Pallavi Mohan Joins Calcetto International as Head of Marketing & Communications
Calcetto International has appointed Pallavi Mohan as Head of Marketing & Communications. With over 20 years of experience across India, New York, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, Mohan brings extensive expertise in brand strategy and global market insight. She has previously led marketing for Samsung, DLF, Café Coffee Day, Target and Sports Station, managing portfolios for Nike, Levi’s, Dockers, Aigner and Ferragamo. Before joining Calcetto, she headed Marketing and Communications at BLS International Ltd, enhancing its digital presence and reputation. Her appointment supports Calcetto’s expansion in India’s organised footwear sector, with new stores opening nationwide, including in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
Wilson Mascarenhas joins Creativefuel as vice president – client servicing
Creativefuel has appointed former ZEE5 marketing head Wilson Mascarenhas as vice president – client servicing, strengthening its leadership as it prepares for its next phase of expansion. With over 24 years of experience, including 14 in digital marketing, he brings expertise across consumer tech, sports, media and entertainment, fintech, telecom and FMCG. He has led campaigns for brands such as Dream11, ZEE5, JioBlackRock, FanCode and DreamSetGo, driving growth through content, community and culture. His appointment follows Creativefuel’s recent senior hires including Divyansh Gala, Sree Chandran and Kunal Khandelwal, as the agency builds a culture-led creative network focused on creators and communities.
FCB Neo names Saksham Kohli as President
FCB Neo has appointed Saksham Kohli as President, bringing over two decades of experience in integrated communications. He will lead strategies across content, media, and commerce to strengthen brand storytelling and integrated marketing. Kohli joins from Cheil Worldwide, where he served as Associate Vice President after six years with the agency. His previous roles include leadership positions at Ogilvy, FCB Global, and McCann Worldgroup, managing brands such as BMW, KFC, and Pernod Ricard. Based in Mumbai, he will report to CEO Ashima Mehra, focusing on driving FCB Neo’s digital-first growth and innovation agenda.
1702 Digital appoints Vishal Dhar as Vice President – Digital
1702 Digital has appointed Vishal Dhar as Vice President – Digital, reinforcing its commitment to scaling digital leadership and innovation. Dhar will drive digital strategy, performance marketing, and innovation initiatives, collaborating with the leadership team to enhance integrated offerings. With extensive experience in marketing, digital transformation, and business growth, he has led impactful campaigns using data-driven creativity. His appointment marks a key milestone in 1702 Digital’s expansion. Co-founders Mihir Joshi and Aanchal Arora said Dhar’s strategic mindset and deep understanding of the digital landscape will play a pivotal role in strengthening the agency’s creative and performance capabilities.
MMA evolves into Marketing + Media Alliance globally
MMA has rebranded as the Marketing + Media Alliance (MMA), signalling its transformation from an association to a global alliance. Led by CMOs and powered by the marketing ecosystem, it aims to help marketers create enterprise-level value through collaboration, evidence, and experimentation. The Alliance builds on MMA’s extensive Think Tanks and Labs in AI, CX, attribution, data, retail media, and organisational design. In India, these initiatives are being scaled through programmes such as IMPACT, SMARTIES, Data Unplugged, and a series of roundtables and webinars, uniting marketers, media leaders, and partners to shape the future of marketing and business.
Srinivasan Swamy enters AFAA Hall of Fame at AdAsia Beijing
Srinivasan Swamy, Chairman of R K Swamy Ltd, was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) at AdAsia Beijing, attended by delegates from 32 countries. The honour, presented by Raymond So, recognised Swamy’s four-decade leadership across global and national marketing bodies, including AFAA, IAA, CAAAA, AAAI, ASCI, ABC, AIMA, and multiple Chennai-based institutions. He has led initiatives such as GoaFest, IAA World Congress 2019, and CII Brand Summits. The citation also acknowledged his contribution to education, healthcare, and cultural causes, cementing his legacy as one of India’s most distinguished advertising leaders.
TheFifth.AI launches to bridge strategy–execution gap
TheFifth.AI, a marketing transformation and consumer consulting firm, has officially launched to close the gap between strategy and execution for consumer businesses. Founded by Prateek Sinha, Pratham Hegde, Mayank Jain, Amit Sinha, and Rohit Saini, the firm combines AI with operational expertise to drive profitable and scalable growth. It offers three services — growth strategy, brand and customer experience, and cost transformation. The advisory board includes Kirthiga Reddy, Vatsal Mehta, and Nikhil Naredi. Positioned as a fifth alternative to traditional consulting models, TheFifth.AI enters India’s fast-growing consulting market amid strong demand for execution-focused, AI-enabled business outcomes.
Amit Dhawan exits Art-E to launch The Nuural Network
Amit Dhawan, partner and CEO at Art-E Mediatech, has stepped down from the agency, concluding a decade-long stint that included leadership roles at Schbang Delhi, Sociowash, and Art-E. Known for steering teams and brands across India’s digital marketing landscape, Dhawan is now building The Nuural Network, an ecosystem of ventures at the intersection of creativity, AI, and strategy. The initiative aims to merge human instinct with artificial intelligence to drive creative transformation. Dhawan recently released his first book, The Flip Life, published by Nuvoice and distributed by Penguin Random House, exploring themes of perspective and self-awareness.
