Moves and Wins: Week of 30 June

Satish Krishnamurthy Launches Bravo & Co. to Drive Strategic Breakthroughs

Satish Krishnamurthy has launched Bravo & Co., a new strategy and design consultancy aimed at helping leaders and teams unlock clarity and bold ideas in complex business scenarios. Drawing on over 25 years of experience working with executives and founders, Krishnamurthy’s new venture is built around the belief that sharp thinking is the ultimate advantage in high-stakes environments. Bravo & Co. offers services such as strategic consulting, high-impact workshops, storytelling, and proprietary toolkits to support brand reinventions, business model pivots, and cultural resets. With a focus on intelligent questioning and collaborative exploration, the agency aims to help clients navigate ambiguity, align teams, and drive outcomes with speed and precision.

Shimona Chadha Appointed Chief Marketing Officer at Persistent Systems

Persistent Systems has announced the appointment of Shimona Chadha as its new Chief Marketing Officer, tasked with leading the company’s global marketing strategy and strengthening its brand presence. Based in New Jersey, Chadha brings over 20 years of experience in B2B, B2C, and B2B2C marketing, with a proven track record in driving growth and brand transformation. She joins from HCLTech, where she led North America Vertical Marketing and spearheaded a Generative AI-driven marketing platform to enhance visibility and conversion. With prior leadership roles at Vodafone Idea and Abbott, Chadha is a recognised industry figure, having received accolades such as Forrester’s Programme of the Year 2025 and the Stevie Award for Women in Business. Her appointment marks a strategic move by Persistent to bolster its market engagement and differentiate its offerings globally.

Veritas Reputation to handle PR for Canara Bank

Madison Media Omega wins Farmley media mandate in Tamil Nadu

Madison Media Omega, part of Madison World, has won the traditional media mandate for Farmley in Tamil Nadu. The agency will handle media duties across print, radio, cinema, television and outdoor platforms. Farmley, which launched in 2017, offers dry fruits, nuts, seeds and makhanas as snack options. The brand is looking to expand its visibility in Tamil Nadu through this partnership. Dinesh Rathod, CEO of Madison Media Omega confirmed the agency’s appointment, while Aman Gupta, head of marketing at Farmley, stated that the collaboration aims to support the brand’s regional expansion strategy.

DigiRovers wins Vision11’s full-funnel digital marketing mandate

DigiRovers Solutions has secured the integrated digital mandate for fantasy gaming platform Vision11. The agency will manage performance marketing, user acquisition, influencer and affiliate outreach, and digital creative strategy. Vision11 is looking to scale its reach, particularly ahead of the upcoming sports season. Ravi Khanna, DigiRovers’ global business director confirmed the scope of the engagement, which will focus on ROI-driven execution and regional expansion, especially across tier 2 and 3 markets. DigiRovers has experience in performance-focused digital growth for consumer tech and gaming brands.

Lowe Lintas appoints Anurag Prasad to head Gurgaon operations

Lowe Lintas has appointed chief strategy officer Anurag Prasad as the new head of its Gurgaon office. He succeeds Naveen Gaur, who left the agency after a 15-year stint to pursue entrepreneurial ventures. Prasad has been with Lowe Lintas for over two decades and has worked across brands including Maruti Suzuki, Google and Havells. His role has focused on integrating consumer insights with brand strategy. Prasad has also represented the agency at the Effie Awards jury and worked on proprietary research studies like State of States.

Connect Network launches GenreAI for cinema media planning

Connect Network Inc. has launched GenreAI, an AI-powered cinema media planning tool within its adtech platform, Immersive. GenreAI uses audience data, regional film databases, and brand profiling to match advertising with film genres based on psychographic and emotional alignment. It also incorporates census layers and mobility data to enable localised targeting across city tiers. The tool includes a ‘Fit Score’ framework, which assesses the alignment between film narratives and brand messaging. GenreAI aims to bring data-driven precision to cinema advertising.

