Journalist and author Aditya Kant has joined The Statesman as a Senior Executive Editor. A seasoned  journalist with over 27 years of professional experience in in-depth reporting and editing, Aditya Kant was working with The Times of India Chandigarh, before  moving to The Statesman.

Confirming the development, Kant mentioned that The Statesman has elaborate plans of revamping its news website, which would primarily focus on providing news and entertainment content with a difference.

Vineet Gupta, Director The Statesman.com, said that keeping in view the changing trends in the digital media, a team of young and experienced hands was being formed, which would ensure that the readers and viewers are catered to a steady flow of authentic news and information, which is in line with the age old tradition of The Statesman but also is appealing to the young readers.

"We are aiming to cater to all the sections by providing the content which is not only informative and credible but also help our readers in developing an independent opinion. The objective is not to influence them but help them develop their independent and inforned opinion by providing them news, views and authentic information, he added.

Before joining The Statesman, Aditya Kant has worked at key editorial positions in several prominent English publications in cities like New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and Chandigarh.

After beginning as a trainee journalist in a local daily  in mid-nineties in Shimla, he went on to acquire senior editorial positions in the country's leading publications and helmed the editions of prominent  English newspapers like The Times of India, Ahmedabad Mirror, Hindustan Times, The Delhi Times and  DNA.    

Kant recently created ripples with his debut novel High on Kasol which had drawn accolades for its bold subject depicting the emerging trends of drug smuggling and their link with the disappearance of foreigners in the Parvati valley in Himachal Pradesh.

Growing up in the hills of Kullu valley in Himachal Pradesh, Aditya developed a passion for writing and narrating mysterious ghost stories.  It was his fondness for writing that prompted him to take up the profession of journalism. Aditya began his journalistic career at The Himachal Times, a newspaper in Shimla during his college days. Later he joined The Sun, a fortnightly magazine in Delhi, and then moved to The Delhi Times as a crime reporter. A prolific writer and a passionate reporter, he covered varied issues of human interest ranging from the drug menace in Tihar jail to the problems being faced by the sex workers at the GB Road.              

When not reporting, he indulges in his love for writing, and his debut novel, High on Kasol, which has drawn accolades from the national and international media bears testimony to his creative skills. Over the years, Aditya has covered a range of topics, from politics, crime, legal and current affairs to lifestyle and entertainment. He has interviewed some of the most influential people in India and has traveled to different parts of the cities and tribal areas to report from ground zero on stories that matter.

A journalist par excellence, Aditya Kant has gained recognition as a writer and a storyteller through his debut novel, High on Kasol which created ripples for its bold subject and flawless narration.

Besides being on the guest faculties of several institutions of journalism, Aditya is also involved in sharing knowledge through conferences, webinars, and motivational speeches.

 Aditya's ability to connect with people and tell their stories in a compelling way has earned him a reputation as a skilled journalist and a master storyteller.

Kant recently created ripples with his debut novel High on Kasol which had drawn accolades for its bold subject depicting the emerging trends of drug smuggling and their link with the disappearance of foreigners in the Parvati valley in Himachal Pradesh.

Meta's Director-Marketing Avinash Pant has moved on, as per media reports. He was with the company for over 3 years.

Prior to Meta, Pant was Director-Marketing at Red Bull and before that he was with Nike India as Head of Marketing.

Pant has also worked with The Walt Disney Company and Coca-Cola.

Tilt Brand Solutions has elevated Adarsh Atal to the role of Chief Creative Officer.

Prior to this, he was Executive Creative Director. The development is effective with immediate effect.

T Gangadhar, Group CEO, Quotient Ventures said, “Adarsh has been a key contributor to our creative reputation and I am excited to see him embark on his new and elevated role. I am confident he will take our creative product to even greater heights – I wish him the very best on this quest”.

Adarsh Atal has been with Tilt Brand Solutions since 2019.

He will continue to report to Shriram Iyer, Group Chief Creative Officer, Quotient Ventures.

