Mumbai: Meesho, one of India’s fastest growing internet commerce companies, has announced the appointment of Divyesh Shah as vice president, engineering. He will lead the supply, monetisation and fulfillment & experience (F&E) engineering teams at Meesho. Shah will oversee Meesho’s efforts in using technology to build solutions that will further enhance user experience on the platform.
Shah joins Meesho with over 16 years of work experience, having worked at companies like Google and Uber in the US. He started his career at Google building containers on Linux which are now utilized by most large Linux deployments, and later went onto build TV ads and Analytics for Google Fiber.
More recently, his teams built the product platform for Google Assistant. In between these Google stints, he also worked at Uber where his teams solved complex problem statements related to marketplace health, adtech data & measurement and vehicle solutions.
“Shah brings a wealth of experience to our talented Tech team and we’re really pleased to have him join us. Right from our very first conversation with him we could sense his enthusiasm towards our mission statement of democratizing e-commerce for every Indian and we’re confident that his skill set & leadership will help Meesho scale newer heights in the near future,” said Meesho founder and CTO Sanjeev Barnwal.
“After spending the last 16 years working in the US, I was keen to return home and be a part of the Indian tech ecosystem. Of all the opportunities, Meesho stood out because of the scale at which it operates and the mission statement of democratizing e-commerce for everyone in India which also translates into the opportunity to serve a large underrepresented demographic.
I’m absolutely delighted to join one of India’s fastest growing startups and look forward to understanding the behavior and needs of a user base that stretches beyond the country’s first 50-100 million internet users,” said Shah.
The latest appointment will strengthen Meesho’s tech leadership team as the company looks to onboard more users and increase its presence in India’s underserved markets. Earlier this year, the company announced the appointment of Debdoot Mukherjee as chief data scientist to oversee their efforts to make every pillar of the e-commerce marketplace smarter and more efficient with the use of AI.
Mumbai: On Thursday, Kinnect India announced the onboarding of Varun J Bansal as associate vice president of media, to handle its Delhi operations. He will directly report to Kinnect VP of media Mihir Palan.
With over 14 years of experience in integrated media planning and strategizing, Varun has worked with brands like Nestle, GSK, Pernod Ricard India, Snapdeal, Gaana.com, ITC hotels, and Uber. His last stint was with Wavemaker as business director.
Talking about Varun’s appointment, Kinnect COO Chandni Shah said, “Post-covid19, we see more brands transitioning to digital transformation. We, as media partners, are constantly striving towards bringing in meaningful business outcomes with measurable targets, and that’s where Varun steps in. His experience and portfolio perfectly fit our integrated business and complement our data-driven philosophy. I am happy to onboard him, especially to lead our Delhi media operations and wish him all the success.”
About his new role, Varun said, “Kinnect’s reputation precedes itself. The organisation is at the forefront of all media skills in a highly competitive sector. All of this is supported by an inspiring leadership team, of which I’m proud to be a member. By developing cutting-edge solutions for client and agency business objectives, I am excited to use this chance to elevate further and enrich the current media function.”
Mumbai: The Knot Worldwide, a global digital wedding planning company and the parent company of WeddingWire India on Monday announced the appointment of a former executive of Uber Technologies Inc Jenny Lewis as its new chief marketing officer.
In her new role, Lewis will lead all marketing, insights, and editorial initiatives for The Knot Worldwide and its 19 global brands across 16 countries, said the statement.
“Lewis is a highly experienced, seasoned business leader responsible for building one of the most well-known global marketplace brands: Uber,” said The Knot Worldwide chief executive officer Tim Chi. “I am confident that Jenny’s consumer-centric approach to full-funnel marketing and ability to anchor a brand’s relevancy with current and prospective consumers will drive innovation for the millions of engaged couples and hundreds of millions of wedding guests that we serve each year in the $200 billion global wedding industry.”
Over the course of her seven-plus years with Uber as head of US & Canada marketing, Lewis was the driving force behind a number of product and brand-defining initiatives, including UberPool and the brand’s Covid-19 response campaign. Before Uber, Lewis worked at Undertone Advertising and Fox Networks Group (FX, National Geographic Channel, Fox Sports), where she developed co-marketing strategies with Fortune 500 brands such as MillerCoors and Volkswagen, according to the statement.
“As the number of weddings around the world will hit an all-time high this year, I’m thrilled to join this talented leadership team at such a pivotal moment when our services are needed more than ever,” said Lewis. “I look forward to further developing and implementing a strategy that supports our global growth plans, eCommerce business objectives, and above all, provides couples with an unparalleled experience during one of the most important moments of their lives.”
