Havas Media Group India (HMGI) has recently won the integrated media mandate of V-Guard Industries Limited, a consumer electrical and electronics company.

The mandate was won following a highly competitive multi-agency pitch and includes Digital, TV, Print, Radio, OOH, Cinema duties. The account will be handled by the agency’s Bengaluru team lead by Saurabh Jain, Managing Partner – South, Havas Media Group India alongside the able leadership of Uday Mohan, President and Chief Client Officer, Havas Media Group India.

Havas Media Group India and V-Guard will work closely to develop and implement an integrated media strategy that will effectively reach and engage with their target audience. The expertise of Havas Media Group India will be invaluable to V-Guard in their expansion plans as their brand and reach continues to grow, the agency said.

Nandagopal Nair, Vice President & Head – Brand & Communications, V-Guard Industries Limited, said, "As a brand, we have always believed in consumer centricity. Today, the consumer purchase journey has become even more complex with multiple lines zigzagging about to move consumers from discovery to the final purchase. We were looking for a media partner who will navigate this complexity, work closely with the brand, align the defined media objectives to business and help achieve the desired outcomes. In Havas we found a partner who demonstrated the right strategic intent backed by a coherent, well-defined approach to deliver to the objectives. Would also like to thank Deloitte (Spatial Access) who partnered with us in the agency selection process."

Commenting on the win, Mohit Joshi, CEO, Havas Media Group India, said, "We are delighted to partner with V-Guard Industries, an established brand in the consumer electrical and electronics segment. Havas Media Group India is known for its innovative and data-driven approach to meaningful media solutions, and we are confident that our expertise will help V-Guard achieve their business objectives. We are looking forward to working together to develop a strong and effective media strategy that will drive their brand awareness and engagement."

Madhur Bhandarkar, Indian film director, script writer and producer, has joined the exchange4media News Broadcasting Awards (enba) jury panel. In 2016, Bhandarkar was honoured with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour, by the Government of India.

Bhandarkar is a famous name in the film industry. His drama film Chandni Bar (2001) won him the National Film Award for Best Film on Social Issues. He was also honoured with the National Film Awards for the Best Feature Film and Best Director for Page 3 (2005) and Traffic Signal (2007) respectively. Also, the drama film Fashion (2008) garnered him several accolades including National Film Award, Filmfare Awards nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay.

He was conferred PL Deshpande Award (Zenith Asia Award) for significantly shaping the film making culture in his unique works. He is known as the 'the Film Maker of the First Decade of the 21st Century'. In November 2010, the National Film Archive of India (NFAI) announced to preserve all the films of Madhur Bhandarkar. With this, Chandni Bar, Page-3, Corporate, Traffic Signal, Fashion and Jail found space in Government's Archival data for Indian films.

The exchange4media Group formulated enba in 2008 with the objective of recognizing the best in television news, and to reward industry leaders who are responsible for shaping the future of television broadcasting in India. This year, enba is in its 15th edition. The grand jury this time will be led by Sunil Arora, a senior bureaucrat and former Election Commissioner of India.

Jayen Mehta, Managing Director of Amul, has joined the enba jury panel.

Earlier COO, he succeeded RS Sodhi as Managing Director in January.

Mehta joined Amul in 1991 and has served as the brand manager, group product manager and general manager of the company. He has also been the MD in-charge of Amul Dairy, Anand in 2018.

Mehta is a gold medalist from Sardar Patel University and is an alumnus of the Institute of Rural Management, Anand, Gujarat.

The enba jury this year will be led by Sunil Arora, a senior bureaucrat, and former Election Commissioner of India.

In the last editions, the enba jury was led by Sh. Harivansh Narayan Singh – Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Dr. Kiran Karnik – Former President – Nasscom, Dr. Nasim Zaidi - Former Chief Election Commissioner of India, S.Y. Quraishi – Former Chief Election Commissioner of India, N. Ram – Chairman, Kasturi & Sons Ltd., Former Editor–in-chief The Hindu and Group Newspapers, Sanjay Gupta – Managing Director – Star India.

exchange4media formulated enba in 2008 with the objective of recognizing the best in television news, and to reward industry leaders who are responsible for shaping the future of television broadcasting in India.

