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  • All Things Baby gets a star mum: Athiya Shetty joins as brand ambassador

    All Things Baby gets a star mum: Athiya Shetty joins as brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: The actor and new mum has just been announced as the latest brand ambassador for All Things Baby (ATB), India’s premium parenting platform. Known for its curated range of top-tier products, ATB aims to redefine the parenting experience with a blend of style, safety, and simplicity.

    Since its launch in 2019 by Tejal Bajla and Akshay Jalan, All Things Baby has quickly become a go-to destination for modern parents. With over 120 brands in categories ranging from cots and strollers to feeding essentials, ATB offers everything you could possibly need for your little one, without the stress of navigating a crowded market. And now, with Shetty joining the team, they’re setting their sights even higher.

    “Athiya truly embodies the modern, discerning parent who’s intentional in their choices,” said ATB, founder, Tejal Bajla. “Her authenticity, her approach to motherhood, and her commitment to quality align perfectly with our brand ethos.”

    Shetty’s own journey into motherhood has been closely followed by fans, and she’s now using her platform to share what’s working for her. In a recent statement, she shared, “Motherhood is one of the most beautiful experiences of my life, and All Things Baby has been a trusted companion with its curated selection of world-class baby products. Their approach makes it simpler for today’s parents to make informed decisions.”

    As part of the collaboration, Athiya will feature across ATB’s social media, digital channels, and performance marketing campaigns, connecting with new-age parents across Meta, Youtube, and other online platforms.

    The partnership also signals a key moment in India’s burgeoning baby care market, valued at over 4.4 billion dollars and growing at a projected nine per cent CAGR. By focusing on premium, curated offerings, ATB is positioning itself as a premium parenting ecosystem: a trusted resource for families looking to make the best choices for their children.

    The brand’s portfolio includes international heavyweights such as Strokke, Leander and Ergo baby known for their focus on safety, design, and functionality. And as ATB continues to expand into cities like Bengaluru and Hyderabad, the future is looking bright and very baby-friendly. 
     

  • OpenAI names Sheeladitya Mohanty as India marketing lead

    OpenAI names Sheeladitya Mohanty as India marketing lead

    MUMBAI;OpenAI has appointed Sheeladitya Mohanty as its marketing lead for India, tasking him with driving awareness, adoption and responsible use of the firm’s products across the subcontinent.

    An XLRI Jamshedpur alumnus, Mohanty began his career at Nokia in 2009 and later worked at Microsoft as a business evangelist before joining Facebook (now Meta) in 2016. Over nine years at the social-media giant, he handled platform, public affairs and brand marketing roles, most recently serving as marketing lead for Meta AI and Facebook across Asia-Pacific.

    Mohanty says his strength lies in “systems thinking”—connecting workstreams across silos to deliver scale. His expertise spans consumer marketing, go-to-market launches, platform partnerships and large-scale campaign execution.

    At OpenAI, he will lead education and outreach in India, a market critical to the firm’s global ambitions of making artificial intelligence “accessible and impactful”.

  • HDFC Ergo twins up with Consumr.ai to insure AI-driven customer journeys

    HDFC Ergo twins up with Consumr.ai to insure AI-driven customer journeys

    MUMBAI: Insurance just found its digital double. HDFC Ergo has roped in Consumr.ai, India’s next-gen customer intelligence platform, to pilot a proof-of-concept (POC) that could transform how policyholders experience insurance from the first ad to the final claim. The partnership was sealed after Consumr.ai emerged as one of four winners of Techpreneur Season 2, an innovation programme that drew over 140 AI and tech companies worldwide. Winners were picked through a rigorous evaluation by leaders from BCG, Google, HDFC Ergo and Ergo International.

    At the centre of the POC lies Consumr.ai’s proprietary AI Twins technology virtual doppelgängers of consumer cohorts built on real behavioural data. These AI-powered twins simulate how different audiences respond to creative campaigns, products, and messages, enabling “always-on” customer-informed decision-making. In other words, it helps HDFC Ergo keep the customer firmly in the driver’s seat of every marketing, product, and creative choice.

