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Tag: Publicis Groupe

  • Leo Burnett India announces the elevation of Vikram Pandey and Sachin Kamble as chief creative officers

    Leo Burnett India announces the elevation of Vikram Pandey and Sachin Kamble as chief creative officers

    Mumbai – Leo Burnett India, part of the Publicis Groupe India has announced changes to its senior creative leadership with the elevation of  Vikram Pandey and Sachin Kamble from National Creative Directors to Chief Creative Officers for Leo Burnett, South Asia. They will continue to report into Publicis Groupe – South Asia and Chairman CCO and Leo Burnett – South Asia Rajdeepak Das.  

    As national creative directors, Sachin and Vikram have been an integral part of Leo Burnett India’s success story which includes the winning of accolades across national and global platforms for its outstanding work. As Chief Creative Officers, they will lead the creative growth for the agency across its offices in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru to elevate its creative output and contribute to the agency’s strategic initiatives.

    Commenting on the announcement, Das said, “This is a huge moment for Leo Burnett. Sachin Kamble and Vikram Pandey have both spent years alongside me enhancing our creative talent. They have been my co-conspirators as we led Leo Burnett to its current glory.  As leaders, they exemplify the Leo Burnett value system, centred around people and purpose, powered by creativity to deliver impactful work for our clients. There are no two better individuals to lead Leo Burnett’s creative growth and I am looking forward to seeing them create even more magic together.”

    Adding further, Leo Burnett – South Asia CEO Amitesh Rao said, “We have always believed in offering growth opportunities to our people and both Vikram and Sachin have proven themselves to be incredible talents, well deserving of the promotion. Their calibre and commitment to creative excellence sets them apart from their peers and I am delighted to recognise their leadership as Chief Creative Officers.”

    Speaking about the elevation, Leo Burnett – South Asia CCO Sachin Kumble said, “For the past decade, we’ve invested heavily in cultivating a creative culture. Our vision is clear: to be the best in the world by prioritising new-age work and championing young talent. For us at Leo Burnet, everything revolves around our Humankind work ethos and ideas which will impact a billion. I’m incredibly excited to take on this new role and feel fortunate to have an exceptionally talented co-captain for this journey.”

    Adding further, Leo Burnett – South Asia CCO Vikram Pandey said, “We’ve had a really good run in last 3-4 years. We’ve won top honours at all international award shows, we manage some of the biggest businesses and most sought-after brands, and we have an enviable, talented bunch working with us.  I feel we are completely aligned to deliver on the promise of modern creativity and I am absolutely delighted to lead it from the front. There couldn’t be a better partner to do this with, than Sachin, we both go back a long way and the next chapter is only going to be most interesting.”

    Pandey has been with Leo Burnett for the past 16 years. He started as a Junior Copywriter at Leo Burnett and over the years, he has been responsible for creating market-moving, category redefining work, be it launching and creating brand Spotify in India, making Acko a new-age insurance brand or more recently developing one of Leo Burnett’s most awarded campaigns – Airtel’s 175 Replayed.

    Kumble has been with Leo Burnett for almost a decade and has been instrumental in creating some of the agency’s biggest work, including the Bajaj V campaign for which Leo Burnett went on to win India’s first effectiveness award at the prestigious Cannes Lions. 

  • OpenAI joins C2PA steering committee

    OpenAI joins C2PA steering committee

    Mumbai: The Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) announced that OpenAI, a leader in artificial intelligence research and deployment, has joined the C2PA as a steering committee member. This marks a significant milestone for the C2PA and will help advance the coalition’s mission to increase transparency around digital media as AI-generated content becomes more prevalent.

    Joining other steering committee members that include Adobe, BBC, Intel, Microsoft, Google, Publicis Groupe, Sony and Truepic — OpenAI will collaborate to further develop and promote the adoption of Content Credentials, an implementation of the C2PA’s open technical standard for tamper-resident metadata that can be attached to digital content, showing how and when the content was created or modified.

    The announcement today builds on OpenAI’s previously shared initiatives to improve transparency around digital provenance. Earlier this year, OpenAI began attaching Content Credentials to images created and edited by DALL•E 3, the company’s latest image model, in ChatGPT and the OpenAI API. In addition, the company also announced its plans to attach Content Credentials to video generations from Sora, the company’s text-to-video model, when the model is ready to be deployed to the public.      