The company has most recently scaled its e-commerce offerings, which include The Knot Registry, The Knot Invitations, WeddingWire Invitations, and more.
“Jenny joins us at a pivotal time when the market opportunity is immense,” commented WeddingWire India associate director of marketing Anam Zubair. “She brings on board a wealth of experience from managing brands like Uber, where she has been instrumental in driving growth. This empowers The Knot Worldwide and WeddingWire India to identify new growth opportunities and derive actionable insights from an audience that is extremely digital-savvy. We are certain that with Jenny’s leadership, we’ll be able to make WedTech an indispensable part of every Indian consumer’s life.”
Mumbai: Facebook has appointed Uber’s former executive Sanjay Gupta as director of international marketing, as per his updated Linkedln profile. In his current role, Gupta will be based out of San Francisco, California.
Gupta commands experience across diverse sectors, including tech, e-commerce, and consumer goods. He has worked in global, regional, as well as, local marketing roles.
He started his journey with Uber in 2017 as marketing head, India, South Asia. He was promoted to the position of global brand director in 2019 after working as marketing director in the US and Canada for a brief period. Later, he was named marketing director, APAC in July 2020.
During his two-decade-long career, Gupta worked with many other renowned brands. Prior to Uber, he was at Urban Ladder as chief marketing officer. He spent nearly a decade at Marico which includes nearly three years as marketing lead for its wellness and youth section. He was also associated with Accenture.
Gupta holds a PGDM in marketing from Management Development Institute, Gurgaon, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce.
Mumbai: It has been a year riddled with challenges and loss. The second wave of the pandemic devastated families and took a heavy toll on the country as a whole. Amid all these challenges, India has entered into its 75th year of independence. As the country gears up to mark this momentous occasion, brands too aren’t behind in becoming a part of the grand moment. From campaigns that convey a sense of hope and elation to music videos that commemorate the people’s resilient spirits, these heart-warming narratives are bound to strike an emotional chord with viewers.
Uber
The ride-hailing app launched a music video as a tribute to India’s fighting spirit. The video features a five-year-old singer from Mizoram, Esther Hnamte performing an earnest rendition of AR Rahman’s “Maa Tujhe Salaam”. The video also highlights Uber’s efforts to support communities around the country during COVID-19. Uber has found meaningful ways to cater to evolving needs by creating livelihood opportunities for drivers on the platform. The company shifted focus to move what mattered most: serving frontline healthcare workers, facilitating essential trips for citizens, supporting vulnerable communities, and keeping vital supply chains moving, which is depicted through the three-minute video.
BookMyShow
In rural Jharkhand, young girls are forced to drop out of school and become child brides and work to support their families. BookASmile, the entertainment platform’s charity initiative, in collaboration with Jharkhand-based NGO – YUWA has been working at the grassroots to uplift the lives of these girls by breaking the shackles of such social evils and providing them an equal opportunity to discover their true potential through sports.
The association has conceptualised a new campaign to highlight the role of freedom through sports titled ‘Independence Through Sports’. Launched in the format of a digital video film on the eve of the Independence Day it furthers their work in encouraging and empowering young girls to explore the realm of sports through this campaign. Since 2015, BookASmile has supported YUWA, to build a grassroots program ‘Football for Empowerment’ working together to train young women from tribal and low economic backgrounds as coaches and leaders.
Policybazaar
The online insurance marketplace has released its new digital film on the occasion of Independence Day, drawing attention towards core human values of lending a helping hand at the time of need.
Conceptualised by Scarecrow M&C Saatchi, and directed by Pinaki Bose, the digital film is based on a heart-warming story of a street violinist in Kolkata who once used to play in popular cafes. However, due to no takers for his craft, he is forced to earn money while playing on the streets. The brand wanted to give a positive larger-than-life message while staying salient to the category. The film depicts how the goodness of strangers is all that one has in times of need. Much like insurance, which is there to support you when you need it the most!
Tata Tea Premium
As an earnest gesture to lend support to the Indian artisan community, TATA Tea Premium celebrates this Independence Day by bringing out a unique #DeshKaKulhad collection in partnership with Rare Planet – a startup that promotes the work of local Indian artisans. The proceeds of the sale of these exquisite hand-painted kulhads will help to lend support to the artisan community that has been severely impacted by the current times.
