised chocolate experience that blends tech, taste, and tender sibling chaos into one deliciously curated box.

    Every year, brothers scramble for something anything that says “I care” without screaming “I forgot.” But Fabelle’s new offering changes the game by transforming the bond between siblings into an edible, handcrafted, AI-curated keepsake.

    Here’s how it works: head to the worththeone.com website and take a fun, slightly nosey sibling compatibility test. Based on your answers covering everything from who’s the overachiever to who hogs the remote, an AI engine analyses your emotional dynamics, quirks, rivalries, and affections. This data is then used to customise a box of luxury truffles that reflect your sibling equation.

    And this isn’t your average Rakhi chocolate box. Each #WorthTheOne box features 20 bespoke truffles in five unique flavours, all handcrafted by ITC’s Master Chocolatiers using cocoa sourced from across the globe. From the nostalgia-drenched Saffron Rasmalai Truffle to the exotic Ruby Hazelnut Gianduja, every flavour represents a different layer of the sibling bond sweet, spicy, dramatic, and heartwarming.

    “No two boxes are the same,” says ITC Foods vice president and head of marketing for chocolates, coffee and confectionary Anuj Bansal. “This is not just a gift; it’s an experience. We’re using AI to convert memories, quirks, and emotional textures into something luxurious, handcrafted, and deeply personal.”

    Even the packaging gets the personalised treatment. Every box comes tailored with the sibling’s names and relationship traits subtly worked into the design. The result? A gift that doesn’t just sit on a shelf, it tells a story.

    Fabelle has consistently positioned itself at the intersection of craft, luxury, and emotion. With #WorthTheOne, it’s doubling down on its philosophy by bringing storytelling and technology into the confectionary fold.

    From the moment the AI curates the flavours to the time the first bite takes you back to a shared childhood prank, #WorthTheOne is built to make your sibling say, “Okay, fine, you’re my favourite this year.”

    As Rakhi traditions get a gourmet upgrade, Fabelle proves once again that chocolate isn’t just sweet, it’s smart, stylish, and deeply sentimental.

  • Airtel Payments Bank appoints Anuj Bansal as chief financial officer

    Airtel Payments Bank appoints Anuj Bansal as chief financial officer

    Mumbai: Airtel Payments Bank, India’s only profitable multi-segment fintech operating at scale with a banking license, today announced the appointment of Anuj Bansal as its chief financial officer.

    Anuj will be responsible for overall financial strategy, including corporate financial planning, budgeting, supply chain, and treasury management. He will be a part of the Bank’s Executive Committee and will be working closely with Anubrata Biswas, MD and CEO of Airtel Payments Bank.

    Anuj has been recognised amongst the ‘Top 100 finance professionals’ across India by CFO India in December 2020.

    Commenting on the appointment, Airtel Payments Bank MD and CEO Anubrata Biswas said, “Airtel Payments Bank is rapidly expanding across all its lines of business and equally so in its depth and breadth of talent. Adding Anuj with his vast experience across different industries combined with his deep domain knowledge will play a vital role in further powering the Bank’s unique position in India.”

    Airtel Payments Bank chief financial officer Anuj Bansal said, “Airtel Payments Bank with its unique business model has been serving the financial needs of the country. It’s differentiated positioning gives it an advantage to be relevant and purposeful for Indian digital customers and that has ensured sustainable growth for it over the years. I look forward to collaborating with the team to support the Bank in achieving its strategic goals and expansion plans.”

    Anuj brings over 23 years of progressive experience in financial services and other sectors such as the automobile sector. His areas of expertise include business planning, investor relations, strategy formulation, global financial operations, finance & accounting management, and treasury Management.

    Before joining Airtel Payments Bank, Anuj was with MasterCard India as Vice President – Financial Planning & Analysis, where he led the Business Finance Centre to support the global FP&A operations for the organisation. Prior to this, he worked with Max New York Life Insurance (now Max Life), Aviva Life Insurance Co. India Ltd., Royal Enfield (Unit of Eicher Motors) and others.

    Anuj is a Chartered Accountant and an alumnus of Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University, where he acquired his degree in Bachelor of Commerce.