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Tag: Sangeeta Barde

  • Alembic CSR and Havas Life Mumbai unveil ‘Lullabai’

    Alembic CSR and Havas Life Mumbai unveil ‘Lullabai’

    Mumbai: In a remarkable fusion of technology and empathy, Alembic CSR, the corporate social responsibility foundation of Alembic Pharmaceuticals, in collaboration with Havas Life Mumbai, the healthcare communication vertical of Havas India, has launched ‘LullabAI’, an innovative AI-enabled platform designed to empower speech-impaired mothers. This platform will enable speech-impaired mothers to create personalised lullabies in their own voices for their babies. This pioneering initiative stands at the intersection of generative AI and inclusivity, setting a new benchmark for technological advancements with a heart.

    In India, lullabies are more than just songs. They are a profound cultural ritual. They represent a unique bonding experience between a mother and her child, playing a crucial role in a baby’s cognitive, social, and emotional development. For speech-impaired mothers, the chance to share this cherished tradition has long been out of reach. ‘LullabAI’ aims to bridge this gap, offering these mothers an opportunity to create lasting memories with their babies through personalised lullabies.

    “We are thrilled to introduce ‘LullabAI’ under our always-on initiative of #ForHerWithHer as a testament to our commitment to empowering mothers with a deep sense of purpose. ‘LullabAI’ exemplifies how technology can be used to create an everlasting bond between a mother and her child,” said Alembic Pharmaceuticals Sr. vice president & SBU head Atul Suri.

    “This initiative is a beautiful example of using tech to enhance lives and promote inclusivity. We believe every mother deserves to share her unique voice with her child, and ‘LullabAI’ makes that possible,” added Alembic Pharmaceuticals associate VP & business head Artica Rajpal.

    The platform harnesses re-imagined AI technology to transform short voice samples from speech-impaired mothers into lullabies. By employing advanced data cleaning, augmentation, and model training techniques, ‘LullabAI’ captures and applies the mother’s voice to a library of pre-recorded lullabies, creating a deeply personal and culturally relevant experience. The personalised lullaby is then available for the mother to play for her baby anytime.

    “Working on ‘LullabAI’ has been an incredibly rewarding journey,” said Havas Life Mumbai, India chief creative officer Sachin Talwalkar. “It made us push the boundaries of tech by re-inventing it to enable a maternal experience that’s profound and essential for early childhood development. It opens many possibilities for mothers and women, at large.”

    Havas Life Mumbai, India CEO & Havas Life Dubai (Middle East) regional head Sangeeta Barde added, “Our collaboration with Alembic CSR reflects our commitment to leveraging technology for social good and positively impacting business. ‘LullabAI’ is not just about innovation; it’s about touching lives and creating meaningful connections. We are proud to be part of a project that brings such joy and empowerment to mothers.”

    The platform – created in collaboration with Perpetual Block, a Pune-based tech company that specializes in leveraging emerging technologies, Rajeev Raja, Founder and Soundsmith at Brandmusiq, and Anmol Bhave, the multiple national award-winning Sound Designer – took six months to develop, to make the mechanism simple yet transformative. Upon logging into the platform, a mother can choose from a library of lullabies. She then needs to provide a 30-second voice sample, which is used to clean, augment, and apply her voice texture to the selected lullaby. The final personalised lullaby is added to her playlist, allowing her to “sing” to her baby in a way that is uniquely her own.

    Alembic CSR’s commitment to women’s health and inclusivity is further exemplified by this initiative, which aligns with their broader mission of supporting and empowering women through innovative campaigns and platforms. ‘LullabAI’ represents a significant step forward in creating an inclusive world where every mother’s voice can be heard and cherished.

  • Havas Life Sorento elevates Sachin Talwalkar to chief creative officer

    Havas Life Sorento elevates Sachin Talwalkar to chief creative officer

    Mumbai: Havas Group India’s health, wellness, marcom and digital agency Havas Life Sorento on Friday elevated its executive creative director, Sachin Talwalkar, to chief creative officer.