    OpenAI’s membership and implementation of Content Credentials serve as a strong endorsement for the C2PA technical specification and advance the collective mission to help restore trust in the digital ecosystem.

    “C2PA is playing an essential role in bringing the industry together to advance shared standards around digital provenance,” said Anna Makanju, OpenAI’s VP of Global Affairs. “We look forward to contributing to this effort and see it as an important part of building trust in the authenticity of what people see and hear online.”

    “OpenAI is a long-time supporter of the C2PA’s mission and we’re thrilled that they’ve deepened their engagement by becoming a Steering Committee member,” said Andrew Jenks, C2PA Chair. “OpenAI’s existing adoption, advocacy, and ongoing commitment to Content Credentials will bring an important voice to our membership’s working efforts to guide the development of the C2PA standard.”

     

  • Anupama Ramaswamy, Ashish Chakravarty, and Rajdeepak Das Named Abby Awards 2024 jury chairs

    Anupama Ramaswamy, Ashish Chakravarty, and Rajdeepak Das Named Abby Awards 2024 jury chairs

    Mumbai: Anupama Ramaswamy, chief creative officer, Havas Worldwide India, Ashish Chakravarty, executive director, and India head of creative, for McCann Worldgroup and Rajdeepak Das, chief creative officer Publicis Groupe, South Asia and chairman, Leo Burnett, South Asia, join as jury chair for Still Digital category, Audio category, and Film (below 1 minute) category respectively, at The Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show.

    Havas Worldwide India chief creative officer Anupama Ramaswamy has been appointed jury chair of Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show in the Still Digital category.

    Anupama is touted as one of the most celebrated creative minds in the country. She has made an indelible mark through her clutter-breaking work, passion for art direction and pure play advertising.

    Through her career, she has worked with some of the leading agencies in India and several marquee global and indigenous brands across sectors including Maruti Suzuki, Reckitt, Ikea, Vivo, Paytm, Subway, Tata Tea Digital, Samsung Mobiles, Airtel, Dabur, Lacoste, and many more.

    Her recent campaigns, including the Paytm Divide and Chotu, made her win the One Show, a couple of Spikes, and New York Festivals, and she was featured as one of the Impact Creative Stars ’21. During her stint at JWT Delhi as senior creative director, Anupama led the Delhi office to its first Cannes Lions and Clio Gold.

    She has also been a recipient of some of the most coveted awards including Cannes Lions, Clio, Adfest, New York Festivals, Abby, Effies, Spikes, Global Healthcare Awards, IAA Awards and The One Show and her work for Fuji Film has been featured in the prestigious Gunn Report as one of the top 20 most awarded print campaigns in the world.

    Anupama has been on the jury of several prestigious awards like The One Show and Spikes Asia and the grand jury at AME awards, and New York Festivals.

    Ashish Chakravarty executive director, and India head of creative, for McCann Worldgroup

    has been appointed jury chair of Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show in the Audio category.

    Ashish has worked in most of the major agency networks and on some of the biggest global, and Indian brands.

    He is the recipient of more than 400 national and international awards on top advertising shows like One Show, Cannes, D&AD, Clio, Ad-fest, Spikes, Kyoorius, and Goafest, among others.

    Ashish has served as jury or jury chair, at many top international advertising awards, as well as all the top Indian award shows.

    Ashish has been recognized as one of the top 10 Creative Directors in India by Economic Times, the leading business newspaper, and was also ranked among the top ECDs in the world in industry rankings

    Rajdeepak Das chief creative officer of Publicis Groupe, South Asia and Chairman of Leo Burnett, South Asia has been appointed Jury Chair of the Abby Awards 2024 powered by the One Show in Film (below 1 minute)category.

    Raj firmly believes that the true potential of creativity and technology is finding human-centric solutions for the biggest brands because what’s good for people is good for brands. And his body of work reflects his vision for creativity.

    Raj was the force behind the iconic work for P&G Whisper ‘Touch the Pickle’ – one of the first social movements to break the taboo around periods in the Indian sub-continent. To his recent work for Whisper – the Missing Chapter which won him a Grand Prix in Sustainable Development Goals at Cannes Lions 2022 – an award which is very close to his heart as it made a real difference in the lives of young girls by breaking period taboos and getting the chapter on periods added in school books, helping 23 million girls stay in school.

