MAM
Media One appoints Black Swan for creative duties
MUMBAI: Kerala-based start up agency Black Swan India has won the creative duties of Media One, the upcoming general entertainment channel in Malayalam.
Black Swan India will be responsible for the 360 degree campaign, predominantly print, outdoor and activations which cover Kerala as well as GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council) markets.
The account win comes after a multi-agency pitch.
Media One deputy CEO M Sajid said, ‘‘Black Swan clearly understood the principles Media One stand for and presented a creative platform that goes along with the kind of brand image we want to portray.”
Black Swan India MD and CEO Raman P Namboothiri said, “Media One is a one-of-a-kind channel and our campaign reflects its uniqueness. It is an exciting brand to work on and the best thing that happened to Black Swan ever since its inception.”
Media One is operated by Madhyamam Broadcasting Ltd and offers a mix of entertainment and news based programmes. Media One TV is headquartered at Kozhikode with news bureaus in New Delhi, Dubai, Riyadh, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Malappuram and has Dr Abdussalam Ahmad as its CEO.
Black Swan India is a start-up agency co-founded by Raman P Namboodiri, Pradeep Menon and Rajesh Rajagopalan who each have more than 15 years experience in advertising industry. Black Swan India is predominantly a creative agency offering strategy and creative solutions to a varied clientele. The major accounts include Paul Alukkas Jewellery, Allieds Lifestyle, My Little Heart, Best FM, United Sanitation Devices and Rahna Homes.
Brands
Tata Sons defers decision on chairman N Chandrasekaran’s third term
Term runs till 2027, but board differences are stalling extension talks
MUMBAI: Tata Sons has deferred a decision on whether to extend the tenure of its chairman, N Chandrasekaran, injecting fresh uncertainty into the leadership timeline of India’s largest conglomerate.
The board had last year cleared a third executive term for Chandrasekaran running until February 2027, when he turned 65. However, deliberations on any further extension were put on hold this week after differences emerged during a board meeting, CNBC-TV18 reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The pause underscores internal strains as the group pushes through an aggressive investment cycle while grappling with uneven financial returns. The Economic Times reported that Chandrasekaran himself asked for discussions on his reappointment to be deferred after some directors raised concerns about mounting losses at several newer businesses.
Those concerns were led by Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata, the principal shareholder of Tata Sons. Other board members countered that losses were expected in early-stage, capital-intensive ventures designed to secure the group’s long-term position.
Since taking charge in 2017, following the ouster of Cyrus Mistry, Chandrasekaran has driven a phase of expansion and consolidation. Over the past five years, the tata group has nearly doubled revenue and more than tripled net profit and market capitalisation, while committing about Rs 5.5 lakh crore to investments aimed at making the conglomerate “future fit”, according to its latest annual report.
Recent numbers, however, present a more mixed picture. Tata Sons reported a 24 per cent rise in revenue to Rs 5.92 lakh crore in fiscal 2025, while net profit fell 17 per cent to Rs 28,898 crore.
In its annual report, the company said the year opened with expectations of macroeconomic stability and easing inflation. That optimism faded as uncertainty over global trade policy intensified, complicating the operating environment.
For now, the question of leadership continuity at the apex of the Tata Group remains unresolved and closely watched by investors assessing the cost and conviction behind the conglomerate’s long-term bets.
