Brands
Itel amongst Africa’s top 100 most admired brands
MUMBAI: In an announcement that emphasises the impact of the brand in the overseas market, itel, the hi-tech innovative brand for the masses, has been ranked 51stin the list of the ‘Most Admired Brands in Africa’ in 2015. The latest rankings by African Business, Africa’s biggest business magazine, saw itel move up 21 positions to be placed above other leading global brands such as Toshiba, Sharp, BlackBerry and Facebook.
Speaking on the announcement, Sudhir Kumar, CEO, itel Mobile India, said, “itel was established to make quality mobile connectivity solutions accessible to the aspiring consumer base across the world. Being named amongst the ‘Most Admired Brands in Africa’ highlights the difference we have made to the continent’s consumers by bridging the technological gap between the urban and rural geographies. We will be looking to build on that success and consolidate our presence in India by delivering best-in-class features at highly cost-effective prices. Our products have already received an impressive response from the country’s consumers, and we are confident that we will be able to drive the cause of Digital India through our state-of-the-art innovations and feature-driven products.”
The latest achievement underlines itel’s impact within the African region as an enabler that aims to empower every individual with value added and best-in-class mobility-based communication solutions. The brand, which has sold more than 70 million handsets worldwide since its inception, was previously ranked 72nd in the 2014 list of ‘Most Admired Brands in Africa’.
Brands
Komerz acquires Glassbox to launch creative commerce model in India
Brand storytelling meets AI-driven distribution as Komerz targets $345bn digital market
MUMBAI: London-headquartered commerce platform Komerz has acquired brand and marketing consultancy Glassbox, creating a single integrated system that blends creativity, distribution, and measurable sales.
The move introduces a new “creative commerce” model, combining AI-powered infrastructure, brand strategy, and performance measurement within one platform. By connecting upper-funnel brand building with lower-funnel conversion and repeat purchases, the combined entity aims to provide brands with a seamless growth engine.
Komerz Global CEO Ramesh Krishnamurthy said, “Creative commerce must operate across the funnel. Contextual content, data-led activation and distribution must function as one accountable growth engine.”
Komerz global COO Siddharth Shankar added, “Creative without distribution is theatre. Distribution without brand equity is discounting. Bringing both together lets brands build equity while driving measurable growth.”
Glassbox, founded in 2021 by Geetanjali Bhattacharji and Anil Nair, works across brand strategy, marketing transformation, and integrated communications. Bhattacharji said the integration reflects how “brand building must evolve from episodic campaigns to always-on, data-informed commerce frameworks.”
Komerz, valued around $330 million, operates across the UK, Europe, Asia, and North America. The acquisition will help multinational corporations manage complex global portfolios while enabling challenger and D2C brands to scale across India’s digital commerce market, projected to reach $345 billion by 2030.
With this deal, Komerz is strengthening its global “creative commerce” footprint, following its recent acquisition of US retail measurement firm Pathformance, and positioning itself at the intersection of creativity, commerce, and technology.