Commenting on this development, Shriram Iyer said, "Adarsh has consistently delivered engaging pieces of work on some of the biggest brands in the country. His commitment to problem solving and the diligence and rigour he backs it up with, make him a natural choice for leading the creative mandate at Tilt. His popularity amongst his peers and his willingness to roll up his sleeves make him the team player we need, to helm this responsibility”.

Speaking of his new role, Adarsh Atal said, “The last four years at Tilt have been a massive learning experience for me. Not just on the creative front, but also on how imperative a great culture is to do great work. At Tilt, while we wear our work as a badge of honour, we also take a lot of pride in what goes on behind the scenes to create the work. I am looking forward to continue to do my bit towards getting this immensely talented bunch the growth, fame and joy that their great work deserves”.

Krishan Kumar Chutani, former CEO of Dabur International, who stepped down in Jan 2023 has joined Haldiram’s as CEO. 

Chutani confirmed this development to e4m.

Prior to joining Haldiram’s, he was associated with Dabur for close to 26 years.

Krishan Kumar Chutani has been pioneering the innovation game at Dabur since 1992. Fondly known as KC, he led Dabur International business with an annual turnover of more than AED 1.2 billion and is responsible for its operation in countries in the Middle East and Africa, the USA, the UK, Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, China, and Southeast Asia, CIS, and other emerging markets. As a visionary business leader, he has been instrumental in transforming a home-grown brand into an international leader in Ayurveda-based products, without drifting away from core values.

Dabur’s international success can be attributed to his keen sense of analysing the next wave in international consumer business and surfed innovatively to not just make profits but also breakthrough products. Dabur’s success in international business stands strong on KC’s acumen for exploring newer avenues to eventually build brands that are game-changers in their respective categories. He has crafted Dabur’s international growth story by spotting opportunities and has been a major driving force behind Dabur’s diversification and meteoric rise in various consumer product segments.

Prior to Chutani’s stint as CEO, Dabur International Ltd, Malhotra served as the Chief Executive Officer of Dabur International for over a decade. He’s currently the CEO of Dabur India Ltd.

Chutani holds masters degree in Business Economics Management from Delhi University and Executive Education from IIM Ahmedabad and Insead. He has also completed the Global Advanced Leadership Program from Kellogg School of Management.

Rephrase.AI has appointed Jay Morzaria as Creative Head. He was earlier working as a Creative Director for OktoBuzz.

Morzaria has been in the advertising and marketing industry for over a decade now. Before OktoBuzz, he was with Spring Marketing Digital for seven months and before that with Schbang.

He also worked for Atom Network as a Creative Partner until November 2020. Prior to that, he spent 6 months with The Glitch.

Asked about his plans with Rephrase.AI, Morzaria said, “Whenever a new innovation comes about, it disrupts the normal way of doing things. I think, at the time, it’s important to assess what the future of that innovation would be and whether it is a passing trend or something that’s here to stay. I believe that GenAI is a long-term bet, and we are looking at a future where every creative person like me is just going to feel much more empowered. I have chosen to be an enabler of this wonderful innovation, and at Rephrase, my effort would be to add a creative touch to the videos generated for Rephrase and for its clients, as well as contribute to the overall marketing KRAs in terms of providing strategic creative input at various levels.”

Rajiv Makhni has moved on from NDTV after a 20-year long stint with the news channel. He was on a conuslting role with the NDTV.

Confirming the same to exchange4media, Makhni said he would be making an announcement soon on his next venture.

“I am evaluating three offers. Will be announcing which one I am accepting within a few days.”

Makhni has been known for hosting shows like Gadget Guru, Cell Guru, NewsNet 3.0 and Walk the Tech Talk, which aired on NDTV Network.

As per sources, Youtuber Gaurav Chowdhary will be replacing Makhni in NDTV. 

Global beverage giant Pepsico has elevated Tarun Bhagat to Chief Marketing Officer, India and South Asia Beverages. Bhagat took to LinkedIn to share the news of his promotion: "I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Chief Marketing Officer, India & South Asia Beverages at PepsiCo!"  

Previously, he was the Senior Director:Marketing for Mountain Dew, 7UP, Mirinda – International Beverages. 

He joined the company in 2018 as Brand Director for Pepsi. Prior to that, Bhagat was Group Product Manager-Kingfisher Beer.