    The POC will tap into deterministic behavioural data from hundreds of millions of global users via integrations with Meta, Google, DV360, Linkedin, Snap, and Amazon. HDFC Ergo’s own first-party data can also be securely onboarded, anonymised at cohort level, and modelled into AI Twins, all while maintaining full GDPR and CCPA compliance and without ingesting personally identifiable information.

    Consumr.ai co-founder Vivek Bhargava said: “Our AI Twins technology transforms real behavioural data into actionable intelligence that enables real-time personalisation at scale. This aligns perfectly with HDFC Ergo’s vision of a digitally agile, customer-first future.”

    On successful completion, the POC could be scaled across HDFC Ergo’s business lines, distribution channels, and even new frontiers such as influencer marketing, regional positioning, and voice-of-customer programmes. The model could also be replicated for Ergo International’s global markets, turning the Indian POC into a global insurance playbook.

    Consumr.ai already has a strong BFSI track record, having deployed AI Twins for Rustomjee, Aditya Birla Insurance, and even a Fortune 100 US insurer. With HDFC ERGO in the mix, the three-year-old platform has doubled down on its mission to be the innovation engine powering the insurance industry’s leap into the future.

  • WPP partners with IICT to boost creative and digital talent in India

    WPP partners with IICT to boost creative and digital talent in India

    MUMBAI: When ad world muscle meets academic hustle, you get a creative spark like no other. In a move that blends Madison Avenue with Mumbai’s media dreams, WPP, the global giant in marketing services has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), a Ministry of I&B-supported initiative that aims to revolutionise creative and digital skilling in India.

    This partnership positions WPP as the first agency group to formalise such a comprehensive engagement with IICT, joining the league of global tech titans like Google, Meta, Microsoft, JioStar, Nvidia, and Adobe all of whom have pledged support to build India’s creator economy.

    India, WPP’s fifth largest and fastest-growing market, now becomes the testing ground for a powerful alliance between academic rigour and industry firepower.

    Under the collaboration, WPP will Co-develop IICT’s curriculum to reflect real-world creative, media, and tech skills, Provide mentorship for IICT’s startup incubator, Engage faculty on live projects and joint research, Support technology planning for the IICT campus, Assist with promotional and outreach strategies.

    “This collaboration is a testament to WPP’s deep commitment to nurturing talent and driving innovation in India’s dynamic media and entertainment sector,” said WPP country manager for India CVL Srinivas. “By combining IICT’s academic rigour with WPP’s global industry leadership, we aim to equip the next generation of creative professionals with the skills and insights needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.”

    The alliance comes close on the heels of IICT’s inauguration at the newly established IICT–NFDC campus in Mumbai, a high-profile event attended by Ashwini Vaishnaw, union minister for railways, information & broadcasting, and electronics & IT, and Devendra Fadnavis, chief minister of Maharashtra.

    IICT board member Ashish Kulkarni added, “With WPP, we are bringing together the best in creative, technology, and media. This partnership will help make IICT a world-class institution on par with IITs and IIMs, preparing market-ready talent for tomorrow’s India.”

    With India inching closer to becoming a global creative powerhouse home to over 75 crore internet users and a booming content economy, the timing couldn’t be more apt. If the next big idea is born at the crossroads of commerce and creativity, WPP and IICT might just be laying the road.

  • Ankit Rihal takes charge of global partnerships at Meta India

    Ankit Rihal takes charge of global partnerships at Meta India

    MUMBAI: Ankit Rihal, a veteran of nearly a decade at Meta, has snagged a new gig as head – global partnerships, India. Rihal, who’s been a fixture at Meta for a solid nine years and two months, is now tasked with steering the ship for global alliances in the burgeoning Indian market.

    With over 17 years in the rough-and-tumble world of media and entertainment, Rihal brings a proven knack for crafting impactful content ecosystems and forging strategic partnerships. He’s danced across everything from OTT and television to film, music, and gaming, making him a rather versatile chap. Before this latest move, he was busy leading creator & public figure partnerships for Meta’s Facebook and Instagram in India, managing the high-stakes relationships across entertainment, sports, fashion, and music – essentially, shaping the creator economy at scale.

