MAM
Etihad Airways and Jet Airways sign sponsorship of Mumbai Indians cricket team
MUMBAI: Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), continues to strengthen ties with India and equity partner, Jet Airways, following a new sponsorship deal naming both airlines as principal sponsors and official airlines of the celebrated Mumbai Indians cricket team.
This is the Abu Dhabi-based airline’s first high profile sports sponsorship in the region and one that underscores its expanding commitment to the Indian market.
A franchise cricket team of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Mumbai Indians are thelargest social sports brand in India and are closely followed by millions of fans across the globe. The team is known for its balance of experienced cricketers as well asthe young talented players scouted from India and across the world.
Crowned as champions of the 2013 IPL, the Mumbai Indians will be playing in the Pepsi IPL 2014 Tournament whose first 20 matcheswill behosted in the UAE. Along with the Mumbai Indians, seven teams will showcase their cricketing skills in the UAE leg of the tournament which will take place between 16 and 30 April at three different venues: Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.
James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “As India continues to play an important part in the growth of Etihad Airways, this new sponsorship deal provides an excellent opportunity for us to reinforce our global brand in India, cement our partnership with Jet Airways and forge close and long-lasting relationships withthe Indian travelling public, many of whom we know are huge cricket fans.
“Sport sponsorships form a major part of Etihad’s international marketing strategy. We are delighted to add the Mumbai Indians, the reigning champions of the Indian Premier League, to our growing portfolio of global sporting associations.”
Etihad Airways sponsorship portfolioincludes,Manchester City Football Club, the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Etihad Stadium in Manchester, the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Harlequins Rugby Club, GAA HurlingAll Irel and Senior Championship, and most recently the Major League Soccer in the US.
Among the highlights of the sponsorship agreement will be the display of extensive Etihad Airways and Jet Airways branding and messaging beamed across LED pitch-side advertising and on giant screens in the stadium. This will occur during the Mumbai Indians home matches including the tournament’s first game which will be played at theZayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. In addition, the airlines’ logos will be prominently displayed on the teams’ shirts and merchandise.
A comprehensive activation planwith the Mumbai Indians will be heldincluding community programs, competitions and promotions for flights and holidays with the teams’ fans.
NareshGoyal, Chairman of Jet Airways, said: “We are excited to team up with Etihad Airways to sponsor the Mumbai Indians, as they prepare to take part in one of crickets’ most high profile tournaments featuring top cricketers from all over the world.
Cricket is a hugely popular sport around the world and especially in India. Sponsoring an all-star cricket team like the Mumbai Indians will surely provide our airlines with fantastic brand exposure on a global level and offer an impressive platform to connect with our customers while at the same time engaging with the community.”
Etihad Airways currently serves a total of 10 Indian cities which includes Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai, New Delhi, Trivandrum and the recently launched route to Jaipur.
Etihad Airways and equity partner Jet airways had previously jointly hosted the Manchester City FC football coaching clinics inMumbai and Delhi in December 2013.
Brands
Yes Madam taps Rajpal Yadav’s Chota Don nostalgia to power new digital campaign
Home salon platform ropes in Tanya Mittal as it bets on humour and pop culture to showcase trust and convenience
NOIDA: India’s fast-growing home salon platform Yes Madam is leaning on nostalgia and a dose of comic chaos to pitch its services. The brand has launched a new digital campaign starring Rajpal Yadav and influencer Tanya Mittal, reviving Yadav’s much-loved Chota Don character to underline the reliability of at-home beauty services.
The campaign marks Yes Madam’s first collaboration with Rajpal Yadav and revisits the quirky Chota Don persona made famous in the 2007 film Partner. Produced with Footloose Films, the film blends slapstick humour with a nostalgic callback to spotlight the platform’s promise of dependable, quality services delivered at home.
The storyline plays out like a miniature action comedy. Tanya Mittal finds herself surrounded by goons and calls for help, only for Rajpal Yadav to appear in full Chota Don mode, dispatching the attackers in his trademark comic style as Mittal cheers him on. The drama then flips abruptly to a calmer scene, with Mittal relaxing at home while enjoying a Yes Madam service and insisting the heroic episode really happened, even as posters of Chota Don decorate her house. The film ends with Yadav’s voiceover declaring that the incident may or may not have happened, but the trust and quality of Yes Madam’s services certainly have.
The collaboration also follows a broader show of support for Rajpal Yadav within the industry. In the growing wave of backing for the veteran actor, Mayank Arya, co-founder and chief executive of Yes Madam, publicly supported actor-producer Sonu Sood’s call for concrete help from the film industry and corporate brands. Arya took to the social media platform X urging companies to move beyond expressions of sympathy and instead offer tangible opportunities to the actor amid his ongoing legal and financial challenges.
He wrote, “Seconded @SonuSood. Even brands should come forward to help the great talent. @Rajpalofficial will also be a part of an ad film @_yesmadam! Have already aligned the team on it. #ComeBackStronger.”
Seconded @SonuSood. Even brands should come forward to help the the great talent.@Rajpalofficial will also be a part of an ad film @_yesmadam !
Have already aligned the team on it.#ComeBackStronger https://t.co/Q7qpJttLTs— Mayank Arya (@iammayankarya) February 11, 2026
Rajpal Yadav recently surrendered at Tihar Jail after the Delhi High Court rejected his plea seeking additional time to repay dues in a long-running cheque-bounce case. The actor had been accused in the case in 2018 after he was unable to repay a loan taken for a film project that failed at the box office. The court later ordered him to surrender after the dues remained unpaid.
The situation triggered a wave of support from several high-profile figures. Sonu Sood emerged as one of the most prominent voices, expressing solidarity and promising Yadav a role in his next film. Sood emphasised that industry support should be about dignity and real job opportunities rather than charity. Celebrities including Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Gurmeet Choudhary and Guru Randhawa have also publicly extended financial and professional support.
Before surrendering, Rajpal Yadav shared an emotional statement in which he spoke about feeling alone and unsupported, a remark that struck a chord with many in the industry. However, his brother later clarified that the actor would never have intended to suggest that he lacked support from colleagues or well-wishers.
Reflecting on the campaign, Mayank Arya said the film was designed to entertain while strengthening the brand’s message. “At Yes Madam, we have always believed in creating campaigns that connect with audiences in an engaging and memorable way. I had earlier spoken about the importance of extending meaningful opportunities to Rajpal Yadav, and we are glad to be the first brand to take that step forward with this collaboration. Through this film, we wanted to create a compelling narrative while also reinforcing the trust and reliability that customers associate with Yes Madam’s services,” Arya said.
Akanksha Vishnoi, co-founder, said the campaign leans on nostalgia to strike a chord with digital audiences. “Consumers today engage deeply with content that blends entertainment with relatability. With this campaign, we wanted to revisit a nostalgic moment while subtly reinforcing the convenience and reliability of at-home services. Rajpal Yadav’s Chota Don is an iconic character that instantly evokes nostalgia and humour, making it the perfect fit for this campaign. Tanya Mittal’s presence added a vibrant energy and helped us bring the vision of the campaign to life,” Vishnoi said.
Founded in 2016, Yes Madam offers salon and spa services at home through trained professionals using hygienic, single-use product formats. The platform now operates in more than 55 cities across India, pitching convenience, transparency and quality to a growing base of urban consumers.
The new campaign, rolling out across social media and video platforms, makes its pitch with a wink. The Chota Don rescue might be fiction, but the promise of a salon at your doorstep, the brand suggests, is the real deal.