Taco Bell, which has been leveraging influencer marketing, collaborated with youth icon and gaming enthusiast Rannvijay Singha in 2021 for the #CravingMeetsGaming experience through a virtual Game Session in the racing game Forza Horizon 4. In the same year, they also did #ISeeATaco campaign as well. 

Syed Zafar Islam former Rajya Sabha MP, and politician with the Bharatiya Janata Party has joined the enba Jury Panel.

He is the national spokesperson for the BJP and a former member of the upper house of parliament from the Uttar Pradesh constituency. He has previously been an investment banker and managing director at Deutsche Bank.

He was appointed as the non-official independent director of Air India 2017. Zafar Islam frequently writes opinion pieces on economic and political affairs in national publications like the Hindustan Times.

The enba jury this year will be led by Sunil Arora, a senior bureaucrat, and former Election Commissioner of India.

In the last editions, the ENBA jury was led by Sh. Harivansh Narayan Singh – Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Dr. Kiran Karnik – Former President – Nasscom, Dr. Nasim Zaidi - Former Chief Election Commissioner of India, S.Y. Quraishi – Former Chief Election Commissioner of India, N. Ram – Chairman, Kasturi & Sons Ltd., Former Editor–in-chief The Hindu and Group Newspapers, Sanjay Gupta – Managing Director – Star India.

exchange4media formulated enba in 2008 with the objective of recognizing the best in television news, and to reward industry leaders who are responsible for shaping the future of television broadcasting in India.

India has bagged its first Oscars for 2023 for the Netflix documentary movie ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ at the 95th Academy Awards for 'Best Documentary Short Film'. Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga the director-producer team behind the film have dedicated the win to India. SS Rajamouli's period action blockbuster 'RRR' also clinched a win for Original Song "Naatu Naatu."

The 40-minute documentary is centred on the bond between animals and humans and tells the story of a Tamil couple named Bomman and Belli who bring up an orphaned elephant named Raghu. The film reflects upon the struggles of the couple who fight against all odds to raise the elephant into a healthy juvenile. The film is set in the Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu.

The Telugu hit song was competing with "Applause" from "Tell It Like a Woman", "Hold My Hand" from "Top Gun: Maverick", "Lift Me Up" from "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "This is a Life" from "Everything Everywhere all at Once."

Rohit Jawa is all set to join as the CEO designate and whole-time director for HUL from April 1, 2023, and will also take over as the president of Unilever South Asia. He will join the Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE) on April 1, 2023.

Who is Rohit Jawa?

Rohit Jawa is presently the Chief of Transformation for Unilever in London since January 2022. Jawa started as a management trainee in 1988 and has worked in the company across India, South East Asia and North Asia.

He started his career with HUL as a management trainee in 1988 and has a proven track record of sustained business results across - India, South East Asia, and North Asia. As EVP for North Asia & Chairman for Unilever China, he led a significant transformation of Unilever China into a competitive, profitable, and consistent business, now Unilever’s 3rd biggest globally.

He was also the Chairman of Unilever Philippines where he led the business to become one of the top 10 markets for Unilever globally.

In a statement, HUL said, "Rohit’s ability to integrate the strength of traditional markets with digital technologies and future-fit business models, positions him well to take HUL into its next growth phase."

Having done a Bachelor of Science from St. Stephens College, Delhi and an MBA from Faculty of Management Study (1986-88), Jawa recently got an Executive Education Certificate in Advanced Management Program, Business Administration and Management, General from Harvard Business School.

In 1988, Jawa started his career with HUL as a management trainee and has a proven track record of sustained business results across - India, South-East Asia, and North Asia. In June 1988, he became General Manager for the Western Region in-charge of the sales and operations.

After staying in the role for nearly 16 years, he became Vice President for Unilever Vietnam from May 2004 to Oct 2006. He was Head of the Home Care business and Marketing function for Unilever Vietnam.

Jawa, throughout his marketing career, has contributed to the industry in the Asian region, including serving as an expert speaker and judge in several regional advertising and marketing forums. Internationalist Magazine recognised him as one of 'The Asia 50' marketers in 2013. He was also awarded the 'CEO Excel' Award for 2015 by the Philippines chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators for leadership in business communication.