    During his Meta tenure, Rihal has been the brains behind some of India’s most iconic digital initiatives, including the likes of #SocialForGood, #LiveInYourLivingRoom, and the rather catchy Born on Instagram. He also played a pivotal role in rolling out flagship products such as Reels, Instagram Stories, and Threads in India, which, one might say, helped Meta cement its digital dominance.

    His expertise spans from go-to-market strategy, digital IP creation, product adoption, content acquisition, stakeholder engagement to orchestrating large-scale cross-functional & team leadership.

  • Meta launches anti-scam campaign with a twist to drive digital safety awareness

    Meta launches anti-scam campaign with a twist to drive digital safety awareness

    MUMBAI: As part of Meta’s commitment to user safety, we’ve launched the second edition of our anti-scams campaign, ‘Scam se Bacho 2.0’ that delivers digital safety tips with a twist. This year’s campaign takes to the streets, literally, through a creative collaboration with digital creator Signboard_wala, known for using bold, witty placards to spark real-world conversations.

    Building on the success of last year’s campaign, Scam se Bacho 2.0 brings scam awareness into public spaces across some of the most iconic streets in Mumbai, using culturally relevant and visually impactful storytelling to inform people about common online scams such as fake loan scams, impersonation and OTP fraud, among others.

    The campaign features Signboard_wala holding different signs such as “Ex ho ya scammer, dono ko block & report karo” and “Keep your friends close and your OTPs closer” – packaged as witty one-liners, the campaign delivers important digital safety lessons, spotlights Meta’s safety features like two-factor authentication (2FA), Block and Report and encourages people to take an active role in their online safety.

    The clever, humorous messages designed to grab attention, definitely spark a smile but most importantly, make people pause and reconsider online scams. It’s awareness with a twist – no preaching, no drama – just authentic, relatable moments that resonate.

    Last year Meta launched its safety campaign ‘Scams se Bacho’ by partnering with Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana to educate people on how to stay safe from online scams and promote safer digital practices. Launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), the campaign emphasised Meta’s commitment to safeguard people online, supporting the Government’s goal to combat the rising cases of scams and cyber frauds in the country.

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  • Waves 2025 Brings Big Deals and Bold Dreams to India’s Media Sector

    Waves 2025 Brings Big Deals and Bold Dreams to India’s Media Sector

    MUMBAI: If the Indian media sector were a movie, Waves 2025 would be the montage sequence fast cuts of big money, bold ideas and breakout talent all coming together for a dramatic makeover. Held in Mumbai, the Waves Summit 2025 saw the Government of Maharashtra sign MoUs worth nearly Rs 8,000 crore, giving the media and entertainment sector a starring role in the state’s growth narrative. Among the headliners:

    . Rs 3,000 crore from Prime Focus to build a 200-acre Film City

    .  Rs 2,000 crore from Godrej for a film, TV and media campus in Panvel

    .  Rs 1,500 crore each from the University of York and the University of Western Australia to set up their first Indian campuses in Mumbai

    And just like that, education and entertainment are sharing billing on the marquee.

    Waves 2025 also introduced the Nifty Waves Index, listing 43 media and entertainment companies finally giving the sector its own Sensex-style snapshot. Meanwhile, the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) inked partnerships with industry giants including Google, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Adobe, Nvidia, and Toon Boom, rolling out opportunities for scholarships, internships, rendering parks, game design courses and creative entrepreneurship.

    Waves Bazaar cemented its role as the sector’s B2B-B2G power corridor. Launched in January 2025, the digital-first marketplace has already hosted 2,450 projects, with 6,442 buyers and 6,106 sellers participating across film, animation, XR, gaming and advertising verticals. It’s India’s global swipe-right moment for creative deals.