    As a part of his new role, Sachin will be responsible for further bolstering the agency’s creative and communications excellence through Havas Life Sorento’s offering in healthcomm. He will also be responsible for expanding the agency’s scope through digital health, health CX, and consumer health within India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, effectively making India the hub of excellence for Havas Health & You. The aim is to become the ‘go-to’ and cutting-edge healthcomm agency in the region.

    Speaking about the elevation, Havas Group India chairman & CCO Bobby Pawar said, “Sachin’s elevation is in recognition of the role he’s played in transforming Havas Life Sorento over the last few years. He has brought in better talent and has fostered a climate where they can do their best work while having fun in the process. He has evolved the creative department based on my belief that creatives with traditional and digital skills must work together so that they infect each other and, in the process, become more rounded creatives. Lastly, he’s been a great partner to me, always ready to help out with anything.”

    Havas Life Sorento managing director Sangeeta Barde added, “I am confident that with this elevation, Sachin will continue to make a difference to health and wellness communications and will create a team of passionate people under him who will set the creative benchmark within the industry and the region.”

    Talwalkar commented, “The new role is testament to Havas Life Sorento’s journey in the last years. We have not only expanded in size and stature but also challenged ourselves to explore new avenues, which has set the course for us to grow and become “the partner agency” in the healthcomm space in the coming years. I am excited about my new role and what’s to come.”

    Since joining Havas Life Sorento in 2020, Sachin has been responsible for driving the agency’s creative vision and strategy through industry-recognised work for clients including Viatris, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, Zydus Healthcare, Abbott, Bayer, Glenmark, and many more.

    His creative endeavours have aided the agency in strengthening client relationships, organic business opportunities, and attracting bright young talent, paving the way for it to become the region’s leading health-communications agency and a valued partner within the global Havas Health & You (HH&Y) network.

    Sachin believes in creating brand narratives that are culturally relevant and inspired by real-life human insights. In his 20 plus years of industry experience, Sachin has worked across geographies in Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Asia Pacific with network agencies. His work has been recognised by major awards, including Spikes Asia, Ad Club Germany, Mobius, Eurobest, Epica, Cresta, NY Festival, Clio, Montreux Ad Festival, Ad Club Austria, Econ Awards, FAB Awards, and LIAA.

  • Havas Health & You elevates leaders in India, Southeast Asia, and Middle East

    Havas Health & You elevates leaders in India, Southeast Asia, and Middle East

    Mumbai: Havas Health & You has elevated Susan Josi as managing director (MD) of the agency’s southeast Asia & Middle East division, and Sangeeta Barde as MD of Havas Life Sorento, with immediate effect.

    Both professionals have been at the helm of Havas Health & You’s APAC-based agency since the network’s acquisition of Sorento in 2017.

    “I am thrilled to witness as Sangeeta and Susan further showcase their immense talents and know-how, both regionally and globally. They have certainly made Havas Life Sorento a proof point for value addition in the area and will continue to lead with strategic vision," said Havas Health & You LATAM APAC partner & CEO Charles Houdoux.

    Southeast Asia (SEA) and the Middle East together make up 14.6 per cent of the world’s total population, and the 2021 projection of GDP growth in India alone is expected to rise from 2.59 trillion to 3.96 trillion by 2025. These growth trends coupled with a societal focus on health create an ideal environment for growth in SEA and Middle Eastern countries, and global health brands are prioritising accordingly, said the company in a statement.

    Josi is also known for driving the Havas Village model in India and for her development of the agency’s global client roster in the SEA and the Middle East regions. “The landscapes are changing dynamically and there is an intensified importance being placed on health and wellness. Our capabilities in these areas have grown to a point where it makes sense to have consistent regional leadership as health brands prioritise their presence in these markets,” she said.

    At Sorento, Barde will drive the success model for offshoring and achieving strategic and impactful globalisation initiatives. “I am looking forward to leaning into the vast digitisation opportunities in our data and media centres and working to perfect new and simplified content creation models,” said Barde.

  • Havas Life Sorento appoints Sachin Talwalkar as ECD

    Havas Life Sorento appoints Sachin Talwalkar as ECD

    MUMBAI: Sachin Talwalkar has been appointed as executive creative director of Havas Life Sorento, the award-winning health and wellness communications agency from Havas Group India umbrella. In his role, Sachin will be responsible for driving the creative vision and strategy for Havas Life Sorento. He will be based in the Mumbai office.  

