MAM
Godrej Vikhroli Cucina launched “One Wish at a Time” for kids Christmas celebration
Mumbai: Godrej Vikhroli Cucina, an owned media platform established by Godrej Industries dedicated to the food and culinary realm, recently launched its heartwarming initiative, “One Wish At A Time”, at the International Food and Beverage Awards 2023. This initiative set out to celebrate the “Joy of Giving” month by featuring a Christmas wishing tree. Three wishes were incorporated into Christmas ornaments for everyone to pick up and hang on the wishing tree installation. Every wish made for the children was fulfilled by Godrej Vikhroli Cucina along with partner brands Godrej Yummiez and Godrej Jersey. The wishing tree was then moved to Godrej One, Vikhroli, where employees, residents, and visiting public alike picked up wishes. To amplify the impact, a digital wishing tab was set up on the Vikhroli Cucina blog, allowing people across the country to participate. The response was overwhelming, with close to 1000 wishes collected both online and offline.
Going beyond numerical milestones and simply delivering gifts to the children, Godrej Vikhroli Cucina further extended its impact, collaborating with Godrej Good and Green and Teach for India to host joyful celebrations for nearly 200 children across Mumbai and Hyderabad. These celebrations included engaging activities like paint stations, Christmas games with Santa, and a special dessert decoration session with senior leadership, including Tanya Dubash, Executive Director & Chief Brand Officer, Godrej Industries, Sujit Patil, Abhay Parnerkar and Bhupendra Suri.
Godrej Industries Limited vice president & head – corporate brand & communications, Sujit Patil said, “At Godrej Industries Limited and Associate Companies, we believe in creating Goodness. #OneWishAtaTime has been one such initiative that aspired to spread joy and greetings of the festive season amongst underprivileged kids.”
“Unveiled at a celebrity event, the initiative witnessed celebrity chefs, content creators and influencers from the food space making a wish that would be fulfilled by Godrej Vikhroli Cucina through Godrej Jersey and Godrej Yummiez. We further expanded the initiative to the larger public through our digital platforms to garner more wishes allowing people to feel the joy of giving.” He added.
Sharing the vision, Godrej Tyson Foods Limited CEO Abhay Parnerkar said, “Godrej Yummiez’s collaboration with Vikhroli Cucina for One Wish At A Time, goes beyond a mere partnership as it reflects our dedicated commitment to creating a lasting and meaningful impact on the lives of individuals. Through this initiative, we seek to uplift the festive occasions for kids and infuse their lives with joy. As a ready-to-cook food brand known for offering wide range of products, Godrej Yummiez aims to touch the lives of households positively and add to their special moments”
Commenting on the initiative, Godrej Jersey CEO Bhupendra Suri said, “We have always believed in giving back to the community and making a positive impact in the lives of people. In sync with the same, it was an honour for us at Godrej Jersey to partner with Godrej Vikhroli Cucina for the ‘One Wish at a Time’ initiative. Seeing the excitement and delight in the eyes of the children as they participated in the festivities and received their Christmas wishes was truly heartwarming. We’re proud to play a part in creating memories that will last a lifetime, and we hope that this gesture brightens their holiday season.”
Vikhroli Cucina’s One Wish at a Time initiative offered a distinctive chance for individuals to celebrate with purpose, proving that the greatest gift is the spirit of giving itself.
MAM
Brands push beyond compliance as trust takes centre stage
ASCI AdTrust Summit 2026 spotlights shift from legal checks to credibility.
MUMBAI: In a world where a disclaimer can be legally sound yet socially suspect, brands are learning that compliance may tick boxes but trust wins markets. At the inaugural ASCI AdTrust Summit 2026, a panel on “Beyond Compliance: The New Currency of Trust” unpacked a growing industry reality: the gap between what the law permits and what consumers accept is widening and fast.
Moderated by Meenakshi Ramkumar of National Law School of India University, the discussion brought together leaders across law, marketing and academia to examine how brands must evolve in a digital ecosystem increasingly shaped by scrutiny, scepticism and speed.
