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Tag: Bajaj Group

  • Bajaj serves up a winning shot with Chennai Open platinum play

    Bajaj serves up a winning shot with Chennai Open platinum play

    MUMBAI: India’s court of dreams just got a new sponsor and a serious shot of power. The Bajaj Group, one of the country’s oldest and most trusted business houses, has aced its way into the tennis world as the Platinum Sponsor of the Chennai Open 2025, strengthening India’s serve in the global game.

    But this isn’t just about logos on courts and banners in stadiums. Bajaj has also teamed up with the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA) to back its ambitious player development programme, aptly titled ‘The Next Level, ’a long-term initiative aimed at spotting, training and elevating India’s next generation of tennis stars.

    As part of the collaboration, Bajaj will initially support four young women players, offering them the training, mentorship and exposure needed to turn potential into podium finishes. Over the coming years, the partnership will evolve into a broader pathway to nurture top tennis talent across India, ensuring they get access to the right infrastructure, coaching and international experience.

    For Bajaj Finserv chairman and managing director Sanjiv Bajaj, this partnership is about more than sport. “Tennis is more than a sport for us. It reflects the Bajaj spirit of fairness, agility and resilience,” he said. “Our sponsorship of the Chennai Open 2025 brings the excitement of world-class tennis to passionate fans and deepens our connect with them. Together with TNTA, we are enabling budding talent to find the right mentorship and opportunity they need to ace the global stage.”

    TNTA president Vijay Amritraj one of India’s most celebrated tennis icons, echoed the sentiment. “We are delighted to welcome Bajaj as a Platinum Sponsor for the Chennai Open 2025,” he said. “With Bajaj’s support, The Next Level becomes a transformative platform. We look forward to seeing our young players evolve into tennis stars on the international circuit.”

    Over the next three years, Bajaj’s backing will cover everything from coaching and training camps to equipment and travel, removing barriers that often halt young talent before they hit their stride. The TNTA will handpick the top 10 promising players for intensive development under the programme.

    This move is part of Bajaj’s broader mission to empower India’s youth be it through education, employment, entrepreneurship, or now, sport. By investing in the next generation of players, the group isn’t just funding athletes; it’s fuelling ambition and creating role models who can inspire millions.

    With this ace partnership, Bajaj isn’t just making a statement, it’s changing the game. From powering engines to empowering athletes, the brand’s next rally is clearly about driving India’s tennis dreams to The Next Lev

  • Branded content is the new blockbuster, but marketers demand proof beyond the pitch

    Branded content is the new blockbuster, but marketers demand proof beyond the pitch

    MUMBAI: Some ideas are made in boardrooms. Others, like the “dream room experiment”, are made in hotels. At Indiantelevision.com’s Media Investment Summit 2025, a session titled ‘The Rise of Branded Content and Its Future in India’ sparked both nostalgia and next-gen debate, as industry leaders unpacked what content means in today’s fragmented, ad-skipping world.

    Moderated by Madison Loop VP Kosal Malladi the panel featured Suruchi Mahatpurkar Kore (Bajaj Group), Bhavin Devpuria (Triumph International), Megha Desai (Connect NXT), and Shetanshu Dikshit (Pernod Ricard India). Together, they questioned the currency of content and who, in this AI-powered era, really wears the crown.

    “Content is currently about Rs 10,000 crore, while the entire advertising ecosystem is valued at Rs 100,000 crore. That’s 10 per cent—and growing at 15 per cent YoY”, Malladi opened, drawing parallels to the early days of digital marketing. “We’re at the same inflection point. Questions around effectiveness, measurement, and relatability are piling up”.

    Relatable or forgettable? The definition war continues

    Each speaker was asked how they define content. Mahatpurkar Kore anchored it in emotional resonance. “It’s ultimately about being relatable. In an age where users skip ads, content needs to integrate into real life”.

    Desai added, “Content is anything that feels like daily conversation—whether it’s on a 55-inch screen or a six inch one. Instagram’s endless scroll is today’s biggest content binge”.

    For Dikshit, content had a clear distinction, “An ad is transactional. Content is emotional. Ads sell; content touches the heart. That’s the difference”.

    Devpuria referenced thumb-stoppers: short content formats designed to halt the scroll reflex. “Our thumbs travel 600 metres a day—content must work hard to make them stop”, he said, citing a five second content brief that forced creativity within constraints.

    Desai warned against oversimplification, “Good content isn’t always subtle. The Samay Raina campaign from Zomato worked because it was shock value wrapped in narrative. That punch leaves a dent”.

    Panelists discussed the thorny issue of content measurement. Kore highlighted a project with a rural brand targeting farmers, “We used AI to translate content into nine languages, focusing on emotional connect. The brand wasn’t chasing a big spike—it wanted long-term trust”.

    Desai offered a pragmatic breakdown. “If it’s a media reach film, I’ll measure it on impressions. If it’s a drama-driven story, I’ll pay the premium, push through creators, and measure shares—not cost-per-view”.

    For Devpuria, campaign objectives determine platforms. “B2B on Instagram isn’t bizarre anymore. Discovery and intent matter more than category stereotypes”.

    The panel agreed that AI plays a role—but not a starring one. “We’ve experimented with AI for content generation”, said Dikshit. “But for commercialisation, it still lacks originality and rights clarity”.

    Desai found value in AI’s efficiency. “It enhances personalisation, especially for language localisation and cost optimisation”.

    Despite the flood of reels and short videos, Devpuria noted, “Content fatigue is real. I can’t remember what I watched yesterday. But Cadbury’s ‘Kuch Khaas Hai’ still lingers”.

    The panel concluded that branded content cannot be boiled down to either subtle integrations or shocking reveals. It’s about creating moments of ‘serendipitous recognition’—where the audience doesn’t expect a brand, but welcomes it when it appears.

    Dikshit summed it up, “The story has to stay intact. Whether the hero is a farmer, a food delivery boy, or a wine bottle—don’t break the narrative for a logo”.

    As branded content muscles into the advertising spotlight, marketers are building the case for substance, not just style. The verdict? Storytelling sells—but only when it sticks.