Bharatesh Salian appointed president – digital at Wondrlab

Wondrlab has appointed Bharatesh Salian as president – digital. He will lead the company’s digital practice, covering performance, experience, content, and commerce. Salian will also focus on strengthening Wondrlab’s capabilities in social media, digital storytelling, and AI-powered marketing. He joins with over 20 years of experience, having worked at Interpublic Group, Publicis Groupe, and Omnicom Media Group. Prior to this, he was SVP – marketing science and CX at FCB/SIX, handling mandates for brands including Amazon, HDFC Bank, and JioMart across multiple sectors such as FMCG, BFSI, fashion, and government.

Alchemist promotes Miranda and Abreu as partners

Alchemist Marketing & Talent Solutions has promoted Curte Carrie Miranda and Malaica Abreu to the position of partners. Miranda, who has been with the agency for six years, will also take on the role of national head – healthcare, overseeing expansion across cities. He previously led the Aurange division for non-real estate integrated marketing. Abreu, associated with Alchemist since its early days, continues to head the Auntourage division, which handles celebrity-driven campaigns. Both appointments reflect their long-standing involvement in the agency’s operations and leadership responsibilities.

PepsiCo India appoints Saakshi Verma Menon as CMO – Foods

PepsiCo India has named Saakshi Verma Menon as chief marketing officer – foods. She will oversee marketing strategy, brand initiatives, and consumer engagement across the company’s foods portfolio. Menon joins from PepsiCo’s AMESA regional team, where she worked on campaigns for brands including Pepsi, 7Up, and Dew. Her previous experience includes roles at Colgate-Palmolive, Uber, and Kimberly-Clark, spanning over two decades across brand and marketing leadership.

Huella Services names Pankajj Rai as VP – ad sales

Huella Services has appointed Pankajj Rai as vice president – ad sales. He will lead monetisation for Newsroom AI and support the company’s upcoming initiatives in interactive and AI-led advertising. Rai will also work with the leadership team on product-market fit, partnerships, and go-to-market strategy. He brings over 18 years of experience, including roles as business head at Zee Media (WION and Zee Business), national sales head at Qyou Media, and commercial lead for Zee TV, Zee Cinema, and Zee Bollywood across North and East India.

Digistreet to handle branding and digital for Tasty Ninja

DigiStreet Media has been awarded the branding and digital mandate for Tasty Ninja, a snacking brand from Ichiban Oishi LLP Foods. The agency will manage the development of the brand’s visual identity, product packaging, e-commerce platform, and digital content strategy. Tasty Ninja’s first product, Zoodles, offers instant noodles with Indian and Korean flavours. The mandate includes content creation for social media and digital platforms aimed at youth-oriented audiences, alongside establishing a consistent visual and messaging framework across channels.

Glance names Amit Bansal to lead Roposo's AI commerce plans

Glance has appointed Amit Bansal as senior vice president and general manager of Roposo, its AI-led commerce platform. He will oversee Roposo’s growth as a content-driven digital storefront ecosystem and collaborate with Glance and InMobi’s platforms to support innovation and expansion. Bansal previously founded Solv, a B2B commerce platform, and has held leadership roles at Flipkart, Reliance Retail, and Ezmall. His focus has been on digital commerce and business scalability across India’s retail and tech landscape.

Wellbeing Nutrition hires Varun Kandhari as marketing head

Wellbeing Nutrition has appointed Varun Kandhari as chief marketing and growth officer. He will lead the company’s marketing and commercial strategies as it targets revenue growth and international expansion in 2026. Kandhari has held leadership roles at Mars Wrigley, Unilever, and Davide Campari-Milano N.V. His past responsibilities have included marketing strategy, P&L management, and category development across India and South Asia. His new role aligns with the company’s broader plans to scale operations and brand presence.

Realme awards media duties to Arena India

Arena India, part of Havas Media Network India, has secured the integrated media mandate for smartphone brand Realme following a multi-agency pitch. The win allows Arena India to retain its existing business with Realme and expand the scope to include full-funnel media duties spanning traditional, digital, and strategic partnerships. The expanded remit will be managed from Arena India’s Gurugram office.  

Smoke Lab appoints Actimedia as PR partner

Smoke Lab, India’s homegrown vodka brand from NV Group, has appointed Actimedia PR & Digital to handle its communications strategy in India and overseas. As part of the deal, Actimedia will lead media relations and brand positioning, highlighting Smoke Lab’s design and ingredient credentials. The communications campaign will focus on strengthening the brand’s image as a ‘Make in India’ premium spirit. The partnership comes as Smoke Lab expands its footprint in India and other parts of the globe, including the UK market.

