MAM
Contract appoints Mayur Hola as ECD
MUMBAI: Mayur Hola has joined Contract India as executive creative director, based in Delhi.
Prior to this, Mayur was with McCann on some of the most talked about and award winning campaigns like Pan Vilas’ ‘Shauq Badi Cheez Hai’ and the Nescafe – Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy work, for which his team won an integrated ABBY and the marketing campaign of the year at the CMO Asia awards.
“Mayur is a fantastic new addition to our rapidly growing Delhi branch, and he will lead the creative charge of that office from here on. In the last few years, his work on brands like Nescafe, Dish TV, and Chevrolet, has been noticed, applauded and awarded. Plus he is a fabulous team-builder, so I am positive that with him on board, Contract, Delhi is going to be a revved up, happy place”, said Contract’s NCD Ashish Chakravarthy on the appointment.
This would be Mayur’s second stint at Contract. He started his career in advertising with McCann as a writer, where he spent close to seven years over three stints. At McCann he launched the life insurance brand PNB MetLife with its ‘Be Double Sure’ work, conceived the madness of Dish TV’s ‘Dish Sawaar Hai’ campaign and carried forward the power brand Chevy Cruze for GM in addition to the most awarded Nescafé campaign.
Over the course of his career, Mayur has worked with TBWA where he headed the Delhi office, Grey and Contract.
Brands
Pocket FM elevates Lalit Gangwar to COO to drive global growth
Founding member to lead operations, monetisation and expansion across markets
MUMBAI: Pocket FM has elevated Lalit Gangwar to chief operating officer, tasking the founding team member with leading global business operations as the company sharpens its international growth strategy.
In his new role, Gangwar will oversee end-to-end operations across markets, including growth, monetisation and execution for the company’s audio business. The appointment comes as Pocket FM looks to strengthen its operating foundation and build a more predictable, scalable global business.
Gangwar has been closely involved in shaping the company’s trajectory from its early days. He played a key role in building the growth and marketing playbook in India, helping the platform scale to over 150 million users within its first year and establish a strong foothold in the audio storytelling category.
He later led Pocket FM’s expansion into the United States, where he set up teams, defined market strategy and drove scale, contributing significantly to the company’s international ambitions.
Pocket FM co-founder and CEO Rohan Nayak said, “Lalit has been central to Pocket FM’s journey from the very beginning. He has built our growth engine and scaled our business across markets.” He added that the company’s focus on nurturing internal talent makes Gangwar a natural choice to lead the next phase.
Gangwar said, “Pocket FM has always been driven by a simple belief that powerful stories can travel across borders and create meaningful impact.” He noted that the company will continue to focus on scaling markets, investing in AI-led storytelling and strengthening monetisation.
As COO, Gangwar is expected to bring greater operating discipline while building systems, talent and processes to support long-term growth.
With leadership continuity and a clear global focus, Pocket FM appears to be turning the page to its next chapter, one that aims to take its storytelling playbook well beyond home turf.