    Elsewhere, WaveX turned into a high-stakes pitch fest where creative dreams met venture capital muscle. From 1,504 applicants, 30 high-potential M&E startups in gaming, storytelling, immersive tech and the creator economy pitched live to 29 marquee investors including Lumikai, Jio, and Warmup Ventures. With 127 startups securing connections or partnerships, and applications vetted by IAMAI and KPMG, this wasn’t just razzle, it was rigor with returns.  

    Enter the Create in India Challenge, a flagship talent hunt that hosted 34 creative contests across animation, AR/VR, gaming, music and films. Finalists competed in the buzzing Creatosphere, a zone dedicated to next-gen creators. Eight expert masterclasses helped sharpen their edge, while the finals turned the stage into a launchpad.

    Not to be left out, Waves Culturals gave attendees a feel of India’s artistic pulse through performances blending traditional and global forms. The event’s heart, however, was the Bharat Pavilion, inaugurated by prime minister Narendra Modi on 1 May 2025. Designed as an immersive tribute to India’s storytelling roots, it showcased four thematic zones Shruti (oral traditions), Kriti (written heritage), Drishti (visual storytelling), and Creator’s Leap (future tech).

    Over in the FM lane, the 8th National Community Radio Conference saw 12 CR stations receive national awards for innovation and inclusivity. With 531 CR stations and over 400 representatives attending, it was a mic-drop moment for grassroots broadcasters.

    Add to that the launch of the first Indian Film Festival in New Zealand and fresh Indo-UK film collaborations and you’ve got an M&E summit that doesn’t just talk global, it screens it.

    From classroom tie-ups to cultural showcases, and from startup pitches to mega MoUs, Waves 2025 didn’t just imagine India as a global creative powerhouse it laid down the blueprint, cast the crew and started shooting.

    And with Maharashtra calling action on infrastructure, investment and innovation India’s media industry is no longer just watching the story unfold. It’s writing the script.
     

  • Akshay Mathur’s new venture promises to turn platform ambition into cold, hard cash across Asia

    Akshay Mathur’s new venture promises to turn platform ambition into cold, hard cash across Asia

    MUMBAI: After two decades of making other people’s platforms profitable, Akshay Mathur has decided it’s time to build his own money-making machine. The adtech veteran has launched Unpromptd, a revenue infrastructure firm targeting digital platforms across Asia’s most lucrative—and complex—markets.

    Mathur, who recently departed his role as chief revenue officer at Tyroo after six years, believes platforms have had quite enough strategy presentations, thank you very much. What they need, he argues, is someone who can actually turn their grand ambitions into recurring revenue streams.

    “Platforms don’t need more strategy decks,” Mathur declared while announcing t the launch. “They need real execution, revenue accountability, and a partner who understands the complexity of scaling in markets like India, southeast Asia, and the Middle East.”

    The timing is hardly accidental. Asia’s digital advertising market has been on a tear, with platforms scrambling to monetise everything from social commerce to gaming. But many stumble when it comes to the nitty-gritty of revenue generation—precisely where Mathur sees opportunity.

    His pedigree suggests he knows whereof he speaks. At Komli Media, Mathur was part of the managing board that engineered a 10-fold jump in net profits before the company’s eventual acquisition by Dentsu Aegis Network in 2017 for an undisclosed sum. At Tyroo, he built monetisation partnerships with the likes of Meta, Twitter, Snapchat, Outbrain and Criteo, helping these global giants crack complex Asian markets.

    The 22-year industry veteran has witnessed first hand how the right operating model can unlock value that often sits tantalizingly out of reach. His new venture promises to be the bridge between platform potential and profit realisation.

    Unpromptd’s mission is straightforward: become the monetisation partner of choice for every digital platform serious about growth in Asia. It’s an ambitious target in a region where local nuance can make or break even the most sophisticated global strategies.

    Mathur’s approach combines hard-won experience with what he calls “precision execution”—a recognition that Asia’s next growth wave will belong to those who move first and move smart. With platforms increasingly desperate to prove their business models beyond user acquisition, Unpromptd arrives at a moment when such expertise commands premium prices.