    He and his team gave every Indian a piece of national treasure, by building Bajaj motorbikes out of the legendary warship INS Vikrant. In collaboration with India’s biggest petroleum brand and the government of India, they innovated the world’s first anti-collision road management system to reduce road accidents on Himalayan Roads.

    For one of India’s biggest financial brands, he created India’s 1st social media-based microfinancing system.

    Raj was featured in the Netflix Docuseries – Creative Indians Season 4 – a series which showcased the most talented Indians from Oscar winners to Bollywood Stars and artists to Grammy Awards-winning musicians. He has led and been a part of several jury cohorts at some of the biggest platforms including Cannes Lions, Spikes Asia, Dubai Lynx, and One Show to name a few.

    His HumanKind approach to creativity led Leo Burnett India to win multiple Grand Prix and metals at prestigious platforms like Cannes Lions, One Show, D&AD and Spikes Asia. But he believes his biggest creation to date is Apollo 11 a specialised division of Leo Burnett India, consisting of what he calls ‘the mutant creatives’. Team of young people in their 20s with backgrounds in aerospace engineering, product design, data analysis and environment scientists solving human and brand problems with him.

    “I have always believed that an award is as good as its jury. This year too, the Abby Awards powered by One Show have a stellar lineup of both domestic and international luminaries as Jury Chairs, across 23 categories. Over the last two years the number of women jurors has been significant, and this year, with over one-third being women masters of their craft. To win recognition from such respected Jury Chairs is a matter of immense pride for the AdClub, the participating agencies and brands.” said Ajay Kakar, chairperson of Awards Governing Council, Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show and managing committee member, The Advertising Club.

  • Leo Burnett India onboards Rajeev Rakshit as executive director, Bangalore

    Leo Burnett India onboards Rajeev Rakshit as executive director, Bangalore

    Mumbai – Leo Burnett India, part of the Publicis Groupe India, has announced the appointment of Rajeev Rakshit as executive director, Leo Burnett, Bangalore. Rajeev will be reporting to Leo Burnett – South Asia CEO Amitesh Rao and is entrusted with taking the agency forward to the next level across client relationships, solutions, talent and growth. The appointment comes on the back of the agency’s strong partnerships with Bengaluru based clients including Ikea, RedBus, Kingfisher, Heineken, Lenovo, Acko, Flipkart to name a few.

    Speaking about the announcement, Rao said “Leo Burnett is a formidable creative force in Bengaluru with great momentum, energy and ambition, working with some incredible brands, and lucky to have some of the most talented people onboard.  Rajeev comes with a distinctive blend of a future facing orientation, maturity and deep industry knowledge, and we are delighted to have him join us in building on the foundation of our Bengaluru operation to take it to greater heights.”

    Added Rajdeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer – Publicis Groupe, South Asia and Chairman – Leo Burnett, South Asia says “The Bangalore team energy is infectious and we currently work with some of the best clients of India from there. We already have Pravin Sutar leading the creative mandate from Bangalore and together with Rajeev who comes with solid hands -on experience, and we are confident of building meaningful solutions for our client partners.”

    Speaking about his appointment, Rakshit commented, “Having had a substantive stint with Leo Burnett in the past, it feels like coming home. The agency’s inspired creativity, portfolio of iconic brands and numerous client success stories has resulted in its staggering momentum and I am excited to be a part of this journey. I have always admired Leo Burnett’s ability to reimagine and redefine industry norms and look forward to collaborating and contributing to propel the agency towards its next significant milestone.”

    Rajeev joins Leo Burnett with over two and a half decades of hands on experience in the field of Upstream Marketing, Strategic Planning, Digital Strategy, Account Management, General Management and Business Head (Country & Region). His last stint was as Group CEO and Managing Partner – Thinking Folks, an independent upstream advertising and marketing solutions organisation. Rajeev has previously worked at Publicis Groupe’s L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett and Publicis in various stints spanning his career.

    He has also worked at JWT/WPP (Global Team Ford) where he was the Managing Partner and India head for GFT an integrated agency created exclusively for Ford; and McCann Erickson India, Saregama (RPG group) and Everest brand solutions. 

