MAM
Performics India elevates Gautam Surath as its chief operating officer
Mumbai: Performics India, part of Publicis Groupe India has announced the elevation of Gautam Surath as its Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective from January 1, 2024. In his new position, Surath will provide strategic direction and oversight to all domestic large client portfolio, spanning across BFSI, CPG, Telco, Travel& Hospitality, Gaming and New-Age Startup industry verticals. In addition, he will integrate Performics’s rich expertise on digital media, e-commerce and SEO with new-age beyond media capabilities such as MarTech, Data, AI and Performance creatives to help our clients maximise value from their digital investments. In this new role, Surath will report to Lalatendu Das, Performics India CEO.
Surath has been with Publicis Groupe for over 20 years, working across, China, Southeast Asia and India. Surath has demonstrated an impressive track record in serving clients across media, ecommerce, data, analytics and technology. Prior to the current role, Surath led BFSI and CPG verticals for Performics India as its Managing Partner.
Performics is a leading provider of digital, performance marketing, e-commerce, digital creative and MarTech solutions in India. Performics India has been on a strong growth trajectory, clocking double digit revenue CAGR consistently over last 4 years. Further, 2023 has been a seminal year for Performics with multiple award wins at reputed platforms such as DRUM, Effies, MMA Smarties and Emvies. Performics India’s decision to appoint Surath as COO is a strategic move aligned to the company’s overarching vision of being the ‘pre-eminent full-stack digital marketing Agency in India.’ His proficiency in cross-disciplinary functions, along with his proven leadership capabilities, positions him as a key enabler in realising Performics India’s aforesaid vision.
Das said, “I am extremely pleased to have Gautam as our Chief Operating Officer at Performics India. Gautam brings rich digital experience at the intersection of digital Branding, eCommerce and Performance media. Our clients are looking for full-stack digital solutions, including rich media, SEO, digital creatives, data and AI, to drive specific outcomes.
Leveraging his holistic understanding on media, data, analytics and eCommerce, Gautam will provide consultative support to our clients in their growth journey. Further, as Chief Operating Officer, Gautam is poised to contribute significantly to Performics India’s continued success and growth trajectory. On behalf of the entire team at Performics India, I congratulate Gautam on this well-deserved promotion and look forward to our continued collaboration.”
Speaking about the new opportunity, Surath said “These are exciting times at Performics India. We are now well into our journey of creating expertise within our key industry verticals CPG, BFSI/Fintech, OTT and Telecom. We continue to strive to grow our clients market share through a blend of strategic, technological, and product-oriented solutions. In a world where consumers engage with more and more platforms, our 1800 performance marketing experts, who undergo continuous certification on these platforms bring a distinctive advantage to our clients. I look forward to being part of Performics India’s growth journey and the opportunity to shape it.”
MAM
BLS International launches #VisaReady campaign to guide applicants
Initiative targets visa myths, delays and rejections with practical guidance
MUMBAI: Visa woes may soon meet their match because paperwork, it seems, is finally getting a user manual. BLS International has rolled out a new awareness drive, #VisaReadyWithBLSInternational, aimed at simplifying the often confusing visa application process and reducing delays caused by misinformation and incomplete documentation. The campaign, led across social media platforms, zeroes in on a long-standing pain point for travellers: lack of clarity around procedures, timelines and requirements. By offering step-by-step guidance, documentation checklists and clear Dos and Don’ts, the initiative attempts to turn what is typically a stressful process into a more predictable one.
At its core, the campaign also seeks to bust common myths that frequently derail applications issues that often lead to avoidable rejections or last-minute complications. The idea is to equip applicants with practical, actionable insights so they can plan better and submit stronger applications within expected timelines.
The push will not remain limited to digital channels. BLS International plans to extend the initiative across its Visa Application Centres globally, reinforcing awareness at key touchpoints where applicants engage with the process.
BLS International joint managing director Shikhar Aggarwal framed the campaign as more than a communication exercise, emphasising the company’s attempt to embed guidance and preparedness into every stage of the applicant journey.
Operating in over 70 countries and working with more than 46 client governments including embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions, the company has built a sizeable footprint in visa and consular services. With this campaign, it is now leaning into education as much as execution, signalling that in the world of visas, clarity might just be the new currency.