    The venture launches from Gurugram, positioning itself at the heart of India’s digital economy while eyeing expansion across the broader Asian market. For platforms tired of beautiful presentations that fail to move the revenue needle, Mathur’s promise of accountability over aspiration may prove irresistible.

    Whether Unpromptd can deliver on its bold promises remains to be seen. But with Asian digital advertising spend continuing its relentless march upward, the demand for Mathur’s particular brand of monetisation magic has never been stronger.

  • Ray-Ban Meta AI smart glasses land in India: Titan Eye+ brings smart style into focus

    Ray-Ban Meta AI smart glasses land in India: Titan Eye+ brings smart style into focus

    MUMBAI: Titan Eye+ has dialled up the smart quotient with the launch of Ray-Ban Meta AI smart glasses, now available at 50+ select stores across India. This slick new eyewear, merging Meta’s artificial intelligence with Ray-Ban’s iconic style, puts hands-free functionality right in your frame.

    For those who love to stay connected without missing a beat, the Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses pack a punch—voice-activated Meta AI assistance, hands-free photo and video capture with a 12MP camera, open-ear speakers for immersive audio, and instant connectivity for calls, messages, music, and even live streaming. Style has officially gone high-tech.

    Titan Co Ltd eyecare division CEO NS Raghavan called the launch a game-changer. “We are thrilled to bring the Ray-Ban Meta AI smart glasses to India. As pioneers in smart eyewear, we aim to offer globally acclaimed brands that marry technology with fashion.”

    This launch bolsters Titan Eye+’s already-robust smart eyewear portfolio, which includes the feature-packed Titan EyeX and the trendy Fastrack Vibes. Available in-store and online at www.titaneyeplus.com, the Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses can also be snagged at a discount using Tata Neu reward points. Prices begin at Rs 29,900-odd for the basic model, and go up to Rs 35,700 for the transition AI glasses. 

    With India’s appetite for smart wearables on the rise, Titan Eye+ is putting the future of connected fashion right before your eyes.

  • Driving Ad-Vantage, Adcounty and Auto Group shift gears in Asia

    Driving Ad-Vantage, Adcounty and Auto Group shift gears in Asia

    MUMBAI: It’s not every day that adtech and the auto world go full throttle together but this partnership is clearly built for speed. Adcounty Media has teamed up with The Automobile Group in a high-octane alliance aimed at turbocharging automotive advertising across Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

    Targeting high-growth markets like Indonesia, the Philippines, and the UAE, the duo is set to bring a digital pitstop to brands chasing performance-first strategies. Armed with AI-assisted precision and a keen understanding of local market dynamics, they’re not just selling ads they’re rewriting the playbook for how car brands reach revved-up digital consumers.

    “This partnership underscores our commitment to delivering hyper-targeted, brand-safe, and performance-driven solutions specifically designed for the modern automotive consumer,” said Adcounty Media co-founder & chief revenue officer Delphin Varghese.

    The Automobile Group co-founder Yash Vardhan added, “Our vision with The Automobile Group is to build Asia’s most powerful auto-centric performance network. The partnership with AdCounty is a strategic step toward expanding our footprint in Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia and the Philippines markets with immense potential.”

    “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Adcounty, whose expertise and reach will be instrumental in scaling our delivery capabilities in new markets. Together, we aim to redefine how automotive brands connect with their audiences in this region,” said The Automobile Group co-founder, Shwetank Pandit.

    The blueprint? A blend of AdCounty’s programmatic prowess DSPs, contextual targeting, and real-time optimisation with The Automobile Group’s deep-rooted auto domain know-how. Together, they plan to dominate dashboards in high-intent markets where digital media spend is shifting into the fast lane.

    From luxury-obsessed Gulf buyers to EV-curious Southeast Asians, the collaboration promises campaigns that speak the local lingo, respect brand safety lanes, and keep performance metrics in pole position. And as more brands drift toward platforms like Meta, Tiktok and CTV to fuel test drives and showroom visits, this partnership might just be the engine that powers the next era of automotive marketing.

    If digital disruption had a fast car, this duo would be behind the wheel.