  • Gatorade’s ‘Turf Finder’ initiative utilises data to unlock urban playgrounds

    Gatorade’s ‘Turf Finder’ initiative utilises data to unlock urban playgrounds

    Mumbai: Gatorade, PepsiCo India’s iconic hydration brand, has introduced its ‘Turf Finder’ initiative aimed at promoting the love and will for playing sports, amidst the hustle and bustle of India’s metropolitan areas, in partnership with Leo Burnett India. Gatorade seeks to inspire young individuals to embrace physical activity as a key part of their daily lives.

    Addressing the scarcity of recreational space in urban India, Gatorade’s ‘Turf Finder’ initiative is committed to finding us places to play, wherever and whenever space permits in the city. Utilizing historical maps data, Gatorade will pinpoint appropriate locations, including vacant parking lots or empty streets, and transform them into accessible playing areas for citizens across India’s metropolitan cities. The first Turf will be launched in Mumbai, with successive releases planned for other metropolitan cities, including Bengaluru.

    To launch the initiative, Gatorade has released a compelling film that depicts the chaotic and fast-paced lifestyle of city dwellers. Amidst the frenzy of bustling schedules and cramped quarters, the film delivers a powerful reminder, that all one needs is the will to play and we will find them the space. Gatorade is leading the charge by showing us how these spaces can be used to embrace an active lifestyle.

     

     

    Speaking on the initiative, PepsiCo India associate director, energy & hydration Ankit Agarwal said, “Gatorade has consistently championed the importance of fitness and an active lifestyle as integral components of well-being. However, in today’s fast-paced and chaotic society, finding both time and a suitable space for physical activity poses a significant challenge. We firmly believe that this initiative will make sport accessible to a lot more people, thereby cultivating a healthier lifestyle. By providing convenient and inviting spaces for play, we hope to inspire communities to embrace the intrinsic value of staying active amidst the demands of modern life.”

    Adding further, Publicis Groupe – South Asia CCO & Leo Burnett – South Asia chairman Rajdeepak Das said, “This is a true HumanKind idea where we are using technology to find solutions for modern day problems. Our cities are temporal in nature, they behave different by day and different by night. We have validated this spirit and used historic Google map data to find empty spaces at specific times which can be made into a turf. The most exciting part is that this campaign can be scaled across the country and not only promote an active lifestyle but also make a cultural impact in communities making sport an equalizer.”

    Gatorade’s new initiative will be amplified through a 360-degree campaign across digital, outdoor, and social media. Gatorade is available in 3 variants – Blue Bolt, Orange, and Lemon at 250 ml @Rs 20 and 500 ml @Rs 50 – both in traditional and modern stores and through leading e-commerce sites/apps.

    Consumers can visit Gatorade’s exclusive website to find out more details and clues on the upcoming Turf drops – www.gatoturffinder.com 

  • MMA Global India & Publicis Commerce India to launch D2C Advantage X Toolkit

    MMA Global India & Publicis Commerce India to launch D2C Advantage X Toolkit

    Mumbai: MMA Global India and Publicis Commerce India will launch a first-of-its-kind and insightful joint report ‘D2C Advantage X Toolkit: Guide to maximize ROI of D2C eCommerce Investments’. The toolkit is designed to empower brands in navigating the direct-to-consumer (D2C) commerce landscape, identify levers to unlock value and maximise ROI from their D2C investments. The launch event on 5 March will bring together leaders from the corporate space, MMA Global India and Publicis Commerce India and feature captivating discussions, unique perspectives, and compelling insights.

    Co-authored by Publicis Commerce India and MMA Global India with insights from Performics India and Google, the toolkit dives deep into the opportunities and challenges presented by D2C as a channel, the overall value proposition of investing in D2C strategy, and the considerations and capabilities required to make a profitable D2C venture.

    India’s e-commerce sector is on a meteoric rise and currently projected to hit $400 billion by 2030. With D2C emerging as a key e-commerce channel for businesses, the need for actionable guidance has never been more critical. Recent data reveals the significant growth and investment in D2C ventures, with nearly 42.9 per cent of e-commerce funding in India directed towards D2C businesses in 2022. As legacy brick-and-mortar businesses embrace D2C as part of their omnichannel strategy, the landscape presents both opportunities and challenges for brands seeking to thrive in this space.

