MAM
Shailesh Velande likely to replace Divya Radhakrishnan at Optimedia
MUMBAI: Nearly one and half months after Zen Optimedia VP Divya Radhakrishnan left the organisation to join The Media Edge, the agency seems to have finalised the name of the candidate who will replace her.
There are strong indications that Shailesh Velande will head the media planning and buying operations at Zen Optimedia. At present, media manager Bala Gopal is been managing the show; Bala Gopal will report to Velande as and when he comes aboard. Media independent Optimedia has billings to the tune of Rs 1.5 billion.
Media veteran Velande has worked with some of the bigger agencies including Lowe’s Initiative Media (IM). After leaving IM, Velande had gone abroad and worked in Singapore.
Radhakrishnan, who had a long innings (nearly 16 years) with the Publicis, has joined The Media Edge, the company that handles Dentsu, Young and Rubicam’s media business, as VP Media. Radhakrishnan reports to Divya Gupta who is heading the show.
Media reports indicate that Radhakrishnan grabbed the opportunity to head the Tata AOR. For the record, The Media Edge was awarded the media buying business way back in October 2001. Optimedia has handled certain Tata brands earlier.
MAM
Flynas launches AI-powered ‘Find My View’ seat selector
Saudi low-cost carrier lets passengers choose flight views using predictive AI and real passenger photos.
MUMBAI: Flynas just turned window seats into VIP tickets because why leave the best views to chance when AI can hand you the front-row panorama? The Saudi low-cost airline has rolled out ‘Find My View’, billed as the world’s first intelligent, AI-driven seat selector that lets passengers pick their preferred in-flight scenery before booking. Launched on 24 February 2026 in partnership with VML Riyadh, the feature analyses flight paths, direction, time of day, and weather to predict iconic sights cloud-hugging mountains, coastline flyovers, golden-hour skylines, and famous landmarks from either side of the plane.
Instead of the usual seat-number lottery, travellers browse authentic photos snapped by previous passengers on the same routes, creating a living gallery of real views that builds trust and excitement long before takeoff. The experience stays seamless, users simply decide what they want to see, and the system suggests seats accordingly.
Flynas head of marketing and branding Yara AlMashharawi said, “’Find My View’ completely redefines what it means to choose a seat on a plane. Instead of hoping you picked the right side of the aircraft, you deliberately choose the view you want, powered by AI.”
VML Riyadh executive creative director Firas Ghannam added, “The ambition was to turn a functional choice into an emotional one by combining data, AI technology and creativity in a way that reimagines the humble seat map.”
For a low-cost carrier serving key Indian hubs New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, and Calicut with direct flights to multiple Saudi destinations, the tool levels the playing field: premium views no longer require premium fares. Passengers can explore routes and try the selector at findmyview.com.
In an industry where the journey is often an afterthought, flynas is betting that a curated sky show can turn every flight into a shareable moment proving that sometimes the best part of travel isn’t just getting there, but what you see on the way.