As part of the initiative, the brand has released a video anthem celebrating the artisans of India. Sung by the singer, composer and popular Pop Sufi rock artist, Rituraj Mohanty the song celebrates the rich cultural diversity of India. As the wheel spins and the clay moulds and gets sculpted, we can witness the pride of India’s heritage and art taking its shape. These special kulhads have been handcrafted with region-specific artforms like Madhubani folk art from Bihar, Warli artform from Maharashtra, Phulkari patterns from Punjab, Patachitra from Odisha, Sanjhi art from UP, etc.
Godrej Group
The Godrej Group released a digital film to celebrate the spirit of independence as seen from the eyes of the country’s youth with the campaign – #FreedomIs. The theme #FreedomIs expresses the expectations of the youth and presents their belief of what freedom means to them, and how their kind of India will be different. The campaign highlights various aspects that they can relate to and urges every citizen to take a pledge to spread this idea of an optimistic India.
Conceptualised by the corporate brand and communications team of Godrej and Creativeland Asia, the narrative of the digital film aims to inspire the youth of India to cherish their freedom, serving as a reminder and a call to action.
CashKaro
The cashback & coupons site recently announced its Independence Day campaign #HumIndianHain in collaboration with celebrities like Ali Fazal, Sunil Grover, and Nidhi Agerwal. This campaign highlights how every Indian loves finding value for money. It celebrates the quirky elements that make us truly Indian, while also urging us to embrace them all and cherish our Indianness.
PETA
Through its new Independence Day PETA India (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) Billboard Campaign, the American animal rights organisation encourages adoption of street animals. To reinforce this social message just in time for Independence Day, PETA India has placed a billboard in all major cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai, encouraging people to get patriotic by adopting a lovable Indian dog from the streets or an animal shelter, rather than adding to the homeless-animal crisis by patronising breeders and pet shops that sell foreign pedigrees.
Meanwhile, there are goodies to be won for wearing one’s patriotic heart on our sleeves too! Adding flavour to the current feelings of joyousness, Taco Bell will reward all consumers, who are striving every day to get closer to the ‘finish line’, with a free crunchy taco on 15 August. Through their campaign, the brand aims to recognise and acknowledge each Indian who is a go-getter in his or her respective fields.
Candere by Kalyan Jewellers has also come out with an exclusive offer on its diamond jewellery collection to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee, the 75th year of our Independence. The brand is offering a discount on diamond prices that will be open from 9 August and will continue till 16 August.
Mumbai: Uber has launched a music video to celebrate India’s 75th Independence Day starring Esther Hnamte, a five-year-old singer from Mizoram performing a rendition of “Maa Tujhe Salaam”.
The three-minute video also highlights Uber’s efforts to support communities around the country during COVID-19. It pays tribute to India’s fighting spirit throughout the pandemic and reinforces Uber’s commitment to help the country build back better, said the company in a statement.
The company remained focused on its social impact initiatives in 2021 by pledging free rides to help citizens travelling to vaccination centers, including partnering with social institutions like HelpAge India and Robin Hood Army to support vaccinations for vulnerable and senior citizens.
“Uber has had a single goal during the pandemic and that was supporting our communities,” said Uber president for India and South Asia, Prabhjeet Singh. “Whether it is helping drivers to get vaccinated, offering free rides to frontline health workers, helping the elderly and vulnerable travel to vaccination centres, Uber is determined to do its part to help India build back better.”
Uber also allocated Rs 18.5 crore to help get 150,000 driver-partners on the platform vaccinated.
Mumbai: Uber has promoted Ameya Velankar as head of marketing, for India and South Asia region. He was previously the head – product marketing at the company.
Velankar will be working closely with the India & SA leadership team to consolidate Uber’s growing presence in these strategic markets and further strengthen the brand Uber, said the company said in a statement.
Velankar is a seasoned marketer who comes with over 13 years of experience in marketing, sales & operations across different geographies. He has been the interim lead for INSA since November 2020, and has played multiple roles at Uber in his two-and-a-half-year stint. Before Uber, he led category marketing for SC Johnson & was the group product head at Marico.
“We are delighted as Ameya takes on his new role as head of marketing for INSA,” said Uber India South Asia president, Prabhjeet Singh. “Ameya has had a fantastic track record with Uber since 2019, and I am confident that he will help us build a stronger, diverse, and more engaged marketing team. At Uber, we continue to build and strengthen a team of industry experts who appreciate the impact of ridesharing and drive innovation for a better tomorrow.”
Velankar commented, “I am extremely thrilled to be part of Uber’s journey as it continues to reimagine the way the world moves for the better. Uber has had a great impact on cities & communities in India. I am excited to be a part of this journey & make the brand Uber accessible to millions of customers in India.”
