MAM
Get set for a chess match with the champion
MUMBAI: The fans of Chess player Viswanathan Anand may now get a chance to meet their icon as Crocin Cold & Flu Max is organising a ‘Chess Challenge’ on its Facebook page.
10 lucky winners will get a chance to meet Viswanathan Anand and one winner amongst them gets the opportunity to play a game of chess with him. While others stand a chance to win exciting prizes.
To participate in the game, consumers can log on to https://www.facebook.com/GSKCrocin. The contest commenced on 7 November and will be on till 28 November. Players can register on the Crocin Chess Challenge Facebook app and can earn points by playing against the computer. All the games against the computer are timed; hence it would be a real test of skill and technique.
The pecking order of the players on the game’s leader board is interestingly constructed classifying players as: Brilliant Bishops, Relentless Rooks, Knowledgeable Knights and the Chess Champion based on increasing order of their performance and points. While five ‘Relentless Rooks’ have a chance to win Viswanathan Anand merchandise every day, top 10 Knowledgeable Knights will get a chance to meet the legend himself. One ‘Chess Champion’ will be crowned from amongst the top 10 performers who will get to play a game of chess with the chess master.
Speaking about the contest, GlaxoSmithKline India EVP-marketing Jayant Singh said, “Over the years, Crocin has been trusted by millions of consumers in India to get effective relief from pain. Backed by the strong heritage of Crocin, New Crocin Cold & Flu Max not only provides effective relief from five signs of Cold and Flu but also helps bring back your focus. Chess is one such game that epitomizes focus and concentration. We are glad to host the ‘Chess Challenge’ with the brand ambassador for Crocin Cold & Flu Max Vishwanathan Anand. We wish him a great championship ahead!”
Delighted at being associated with the contest, Viswanathan Anand said, “Chess is a unique game that truly tests the player’s ability to strategise and foresee. I am glad to be a part of the Crocin Cold & Flu Max ‘Chess Challenge’; the contest provides a platform for chess lovers to enjoy the game and also showcase their knowledge about the game through the quiz. What is interesting is that the game can also be enjoyed by inviting friends to join. I am looking forward to being challenged by the contest winner; it will certainly be an exciting game of chess!”
The ‘Chess Challenge’ is supported by an extensive campaign consisting of display banners, YouTube video pre-rolls and stamp ads. Viswanathan Anand and Crocin have a long-standing association and the ‘Chess Challenge’ takes this association forward.
Brands
Dabur buys minority stake in Ras Beauty for Rs 60 crore
Dabur Ventures deal backs fast-growing luxury skincare brand
MUMBAI: Dabur India Limited has dipped into the world of luxury skincare, signing a definitive agreement to acquire a minority stake in Ras Beauty Private Limited for Rs 60 crore. The investment marks the first bet from Dabur Ventures, the FMCG major’s Rs 500 crore platform set up in October 2025 to back high-potential, new-age direct-to-consumer brands.
Founded in Raipur by Shubhika Jain, her sister Suramya Jain and their mother Sangeeta Jain, Ras Beauty has grown from a family-led passion project into a fast-scaling “Farm-to-Face” skincare label. Its range of face elixirs, serums and moisturisers blends essential oils with nature-derived actives, striking a balance between botanical purity and laboratory precision.
The numbers tell their own story. Ras has clocked a three-year Cagr of around 75 per cent and an annual run rate of approximately Rs 100 crore, all while maintaining strong gross margins. That growth has been fuelled by a digital-first approach, in-house R&D and manufacturing, and a sharp focus on clean, sustainable sourcing.
Dabur India executive director and group head corporate strategy Abhinav Dhall, said the company was drawn to Ras’s distinct positioning at the intersection of nature, science and luxury. He added that the premium beauty segment is poised for robust expansion over the coming decade, and that Ras is well placed to capture that opportunity.
For Ras, the partnership is as much about scale as it is about shared philosophy. Co-founder and CEO Shubhika Jain said Dabur’s 141-year legacy of building trusted, purpose-led brands makes it a natural ally. The capital infusion, she noted, will help accelerate the brand’s omnichannel footprint, deepen research capabilities and invest in team and brand building, with an eye on establishing Ras as a leading Indian luxury skincare name both domestically and overseas.
With this move, Dabur is not just investing in a skincare label. It is placing an early wager on India’s growing appetite for premium, conscious beauty, and signalling that heritage FMCG players are ready to play in the new-age D2C arena.
