MAM
JWT Bangalore gets 2 ‘finalist’ nominations in TAF
NEW DELHI: JWT Bangalore has emerged as the only Indian agency to manage the ‘finalist’ nomination at The Advertising Festival (TAF). The event takes place at the Disneyland Resort, Paris from 2-5 September.
JWT Bangalore will not be in race for one but for two awards. It has been short-listed for Madura Garments (Trouser Town) campaign in the `Best Use of Outdoor Design’ and Spice Telecom in the `Best Use of Radio’ categories.
The awards function will be held on 4 September. To its credit, JWT Bangalore is among the only three Asian agencies, which have made it to the finals of the advertising festival. Besides JWT Bangalore, Leo Burnett Sydney (two nominations) and Dentsu Young & Rubicam Thailand are the other agencies that will be in the fray.
JWT senior V-P Dhunji Wadia said: “Considering it’s a world stage, the fact that we are the only Indian agency and one amongst a few in Asia makes it even better. The fact that Spice Telecom campaign was a local-regional campaign makes the agency’s effort even more creditable – the Spice campaign was restricted only to Karnataka. Still the campaign is capable of standing out in any world forum and that’s our creative perspective.”
In the `Best Use of Outdoor Design’ category, JWT Bangalore has been short-listed along with five other agencies including Leo Burnett Sydney. For the `Best Use of Radio’ award, JWT will compete against five agencies. In all, there are 15 categories which apart from television, print, radio, cinema and outdoor, have nominations for work in animation, communication technology, media `stunt’, outdoor design and visual or sound among the other categories.
Besides awards, the festival also incorporates a market and features exhibitors from media advertising industries across the board – broadcasting (television, radio, new media), publishing (broadsheets, consumer magazines, listing directories, trade publications), agencies (direct marketing, PR sponsorship) and others, providing multiple opportunities for networking and sales.
The speakers list in the awards function includes WPP Group’s Sir Martin Sorrell and Chris Schroeder of The Washington Post.
Brands
Pre-seed funding fuels nailinit, India’s new-age nail care brand
Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund backs Gen Z-focused beauty startup
MUMBAI: nailinit, a community-first nail care startup targeting Gen Z and millennials, has raised Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 crore in a pre-seed round led by Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund and Marsshot VC, alongside a clutch of consumer, technology and operator angels.
Backed by entrepreneur and investor Nikhil Kamath, Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund is betting on nailinit’s attempt to give India’s nail care aisle a long overdue makeover. The fresh capital will be used to deepen distribution across quick commerce and D2C channels, build its community engine, and accelerate product innovation in a category that is high frequency but still light on strong brands.
Founded by Tanishq Ambegaokar and Shubham Singhal, nailinit is positioning itself at the crossroads of beauty, self-expression and culture. The brand wants nails to be more than a finishing touch. It sees them as a canvas for identity, content and commerce.
“At nailinit, we are building for a generation that sees beauty as self-expression, not just routine,” said Ambegaokar. “The nail category in India has largely been underserved by strong brands. This capital allows us to invest in product depth, community and distribution in a thoughtful and long-term way.”
Singhal added that while the brand’s tone may be playful, its operating focus is sharp. “This round strengthens our supply chain, expands our digital footprint and enables disciplined execution as we scale.”
The funding round drew notable angels including Shashank Kumar of Razorpay, Arjit Johri of Marsshot VC, Yash Jain, formerly of NimbusPost, Karan Jindal of Meta, Jivraj Singh Sachar of ISV Capital, Nishank Jain of Accel, Yashvardhan Kanoi, Ashwarya Garg of HYPD, Venus Dhuria of Phot.AI and Amishi Parasrampuria of The Whole Truth.
Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund fund manager Gauri Kuchhal, believes the opportunity lies in shifting habits. “Nail care remains underpenetrated in India, with consumers relying on time-intensive salon visits. As convenience and self-expression gain ground, press-on nails can unlock more frequent and experimental usage. Nailinit is well-placed to expand beyond press-ons into adjacent categories.”
The brand is currently the only nail care player in India blending product-led retail with a dedicated kiosk at Jio World Drive in Bandra, where customers can walk in for services while discovering the range. It has also built early traction across quick commerce platforms such as Zepto and Blinkit, with a launch on Instamart in the pipeline, and is available on Amazon, strengthening its omnichannel presence.
In a space long dominated by salon chairs and scattered labels, nailinit is attempting to file, shape and polish the category into something sharper. With fresh funding in hand, the startup is setting out to prove that in beauty, small details can make a bold statement.