KOLKATA: Online food delivery app, Uber Eats on Tuesday launched a new interactive feature on its app- ‘Merchant Stories’ which allows merchant partners to connect directly with their eaters.
The new feature developed by the company’s Hyderabad based engineering team helps eaters seamlessly discover the latest offerings from their favourite restaurants, while assisting Uber merchants to display their delicacies.
Elaborating on the idea behind the launch, the company cited a consumer survey which showed people felt more comfortable making food decisions based on photos, and were more likely to place an order when they could see what their chosen food or beverage looked like. In early testing, 13 per cent of people who clicked through a restaurant’s story placed an order to that restaurant in the same session, it said on Tuesday.
This feature has so far only been rolled out in the US and Canada and reinforces the ‘Make in India for the World’ vision of India’s tech centers, it added.
Eats Engineering site lead Jaiteerth Patwari said: “We understand a picture is worth a thousand words, and that it’s much easier to order an item when you can see what it looks like. We heard feedback from partners who felt they needed to build a direct communication channel with their consumers, and our team worked to build a solution that addressed their unique needs.”
Through this innovation, merchants can now sign up for the ‘Merchant Stories’ feature to post regular updates. They can upload photos and add text to tell their customers about special deals, menu changes, new services, or seasonal promotions.
The Eats Engineering team has led several global innovations over the past year including integrating leading digital wallets in Japan and Belgium during 2020, and connecting more restaurant partners to consumers when cities were in lockdown. The team also led the tech backend for a new line of business — prescription delivery in the US.
Mumbai: Fintech brokerage firm Angel Broking has roped in Silicon Valley veteran Narayan Gangadhar as its new CEO.
Narayan has more than two decades of global experience leading technology businesses at top-tier Silicon Valley companies, such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Uber. He brings operating experience leading highly disruptive businesses by driving innovation in product, technology, capability building, and processes automation.
Gangadhar was head of technology at Uber in San Francisco where he led the company’s core infrastructure, machine learning, data platform, and data science teams of over 650+ employees across the globe. During his tenure, Uber scaled to over 400+ cities globally completing over 14 million trips daily. At Google, he led large product and engineering teams to launch the first set of the search giant’s cloud infrastructure services, such as Compute Engine, Cloud SQL, Container Engines. He also led large teams responsible for developing the overall application infrastructure which power productivity apps like Google Drive, Google Docs, etc.
Prior to Google, Gangadhar was the general manager and director at Amazon Web Services where he developed the Cloud Database business. He was most recently the founder & CEO of a robotics start-up in San Francisco that develops automated urban mobility solutions
“The Indian market is at an interesting juncture as more people make technology a part of their daily lifestyles,” said Gangadhar. “As a CEO, my entire focus will be on unlocking superior efficiency for all stakeholders. The overarching objective is to make the product more accessible in the mass market.”
Angel Broking CMD Dinesh Thakkar said, “Narayan is the right person to lead Angel Broking along its journey as a leader in this industry. He is a well-rounded engineer with great leadership qualities and will add significant value to our existing digital assets. Plus, he will help us realise our aspirations to become a preferred Fintech company in India. With Narayan leading the team, I am sure we will scale new heights in making international standard apps, offering world-class customer experience, and taking best-in-class AI/ML journeys for new and existing customers to understand investing and trading well.”
NEW DELHI: With the aim to strengthen its operations, Twitter has appointed Apurva Dalal as director of engineering in India. Being a priority market, and Twitter's fastest-growing market globally, the microblogging platform is also planning to hire for other roles in the country, including research, design, and product development.
Dalal will be based in Bengaluru, and he will be working to bolster the company’s engineering capabilities and offerings for local and global audiences.
"Starting today, Apurva will become the senior-most member of the engineering team in the country and will be responsible for strengthening our engineering capacity as well as our offerings for local and global audiences," said Twitter vice president of engineering Nick Caldwell in a statement.
Apart from the United States, Twitter has dedicated engineering teams in sites like London, Toronto, Singapore, and Bengaluru.
"The focus on developing engineering capabilities in India comes as part of our broader goal to increase our development velocity, including building a strong foundation for our product. This is what the core team will be focused on based out of Bengaluru," the social networking giant said in the statement.
Dalal has more than two decades of experience in engineering and he has worked in global organisations like Google, eBay, and Uber. Until recently, he was serving as the engineering site lead for Uber in Bengaluru.
