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Tag: IIFL

  • Deepali Naair steps down as group CMO at CKA Birla Group after power-packed run

    Deepali Naair steps down as group CMO at CKA Birla Group after power-packed run

    MUMBAI: Marketing heavyweight Deepali Naair has called time on her high-voltage tenure as group chief marketing officer at the CKA Birla group, wrapping up a transformative 2.5-year stint marked by bold rebranding moves, big-league M&As, and boardroom-to-ground level action across a sprawling portfolio of businesses.

    Naair, a veteran of IBM, IIFL, Mahindra Holidays and L&T Insurance, exits after helming marquee projects like the launch of BirlaNu, renaming of Trust Hospitals, and the pivotal transition from CK Birla Group to the sharper, sleeker ‘CKA’ moniker. Her remit spanned industrial giants—from NBC Bearings to GMMCO, Orient Electric to Avtec—and included stints leading marketing strategy for Birlasoft, Neosym, and the group’s hospitals and fertility ventures.

    “It felt like being at a private equity firm with a front-row view,” Naair said in a LinkedIn post, recalling her tenure that also saw her coordinate four mergers and acquisitions, launch a new school, and even host the president of India.

    Colleagues describe her as a formidable mix of brand savant and business tactician—one who brings both EQ and IQ to the table. Known for her cross-industry versatility, Naair has toggled between digital transformation, brand identity overhauls, and sales pipeline acceleration with equal flair.

    The exit marks the close of yet another chapter in a career that spans three decades and top-drawer roles at Tata Motors, BPL Mobile, Marico, HSBC Asset Management, and Mahindra group, where she was also on the diversity council. From launching Mediker’s “school adda” campaigns to reshaping demand patterns at Mahindra resorts via analytics, Naair has consistently played in the big leagues.

    With no announcement yet on her next move, speculation is already swirling about what challenge she’ll take on next. If history is anything to go by, it’ll be bold, brand-first, and anything but boring.

  • CleverTap raises $105 mn in series D funding round led by CDPQ

    CleverTap raises $105 mn in series D funding round led by CDPQ

    Mumbai: Global B2B SaaS platform, CleverTap has signed definitive agreements to raise $105 million in a series D funding round led by CDPQ, a global investment group that has committed $75 million, with participation from IIFL AMC’s tech fund, along with existing investors Tiger Global and Sequoia India.

    The funds will be used to support CleverTap’s global expansion and enhance the development of its world-class solutions and technology.

    CleverTap’s customer engagement and retention SaaS platform leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence to offer a comprehensive user engagement suite that enables brands to build valuable, long-term relationships with their customers.

    CleverTap’s subscription-based solution has been adopted by a loyal customer base of twelve hampered brands in a hundred countries, representing ten thousand apps across industries including fintech, ecommerce, subscription, on demand, and streaming media.

    Commenting on the collection, CleverTap co-founder and executive chairman Sunil Thomas said, “Our vision has been to reshape the way businesses engage with their consumers and bring technology to MarTech. The addition of long-term investors CDPQ and IIFL AMC Tech fund to CleverTap’s existing backers, Sequoia India, Accel, Tiger Global, and Recruit Holdings, is a great endorsement of the successful business we have built, the innovation we bring to the market, and the growth potential CleverTap holds.”

    “The fresh funds will help fuel our plans to further strengthen our presence in key geographies and expand our teams. The last few months have been quite exciting for us with the Leanplum acquisition and the unveiling of TesseractDB. And now, with the new institutional investors coming on board, we have all that we need to grow at a faster rate while consolidating our position as the global leader in the retention space,” he added.

    Adding to it, CDPQ executive vice president and head of private equity Martin Laguerre commented, “CleverTap has established itself as a partner of choice for its clients by helping them generate significant incremental revenue. Its subscription-based platform offers a single and reliable source of information that allows brands to maximise the lifetime value of their existing customers by engaging them in a highly personalised way.”

    He added, “As consumer brands are increasingly focused on customer retention and prioritise tools offering a tangible return on investment, we believe CleverTap is well positioned to maintain its global growth trajectory and help more businesses enhance their customer experience.”

  • upGrad turns unicorn with $1.2 billion valuation

    upGrad turns unicorn with $1.2 billion valuation

    Mumbai: Homegrown online higher education provider upGrad has become the newest unicorn from the country after it closed a series of raises from Temasek, IFC (International Finance Corp, a sister organisation of the World Bank and member of the World Bank Group), and IIFL. The ed-tech startup has raised a total of $185 million at a value of $1.2 billion.

    “We are very focussed on our path to being in the top three to five companies globally in ed-tech and serving the one billion workforces across the age group of 18 to 60 years,” said upGrad chairperson and co-founder Ronnie Screwvala. “We are pleased with the investor interest ever since we opened up for a fundraise, and had our maiden raise from Temasek, followed by IFC and IIFL in the last 60 days.”

    “We will announce further updates on M&As, and unlocking value as they unfold. Yes, the last value was at $1.2 billion, but as I keep saying, we are not a fan of the tag name unicorn – for us, it is only a means to a much larger goal,” Screwvala added.

    upGrad has always been promoter-funded with the founder group still owning 70 per cent plus in the company. It is reportedly in advanced talks for a $400 million fundraise at a valuation of $ four billion.
     

  • IIFL Finance signs Rohit Sharma as first-ever brand ambassador

    IIFL Finance signs Rohit Sharma as first-ever brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: IIFL Finance, one of India’s leading non-banking finance companies, with over Rs 36,000 crore of assets under management, has signed up Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma as its first-ever brand ambassador.

    IIFL Finance endeavours to stand out for talking straight and being honest with its customers. This ties in perfectly with Rohit Sharma who is known for his straight and effective approach to batting, successful captaincy, and a clean image.

    IIFL Group MD and co-promoter R Venkataraman said, “We are glad to announce India’s leading batsman, Rohit Sharma, as IIFL’s brand ambassador. He is renowned for his straight drives. We believe in ‘Seedhi Baat’ or doing business the straightway. We do this by being customer-centric, offering relevant and simple products and ensuring transparency in our processes. Rohit is a living representation of brand IIFL values.”

    Rohit Sharma said, “I am happy to be associated with IIFL Finance. #SeedhiBaat is how I live my life and play my cricket. One needs not just skills but also honesty and empathy to become a successful cricketer. And as a captain, I believe in straight talk as that is the key to success.” The cricketer is exclusively managed by IMG Reliance.

    Interestingly, the first-ever campaign by IIFL Finance with Rohit Sharma is not a product promotion campaign but a public service message advising people on safety guidelines and rules to follow during lockdown to fight Covid19 outbreak. In the 30-second message titled “Rohit Sharma Ki Seedhi Baat”, Rohit in straight words urges people to stay at home, for the time to hit centuries and sixes will come later. This is a unique initiative which is very relevant considering the current situation.

    IIFL Finance, through its subsidiaries, offers a wide spectrum of products such as home loan, gold loan, business loan, microfinance, capital market finance, developer and construction finance to a vast 30 lakh customer base. IIFL Finance has widened its pan-India reach through an extensive network of branches spread across the country and various digital channels.