    The in-depth toolkit, tailormade for the C-Suite and Brand Leaders, explores key levers required to scale up D2C businesses including developing consumer insights for personalised experiences, augmenting consumer mindshare, setting north-star metrics and driving first-party data strategy.

    Publicis Groupe South Asia CEO Anupriya Acharya said, “D2C offers great value to companies and consumers alike. For consumers, it is frictionless transactions, convenience, and personalised experiences. For companies, there are multiple advantages such as enhanced revenue streams, better assessment of demand and thereby supply chain management and faster, speedier execution and turnaround. This toolkit, born out of extensive research and collaboration, offers a comprehensive roadmap for brands to unlock the full potential of their D2C businesses. We are sure that the toolkit will go a long way in helping brands adapt and innovate on commerce.”

    Performics India CEO Lalatendu Das, which is a key growth driver of Publicis Commerce India said, “Successful D2C businesses share common traits from a clear business proposition to a relentless focus on delivering exceptional consumer experiences. The toolkit distils these key insights into actionable strategies, providing brands with the guidance and frameworks needed to navigate the complexities of the D2C landscape. D2C is still an untapped opportunity for many companies and yet this is an area which must be a strategic imperative in an omnichannel commerce world and one which yields long-term gains. Publicis Commerce India is strongly invested in D2C transformation for brands, with demonstrated experience in areas such as technology architecture, platform and builds, optimising supply-chain, marketing content and automation, seamless user experiences.”

    MMA Global India country head & board member Moneka Khurana said, “In a fiercely competitive D2C eCommerce landscape, gaining the ‘X’ advantage is imperative for marketing teams and key to maximise value. D2C as a platform brings along with incrementality in business growth. A robust D2C roadmap is crucial to be able to traverse the path to profitability and evolve the D2C play as a part of the eCommerce landscape. This report, shaped by primary surveys and industry insights, isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution; it’s a tailored strategy guide for businesses seeking sustainable growth. I am proud to announce this collaborative initiative, yet another one by MMA Global India, to empower and enable marketers in their modern marketing journey.”

  • MSL India appoints Pallavi Bahuguna as North lead

    MSL India appoints Pallavi Bahuguna as North lead

    Mumbai: MSL, Publicis Groupe’s strategic communications and engagement firm, today announced the appointment of Pallavi Bahuguna as senior vice president and head of MSL’s North operations. Her appointment underscores the firm’s commitment to enhancing its footprint in the region.

    Pallavi is responsible for further strengthening MSL’s operations in the North region, and providing strategic counsel to MSL’s clients in the technology and allied sectors at a national level. She will be a part of MSL’s National Leadership Team.

    Pallavi is a seasoned communications professional with deep experience on both sides of the table, having spent two decades with marquee organizations and agencies. In her roles spanning diverse industries and geographies, she has deployed multi-channel communication and reputation management programs, strategic alliances, CSR initiatives and DE&I charters.

    In her most recent role, she was director, Corporate Affairs and Communications at American Express, leading country level communication programs for consumers, colleagues and communities. Prior to that, she was associated with Coforgez (known as Coforge now) as the Global Communications Lead. In these roles, she led internal and external communication programs across all multiple stakeholder touchpoints. During her stints at Text100 (known as Archetype now), Integral PR and Weber Shandwick, she provided communication counsel to many leading brands in consumer lifestyle, technology, telecom and travel sectors.

    MSL India South Asia CEO Amit Misra said, “We are thrilled to have Pallavi onboard. With her outstanding credentials and multifaceted communication expertise, I am confident of her leadership skills. We understand our clients’ growing need for omni- and multi-channel communication and reputation management services, as well our internal need to consistently nurture the next line of leaders, and this strategic appointment will bridge both needs.”

    Commenting on her appointment, Bahuguna said, “MSL has built a market leading reputation as a great place to work and it is my privilege to join the team to further strengthen its existing portfolio and create new growth opportunities. I am looking forward to partnering with my colleagues and leveraging my strategic communications experience to nurture our talent and provide client delight.”

  • HDFC Life’s brand campaign inspires families to support children in their journey of pride

    HDFC Life’s brand campaign inspires families to support children in their journey of pride

    Mumbai: HDFC Life’s latest brand campaign encourages parents to believe in their children’s abilities and proactively plan for their future.