Ramkumar set the tone by highlighting a critical shift, advertising today operates in the same digital space that fuels misinformation, scams and fake news, making credibility harder to establish. “The challenge is not just about what brands do, but the broader context of low institutional trust,” she noted, adding that when violations go unchecked, trust erodes not just in brands but in the regulatory system itself.
This vacuum, she said, has given rise to consumer activism from boycotts to social media backlash as a parallel accountability mechanism.
For Amit Bhasin, Chief Legal Officer at Marico, the distinction was clear, legal compliance is non negotiable, but insufficient. “Compliance is the minimum threshold. The real challenge is staying aligned with changing consumer expectations,” he said.
He pointed to how advertising narratives have evolved from traditional depictions of gender roles to more shared responsibilities reflecting a broader societal shift. “Earlier, it was fine to show one person doing the household work. Today, that may not land well. Consumers expect brands to reflect reality,” Bhasin observed.
He also highlighted internal debates where campaigns that may be legally permissible are still rejected for being culturally insensitive, noting that responsible advertising often requires asking uncomfortable questions before the public does.
If compliance is the baseline, reputation is the battlefield.
Bhasin noted that reputational risk has become a far greater concern than legal exposure, particularly in an era where campaigns can be dissected within hours online. “Earlier, a controversial ad might invite a newspaper editorial. Today, within hours, you’re at the centre of a storm,” he said.
Brands, he added, now evaluate campaigns through a dual lens legal viability and reputational vulnerability with the latter often proving more decisive.
From a healthcare perspective, Satish Sahoo of Cipla Health underscored the complexity of operating within fragmented yet stringent regulatory frameworks, spanning drugs, food, cosmetics and Ayush. “Anything under a drug licence is the most tightly regulated,” he said, adding that this necessitates proactive, not reactive, compliance.
He shared an example from the oral rehydration salts (ORS) category, where Cipla resisted the temptation to position products aggressively despite competitive pressure. “Our product is WHO compliant, and our communication reflects that. We chose not to blur the lines, even if others did,” he noted.
The long term payoff, he suggested, lies in credibility built over consistency, not quick wins.
Yet, as Harsha N of National Law School of India University pointed out, even perfect compliance does not guarantee trust. Drawing from historical and modern examples from exaggerated product claims in the 1800s to contemporary environmental and health advertising, he argued that legal frameworks often lag behind consumer expectations. “A brand can be fully compliant and still be perceived as misleading,” he said, citing instances where fine print disclosures fail to reach or convince the average consumer. He added that larger companies carry a disproportionate responsibility to set ethical benchmarks, even in areas where the law remains silent.
The conversation also turned to digital advertising, where the challenge extends beyond content to how ads are experienced. From algorithmic targeting to personalised messaging, brands now operate in an environment where regulation struggles to keep pace with technology.
Sahoo noted that social media has amplified awareness, with influencers and consumers increasingly scrutinising product claims and calling out inconsistencies. “Awareness has gone up dramatically. People are questioning what goes into products and what brands are saying,” he said.
The role of self regulatory bodies such as Advertising Standards Council of India also came under the spotlight.
Harsha acknowledged that while SROs play a crucial role, they are not immune to criticism, particularly around perceived conflicts of interest and enforcement gaps. “SROs have a higher threshold of responsibility not just to interpret the law, but to anticipate societal expectations,” he said.
He added that failures in self regulation often push the burden back onto government intervention, underscoring the need for stronger, more proactive oversight.
One of the more nuanced debates centred on whether building trust comes at a cost. While Sahoo acknowledged that quality and compliance can increase costs, he argued that companies must absorb them as part of their long term strategy.
Bhasin, however, framed the challenge differently not as cost, but as competitiveness in a market where not all players play by the same rules. “The real tension is when others cut corners and you choose not to,” he said.
The panel concluded with a call to embed trust into business metrics.
Sahoo suggested that organisations must go beyond revenue targets to include consumer equity and trust based KPIs, ensuring that ethical considerations are not sidelined in the pursuit of growth. “Trust sounds abstract, but it can translate into measurable consumer equity,” he said.
As the discussion wrapped up, one message stood out: the rules of advertising are being rewritten not just by regulators, but by consumers themselves. In an ecosystem where attention is fleeting and scepticism is high, brands that merely comply may survive, but those that build trust are the ones that endure.
