MAM
netCORE names Kalpit Jain as CEO
MUMBAI: Digital marketing solutions company netCORE has appointed Kalpit Jain as chief executive officer, effective from August, 2015.
In his new role, Kalpit will lead global operations with a special focus on business and sales, product and people development. This move is in alignment with company’s strategy of accelerating growth in India and globally. After the former CEO moved out of the company in August 2014, founder and MD Rajesh Jain was at the helm of operations as interim CEO.
Rajesh Jain said, “Kalpit became an obvious choice for the role owing to his deep domain expertise and unprecedented commitment to the growth of the company. He has always believed in building a very strong, profitable company in a competitive marketplace. I am confident that his in-depth industry knowledge and leadership capabilities will further strengthen our market positioning and contribute immensely as netCORE rides the digital wave.”
“It is exciting to be a part of a next generation company, which is focused on bringing innovative products like SmarTech in Marketing Automation and Iris in Internet of Things to the Indian market. The tremendous growth in digital marketing industry and onslaught of various cloud-based models have given rise to the need for DIY marketing platforms. Hence, our strategy is focussed on expanding the portfolio of services with DIY and reach out to national & international markets with it,” added Kalpit Jain.
Kalpit has over 17 years of experience at netCORE, having joined as a software programmer in 1998. Over the years, he has vastly contributed to the company’s evolution from a start-up to an industry leader in the Indian Enterprise Communication & Digital Marketing space, serving in numerous capacities. As the business head at netCORE, he was instrumental in re-inventions in product development and operations and was also instrumental in the expansion of the Mumbai-based company to five other locations in India. He has been handling technology, marketing and operations of all netCORE’s divisions as its COO since 2011.
MAM
VML India lands two finalist spots at Cairns Hatchlings 2026
The Mumbai agency is back in Australia with two teams, a UN brief and 24 hours to impress
MUMBAI: VML India is heading to Australia again. The Mumbai-based creative agency has secured two finalist spots at the Cairns Hatchlings 2026 competition, one in the Audio category and one in Design, making it the only Indian agency to have reached the finals in both editions of the contest since its launch in 2025.
Four people will make the trip. Senior copywriter Shilpi Dey and senior art director Raj Thakkar will compete in Audio. Art directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi will go head-to-head with the world’s best in Design. The finals take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 13th May, culminating in an awards ceremony on 15th May.
The work that got them there is worth examining. For the Audio category, Dey and Thakkar tackled a brief for LIVE LIKE MMAD with a campaign called Inner Voice, Interrupted. Using spatial audio techniques, the campaign recreates the overwhelming self-doubt that descends after a long workday, physically panning negative thoughts left and right before cutting the noise entirely to reveal a confident inner voice. Strategically targeted at commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours, the campaign reframes the hours after work as an opportunity for personal growth and charitable action.
For the Design category, Shabbir and Negi worked on a brief for Canteen’s Bandanna Day, a campaign highlighting how cancer pushes teenagers out of their own defining moments. Using a pixelated design language to create stark contrast between a blurred world of isolation and a focused world of connection, the campaign, titled The Flipside of Cancer, shows teenagers fading into the background of birthdays, skateparks and school proms. As a Canteen bandanna appears, the blur flips and the teenager snaps back into sharp focus.
Kalpesh Patankar, group chief creative officer of VML India, made no attempt to disguise his satisfaction. “We are immensely proud to see our teams consistently excel on the Cairns Hatchlings platform since its inception,” he said. “They have masterfully tackled challenging briefs across diverse categories, demonstrating both layered storytelling and a unique creative approach. This exceptional teamwork is truly inspiring.”
Dey and Thakkar, returning to the finals after last year’s run, were candid about the demands of the audio medium. “It’s one of the most demanding mediums, where we only have a few seconds to capture a listener’s world with sound alone, so absolute clarity is essential,” they said. “The true measure of creative work is its ability to create positive change, and our audio submission was made to help those who need it most while encouraging people to silence the inner voices that hold them back.”
Shabbir and Negi, competing in Design for the first time, described the experience as “a completely different beast.” “We see it as an opportunity to showcase our expertise, raise the bar, and challenge ourselves in new ways, while also learning from creative minds from across the globe,” they said.
In Australia, the four finalists will face a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations before presenting in a live pitch session. Twenty-four hours, one brief, one shot. VML India has been here before. It knows exactly what is at stake.