    Havas Life Sorento managing partner Sangeeta Barde said, “Health & Wellness is recognized as one of the most significant sectors today. We are seeing transformations & innovations at an unprecedented rate. This changing face & pace opens opportunities to provide a fresh, innovative & creative perspective for brands & businesses. Sachin will lead the HLS creative team and work closely with Bobby Pawar to enhance the overall quality and effectiveness of our creative output. We are confident that Sachin’s vast experience & diverse expertise will bring desired value to our clients and Havas Life Sorento will continue to lead this transformation through its talent & rigor.”

    "Healthcare and wellness in the communications category can boast of real impact and change. It has always fascinated me, and it is on everybody’s mind given what the world is going through right now. With business models, consumer behavior and communication channels evolving, it has become a very significant and interesting category to work in. Moreover, smart technologies, data mapping and digital marketing are providing brands and agencies newer opportunities to communicate their offerings more effectively and in real-time. I am excited to see that HLS is leading this shift in India. I look forward to contributing and accelerating this process through refreshing, relevant work." said Talwalkar.

    Talwalkar is an award-winning ad professional with over 18 years of experience in communications, brand consultancy, and filmmaking having worked across agencies and geographies. He has worked with leading agencies. across various countries in Europe, APAC, SAMEA & India.

    Most recently, he has worked as a brand and creative strategist for clients and agencies in India and Europe. His global client roster includes names like Volkswagen, Procter & Gamble, L’Oreal Paris, Walt Disney, Times of India and Unilever. His work has been recognised by many coveted awards, including Ad Club Germany, Mobius, Eurobest, Epica, Cresta, NY Festival, Clio, Montreux Ad Festival, Ad Club Austria, Econ Awards, FAB Awards and LIAA.  

  • Havas Health & You to broaden APAC offering with Sorento buy

    MUMBAI: Havas Group is expanding its capabilities and footprint in the important and burgeoning Indian market by adding Sorento to its roster of agencies. Sorento will integrate the Havas Health & You business unit and be rebranded Havas Life Sorento. This strategic acquisition will allow Havas to further develop its regional presence and add to its depth and breadth in India to deliver for global clients.

    Sorento’s current client base is a strong and complementary mix for Havas’ health-and-wellness activities, with such international clients as Abbott, Johnson & Johnson, MSD, along with local pharmas including Alkem, Dr. Reddy’s, Finlinea Healthwits, Glenmark and Torrent. The agency is well regarded by clients and peers and is the only Indian healthcare agency to have won the prestigious Cannes Lion.

    Yannick Bolloré, CEO, Havas Group, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Sorento to our group. The team will partner with Havas Health & You India to create a broader health-and-wellness offering in the region for our existing global clients and provide a new infusion of energy that will allow us to expand our APAC capabilities.”

    Following the acquisition, the management team of Susan Josi and Sangeeta Barde—Sorento’s co-founders and managing partners—will continue to head up the team of more than 70 health-and-wellness comms professionals. Josi and Barde will report to Charles Houdoux, CEO, Havas Health & You APAC, and will work closely with local Havas India management for day-to-day operations.

    Barde and Josi said: “At Sorento we passionately believe that even complex healthcare brand problems can be solved with insightful and creative ideas. Our years of dedication and the commitment of many people who have been associated with Sorento have allowed us to forge strong partnerships with our clients and help build their brands in India. Joining hands with Havas will equip us to look beyond our current frontiers and make us an even more valued partner in India and beyond.”

    Josi, with a Master’s in Pharmacy and Management, has more than 28 years of experience in the healthcare sector. Barde has more than 22 years of experience in pharma marketing and healthcare communications and trained as a microbiologist before going on to earn a Master’s in Marketing Management.

    “The Sorento culture of innovative, best-in-class client service makes it an ideal fit for the Havas Health & You family. Its integrated approach to brand stewardship has resulted in long-term relationships with clients, which also aligns with our client-first philosophy,” added Donna Murphy, CEO, Havas Health & You.