    Over the years, HDFC Life, one of India’s leading life insurers, has showcased various stories highlighting how parents play a pivotal role in ensuring their children’s success. With India’s young generation adopting digital life faster than ever, there has been a definite shift in lifestyle and habits, with parents also having to adapt to this change.

    HDFC Life’s latest campaign presents a heartwarming story where a seemingly distracted young boy surprises his parents with his thoughtfulness, leaving them overwhelmed and proud. The film’s insight is based on the fact that today’s Gen Z live in the digital age; they are self-driven risk-takers with diverse opportunities, yet remain close to their family for guidance and support. With numerous choices and options available, parents must provide proper guidance and financial support to enable them achieve their dreams.

    Speaking on the campaign, HDFC Life chief marketing officer and group head, strategy Vishal Subharwal said, “Today’s young generation is far more adept at dealing with the fast-evolving world around us. In this scenario, it becomes necessary for parents to have faith in their children’s capabilities and be adequately financially prepared to support their children with the education that would enable them to chart their success stories.”

    Adding further, Publicis Groupe CCO – South Asia, Leo Burnett chairman – South Asia Rajdeepak Das said “Often today’s generation is underestimated and misunderstood because of their different approach to life. Our film takes one such example and shows how a son surprises his parents with his thoughtful gesture of using technology as the driving force in helping their business grow. And as parents the best support we can offer the next generation is insuring their future, so that their ideas can soar.”

    The campaign is available across multi-media platforms – television, digital and outdoor.

  • Publicis Worldwide India bags integrated creative mandate for Pramerica Life Insurance

    Publicis Worldwide India bags integrated creative mandate for Pramerica Life Insurance

    Mumbai: Publicis Worldwide India, part of Publicis Groupe India has bagged the integrated creative mandate for Pramerica Life Insurance.

    Commenting on the partnership, Publicis Worldwide India, managing director Oindrila Roy said, ” We are thrilled to be partnering with Pramerica Life Insurance. It is a highly respected brand with a strong commitment to providing innovative and customer centric life insurance solutions. We are confident that our deep understanding of the category coupled with our creative expertise will help Pramerica exceed its business goals in India.”

    As part of the mandate, Publicis Worldwide India has launched a heartfelt and inspiring two-part digital campaign, ‘This is my Climb’, for the brand. The campaign portrays tales of purpose, hope, and resilience, resonating with people at different stages of life. Through compelling short films, it delves deep into the emotional essence of human experiences, seamlessly blending the themes of purpose and resilience in people’s ‘This is my climb’ narratives.

    Pramerica Life Insurance chief marketing officer Amaresh Jena said, “This is my Climb is not just a campaign; it’s a manifestation of our brand’s aspirations and goes beyond storytelling, embodying Pramerica Life Insurance’s core goals. Our objective is to imbue each life we touch with a profound sense of security and empowerment, echoing our vision.  Aligned with our mission to be a trusted friend, guiding individuals to informed insurance choices, the campaign aims to provide support during life’s challenges and inspire enduring confidence”

    The first film depicts the family of defence personnel, showcasing the unwavering commitment and dedication of our men in uniform. It is also Pramerica Life’s tribute to the unsung heroes and underscores the insurer’s promise to stand by them and their families through life’s myriad challenges.

    The second film portrays the selfless journey of a father, who sets aside his goals and aspirations to nurture his child’s dreams through sheer willpower and sacrifice. Both films underscore Pramerica Life Insurance’s commitment to supporting individuals at every step of their climb.

    Publicis Worldwide India ECD’s Srijan Shukla and Pratheeb Ravi said, “The campaign is conceptualized around a simple truth that there are challenges and struggles in everyone’s life. But it is these climbs and struggles beyond which lie real success. These climbs might seem very ordinary but are in fact tough on the individuals who actually face them.  Pramerica Life wanted to be a partner in these extraordinary climbs of ordinary people. The films focus on the lives of ordinary people and celebrate the moment when they decide to take up the climb. We wanted to keep the stories honest and authentic so that the audience resonates with them,”

  • The Water Sustainability Score launched at COP28

    The Water Sustainability Score launched at COP28

    Mumbai:  COP28 launched The International Water Sustainability Coalition, a joint initiative of AquaKraft Group Ventures (www.aquakraft.net) Leo Burnett India (www.leoburnett.com) & UAE based Quazar Investments (www.quazarinvestment.com) to address the burgeoning need of water sustainability & water security  in the world.

