MAM
Mudra to start Tantr, a new production set up
MUMBAI: Mudra Communications will soon start a separate production set up called Tantr, which will produce ad films and corporate films. Later this year, the agency also plans to get into production of serials for the ad sales wing.
In June 2003, indiantelevision.com had reported that Mudra Videotec planned to expand its presence in the domain space of TV software and ad-film production.
One of the earliest entrants, Mudra Videotec is into the business of buying/selling slots on the national broadcaster Doordarshan (DD) and its regional channels; co-producing “commissioned” software on cable and satellite (C&S) channels; producing ad films and audio-visual productions to fulfill the needs of in-house clients.
Mudra Videotec has a team of 15 people spread across the country with offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The division has two business unit heads: Mudra Videotec national marketing head (ad sales) Sunil Shetty and manager (audio-visual and films) Umang Pahwa.
According to Pahwa, “We have done quality work for clients such as McDonald’s, Reliance Infocomm, Godrej Group, HP Lubricants among others. In fact, the McDonald’s campaign has won seven awards last year – including three Abby awards and four AAAI awards. We are hoping to convert other large clients within the Mudra fold, such as Yamaha and Dainik Bhaskar.”
Incidentally, Mudra Videotec had worked to create the Reliance Infocomm audio-visuals, which were aired at the Reliance Technology Centre in Navi Mumbai earlier this year. “We managed to deliver despite constraints of hectic schedules and almost impossible deadlines. We were creating three to four films every week,” says Pahwa.
Pahwa adds, “We have recently done a series of three ad films for Hindustan Petroleum for one of their products called ‘Cruise’. These are three simple films of 15-second duration. They are scheduled to be aired on TV channels starting 24 and 25 September.”
As far as ad-films and audio-visual production is concerned, the agency executives are aggressively pitching for in-house business from within the Mudra network. They are hoping to leverage their expertise in software/content production and offer value-added services to existing and new clients.
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.
