MAM
Payworld awards creative duties to Grasshoppers
MUMBAI: Grasshoppers has won the creative mandate for the E-pin distributor and aggregator, Sugal and Damani Group’s Payworld.
With its boutique of electronic voucher distribution (E-Commerce) services, Payworld operates in a niche market with few players. Subsequently the industry offers over 72 per cent potential share yet to be covered, generating the scope to tap the media space in terms of rebranding to generate customer loyalty, brand recognition and positioning Payworld as a market leader, the company said.
The initial marketing budget for the campaign is approximately Rs 60 – 70 million.
Payworld marketing manager Rahul Sharma said, “In the last 5 years since its inception, Payworld has done extremely well. But with our ongoing expansions we find a large communication gap between the brand and its target audience. For our future growth, it is vital that we create the right kind of brand awareness in effective and smart ways.
When we called for a multi-agency pitch, what we were really looking for was the ‘connect’; people who could share our vision.”
Grasshoppers CEO Arjun Banerjee said, “E-Commerce in India is increasing with a high magnitude and so are the users. Over the last few years, Payworld has shown highly promising growth with 20,000 authorized outlets. Given the current lack of awareness of the industry, we intend to make full use of the ‘first player’ advantage that Payworld has given us. Such opportunities are rare and we are keen to experiment new ideas and bring not just Payworld but the entire industry into the limelight”.
Payworld COO Praveen Dhabhai added, “Previously we have only focused on the quality and total technical support of our services, ensuring complete customer satisfaction. But now it is time that we reach out to more customers and expand our base in the market. To achieve this goal, Grasshoppers is working out a comprehensive plan of action which includes a rebranding campaign and apropos print and outdoor collaterals. We are looking forward to work with Grasshoppers and together take Payworld to its full potential as a truly efficient commercial service provider”.
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.