    The International Water Sustainability Coalition is to develop a coalition of Water Conscious enterprises,  governments & enablers  committed to water stewardship & sustainability. The coalition, first of its kind in the region, will address the unique challenges and characteristics of water resources by getting countries to commit to international collaboration and cooperation to make equitable access and distribution of water for society a reality by 2050.The stakeholders joining the coalition will be incentivized for their sustainability by AquaKredits – Water Credits on AquaKraft’s AqVerium – World’s 1st Digital Water Bank and ranked with a Water Sustainability Score (WSS) developed jointly by Leo Burnett India and AqVerium. The coalition will also drive green & sustainable solutions for managing the world’s precious resource, WATER.

    Speaking on the occasion, Publicis Groupe CCO South Asia & Leo Burnett chairman Rajdeepak Das said, “At Burnett we believe that creativity’s true power is to impact a billion. The looming water crisis demands immediate attention and by adopting the Water Sustainability Score – a first of its kind report card on how water positive a brand really is, can bring transparency and accountability in the indiscriminate use of water. The water sustainability score will help corporates to be more responsible and will give the consumers to choose the right product. When initiatives like the Water Sustainability Score are embraced It’s a win – win for both People & Planet. When more corporations and countries engage in these discussions, the greater the impact becomes because sometimes a small act goes a long way.”

    “Leo Burnett operating in several other countries have joined the coalition with a commitment to influence and drive their customers to subscribe and practice water sustainability. Meraki Digital (www.merakidigital.co.in) – a planet positive communications agency dedicated to climate action has joined the coalition. The coalition will drive the “Blue Taxonomy” jointly being developed by AquaKraft and  Frost & Sullivan, UK.” said The International Water Sustainability Coalition convenor Sami Souissi.

    Speaking on the occasion, Quazar Investment CEO Waleed Khalid Al Ali said, “It is a very momentous occasion for UAE to host The International Water Sustainability Coalition and Quazar is very proud to be a part of it. We invite all the stakeholders across the world to join this coalition and aim to sign an The International Water Treaty on UN World Water Day 2024 in Dubai. We are also very happy to announce our investment in the joint venture, AquaKraft BlueTech Solutions LLC, which will address the water & food security in UAE and Middle East, and work with all stakeholders in achieving The UAE Water Security Strategy 2036. We are very impressed with Dr. Subramanya’s vision and together we will make the world water positive.”

    AquaKraft BlueTech Solutions LLC., U.A.E., will leverage the collective philosophies & strengths of AquaKraft Group Ventures & Quazar Investment and is poised to redefine the “Circular Water Sustainability” with its latest innovation Sustainable AquAgro Circular Economy.

    “A lot has been spoken about climate action & resilience but Water which is core to sustainability has been clearly missing the narrative. It is a proud moment for us to launch The International Water Sustainability Coalition along with congruent minded partners, Leo Burnett India and Quazar Investments. We are equally excited with our partnership with Quazar as both our philosophies are congruent towards sustainable impact and together we will drive the water sustainability narrative across the middle east which is by far the most water bereft regions of the world. Our objective is to treat over ten billion litres of water in UAE and extrapolate this model across the Middle East capturing significant share in over USD 50 billion and growing water opportunity in the next 3 years,” said AquaKraft Group Ventures founder chairman & CEO Dr.Subramanya Kusnur.

    AquaKraft BlueTech will implement AquaKraft’s AqVerium (www.aqverium.com) – World’s 1st Digital Water Bank which will audit, verify & validate water use and efficiency data, incentivize water positivity with AquaKredits – Water Credits and provide and digital marketplace to offset water deficit by buying AquaKredits. It will also provide a platform to sell recycled sewage water for agriculture by water conscious stakeholders.

    Quazar Investments CFO Sameer Salgar added “Quazar  has incubated the joint venture with an investment of USD 9 million and we are very bullish about potential and growth. We are very impressed with the vision and legacy of  AquaKraft as they address complex challenges in the highly unstructured water markets across the world. Their understanding of grass root problems in every geography and curation of simple & customized solutions make them stand differently from all in the space. One of our major focus areas will be creating the world’s 1st  WATER EXCHANGE which will revolutionise the global Water Market.”