Shardeum launches PayFi hackathon in India

Shardeum, in partnership with WeCraft Studio, has launched PayFi-focused online mini hackathon as part of GameOn 2025 in India. The event aims to engage over 400 students from institutions including IITs and NITs to develop blockchain-based payment solutions. PayFi combines traditional payment systems with decentralised finance to make crypto transactions as intuitive as conventional methods. Shardeum offers a scalable blockchain platform with low fees, high throughput, and developer tools to support next-generation financial applications. Participants will develop solutions across themes such as micro and macro payments, crypto remittances, tipping, user interface enhancements, and peer-to-peer commerce. Winning teams will receive SHM grants, mentorship, and exposure to investors through post-hackathon showcases.

WebEngage appoints global channels head

WebEngage has appointed Sanjay Prasad as vice president and global head of channels and alliances to lead its enterprise partnerships and expand strategic relationships with consulting firms, system integrators, and marketing agencies. Prasad brings over two decades of experience in enterprise sales and alliances, with prior leadership roles at IBM, HP, Oracle, Red Hat, LeadSquared, and MoEngage. His remit includes driving WebEngage’s go-to-market strategies across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific. WebEngage aims to institutionalise collaboration models with channel partners and system integrators to enable seamless implementation and improve digital transformation outcomes. The company provides a customer data and engagement platform that unifies data across silos, facilitates multi-channel user journeys, and drives personalisation to increase conversion across web and mobile apps. Currently used by over 850 brands across industries such as e-commerce, travel, financial services, automotive, and FMCG, WebEngage's client list includes Unilever, Airtel, Myntra, Groww, Sony, and Tata Motors.

ViewTrade appoints Adarsh Mishra to lead content

Adarsh Mishra has joined ViewTrade Holding Corporation as content lead. Mishra brings close to 10 years of experience in content strategy and brand development. He has worked on intellectual property creation and audience growth for platforms including WTF by Nikhil Kamath, BeerBiceps, Figuring Out, and Josh Talks. His approach has emphasised aligning content with broader business goals. ViewTrade, founded in 2000 and headquartered in Jersey City, provides brokerage infrastructure and technology solutions to financial institutions, fintech companies, and wealth managers. Its platform capabilities include APIs, white-label systems, onboarding tools, and post-trade support. The hiring of a content lead signals the company’s intent to enhance its market positioning through structured, insight-driven content initiatives such as educational resources, strategic content for clients, and engagement materials to support business development and platform adoption. Mishra’s appointment follows a trend within financial technology firms to integrate content and storytelling as part of brand-building and client enablement efforts.

Barco, Prasad Film Labs launch HDR grading facility

Barco and Prasad Film Labs have launched India’s first HDR colour grading facility at Prasad’s Chennai studio. The suite is powered by Barco’s HDR Lightsteering technology, including the LS4K-P HDR projector and custom HDR Lightbox. The setup enables accurate colour grading and ensures that visuals are displayed on-screen exactly as intended by filmmakers. The 51-foot screen and long throw distance make it the largest HDR by Barco grading suite in the world. It is also the first in Asia to feature this technology. The studio is equipped with Baselight Version 6, a leading platform for colour grading, and supports deliverables for OTT, satellite and broadcast platforms. Two major blockbusters have already begun HDR grading at the facility. Barco has also announced plans to expand its HDR footprint in India through partnerships with Qube and TDI to roll out 80 new HDR screens over five years.

The Advertising Club Madras announces MADDYS 2025

The Advertising Club Madras has announced the 43rd edition of its MADDYS awards, introducing international participation and a new theme: ‘AI vs AI—Awesome Ideas vs Awesome Ideas.’ The awards recognise excellence across six streams—Creative, Design & Print Craft, Film & Audio Craft, Digital, Media, and Regional Pride (Tamil). MADDYS 2025 will feature 155 categories judged in two rounds, overseen by a process auditor and category-specific jury chairs. Points will contribute to the Agency and Client of the Year awards. The full-day celebration aims to elevate the national advertising platform through transparency, inclusivity, and global benchmarking.