Eveready appoints The Minimalist as its digital agency
Eveready has appointed The Minimalist as its digital agency of record to lead its online presence through innovative campaigns, content creation and influencer engagement. The partnership aims to strengthen Eveready’s image of trust, innovation and modern relevance while appealing to younger, digital-first consumers. The Minimalist’s co-founder Sahil Vaidya highlighted the agency’s focus on culturally rooted, insight-driven creativity. Eveready Industries India CEO Anirban Banerjee emphasised that the collaboration combines Eveready’s century-old legacy with The Minimalist’s contemporary digital expertise to create powerful brand storytelling and deepen consumer connections.
The Marcom Avenue names Sunil Bhandari creative director
The Marcom Avenue has appointed Sunil Bhandari as creative director to lead its creative strategy and elevate the agency’s brand impact. With over 20 years of experience at Grey Worldwide, JWT and Saatchi & Saatchi, Bhandari has worked on major brands including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Lays, Dabur, Audi, Hero Motors, Nestlé, ITC Hotels, Tuborg and Amway. His work has earned multiple Abbys, Effies and Cannes shortlists. At The Marcom Avenue, he will integrate storytelling, innovation and digital-first thinking to enhance campaign effectiveness across clients. Founder and director Divanshi Gupta said Bhandari’s creativity and leadership will strengthen the agency’s pursuit of excellence.
Crayons strengthens Mumbai leadership with key appointments
Crayons Advertising Limited has bolstered its Mumbai leadership with Govind Agarwal joining as Senior Vice President & Branch Director and Sameer Bahaddarpurkar as Assistant Vice President, Growth. The appointments follow new business wins including Goa Tourism, Maharashtra Tourism, KIMS Hospital and Central Bank of India. Agarwal, formerly with HDFC Bank and EURO RSCG (now Havas), brings over 20 years’ experience across FMCG, banking, entertainment and fashion, and will focus on client partnerships and leadership development. Bahaddarpurkar, who has led campaigns for Gulf Oil, Bank of Maharashtra and Jet Airways, previously managed marketing for Total Energies’ lubricant brands. Executive Director Ranjan Bargotra said the move reinforces Crayons’ creative and business growth ambitions.
Bajaj Broking partners with Slay Media for social content
Bajaj Broking has appointed Slay Media, an independent creative marketing agency founded by Khushboo Mulani, as its content partner to strengthen its social media presence. The partnership aims to create insight-led and culturally relevant content focused on financial literacy for retail investors. Timed with the festive season, the collaboration is part of Bajaj Broking’s effort to build a consistent and engaging digital presence through relatable storytelling across platforms.
Abundatia Entertainment unveils 'aiON', an AI-powered creative division
Vikram Malhotra’s Abundantia Entertainment has launched ‘Abundantia aiON’, a new division focused on AI-driven storytelling. The unit aims to merge human creativity with artificial intelligence to develop films, series, characters, and worlds. Built on the philosophy ‘Human First. AI Empowered’, aiON seeks to empower creators by using AI as a creative accelerator. This follows Abundantia’s collaboration with Collective Artists Network on Chiranjeevi Hanuman – The Eternal, a Made-In-AI feature film releasing in 2026. The division plans to announce its first project slate soon, positioning Abundantia at the forefront of technology-enabled storytelling innovation in entertainment.
Surej Salim appointed president of The Advertising Club Madras
The Advertising Club Madras has elected Surej Salim, co-founder and COO of Digitally Inspired Media, as its 46th President for 2025–2026. The announcement was made at the Club’s annual general meeting on 24th October 2025. With nearly two decades in advertising and marketing, Salim brings strong creative and collaborative expertise to the role. During the meeting, members honoured the late Piyush Pandey, observing a minute’s silence and distributing black ribbons in his memory. The tribute underscored Pandey’s immense impact on India’s advertising landscape and creative community.
Rajdeepak Das named jury president for The One Show 2026
Rajdeepak Das, chairman, Leo, South Asia, and CCO, Publicis Groupe, South Asia, has been appointed jury president for the Branded Entertainment category at The One Show 2026. As jury president, he will lead judging for the discipline and vote on final selections. The One Show will announce additional jury presidents for Brand-Side/In-House and Gaming categories, along with the full jury, in December.
ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund brands Santacruz Metro Station
ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, in partnership with Times OOH, has secured full branding rights for Santacruz Metro Station on Mumbai Metro Line 3. Spanning around 4,000 square feet, the branding covers entry points, concourses, and platforms, enhancing brand visibility across commuter touchpoints. Located near ICICI Prudential’s headquarters, the campaign reinforces its local presence while promoting financial awareness. QR codes on platform doors allow commuters to access mutual fund education content. Mumbai Metro Line 3, stretching 33.5 km from Cuffe Parade to Aarey, is the city’s first fully underground metro, improving daily connectivity across key business districts.
The Pittch partners Skillbox for Seedhemaut’s 10-city live tour
The Pittch has been named production partner for hip-hop band Seedhemaut’s 10-city live tour, organised by Skillbox. Celebrating a decade of the band’s impactful lyricism and influence on Indian hip-hop, the tour promises powerful performances and high production value. The Pittch will manage creative design, planning, logistics, and execution across all cities, ensuring a seamless live experience. The collaboration highlights Skillbox’s commitment to bridging digital and live music engagement, while The Pittch reinforces its expertise in large-scale experiential production.
