MAM
PUMA India signs Mohammed Shami for specialised pacer spikes
Mumbai: Sports brand PUMA has roped in Team India fast bowler Mohammed Shami as its Brand Ambassador. Shami joins PUMA’s illustrious roster, which consists of some of the greatest names from the world of sports, including batting icon Virat Kohli, champion sprinter Usain Bolt, football stars Neymar Jr and Sunil Chhetri, celebrated boxer MC Mary Kom, cricketers Harmanpreet Kaur and Harleen Deol, and para-shooter Avani Lekhara.
Under this partnership, the Indian pacer will endorse PUMA’s footwear, apparel and accessories through multiple activities and campaigns throughout the year.
Fast bowlers play a critical role in cricket. The long-distance sprint followed by leap, high-pressure landing and usage of back and shoulder to bowl, makes fast bowling intense. PUMA has created a new bowling spike with a mid-sole meant for runners, to support fast bowlers.
“Bringing Mohammed Shami into the PUMA family reinforces our dedication to the sport of cricket. We are delighted to support and welcome Shami into the PUMA family which has been home to cricket icons Virat Kohli and Harmanpreet Kaur. Shami is an outstanding fast bowler with an impressive track record across cricketing formats. His relentless courage, unwavering spirit and the finesse he brings to the game perfectly resonates with our brand values. We strongly believe that Shami’s association with PUMA will not only inspire fans and athletes but also drive our commitment to further sports culture in the country,” commented PUMA India managing director Karthik Balagopalan.
Commenting on the association with PUMA India, Mohammed Shami said, “Just as every fast bowler in the world, I love speed and when you talk about speed, nothing beats forever faster PUMA. While I strive for excellence on the cricket field, PUMA continues to create path-breaking products that aid athletes like me to be the fastest in their game. I am delighted to be part of the PUMA family and it’s an amazing feeling to join their star-studded roster.”
Shami has been a key member of India’s pace bowling unit. He made his debut against the West Indies in 2013 at the Eden Gardens, picking up nine wickets in the match, the most by an Indian fast bowler on debut. The right-arm fast bowler has played 64 Tests and picked up 229 wickets at an average of 27.7.
He bowled four maiden overs on his One Day International debut against Pakistan in January 2013. He has scalped 171 wickets in 94 matches.
In 23 T20 matches, Shami picked up 24 wickets with 3 for 15 being his best figure.
MAM
Huella Services appoints Pankajj Rai as vice president – Ad sales
Media veteran with 18 years experience to lead monetisation and partnerships.
MUMBAI: When the ad game gets smarter, companies often look for someone who knows how to sell the story behind the screen. Huella Services has appointed Pankajj Rai as vice president for Ad sales, a move aimed at strengthening the company’s advertising and monetisation strategy as it expands its technology-led media offerings.
Rai brings over 18 years of experience across broadcast and digital media and will oversee monetisation initiatives for Newsroom AI, while also helping shape Huella’s next phase of development in interactive and AI-led advertising solutions.
Based in Delhi NCR, he will work closely with the founders and leadership team to align product capabilities with market needs, while driving partner development and go-to-market strategies for the company’s advertising platforms.
Rai’s career spans senior roles across some of India’s prominent media organisations. Before joining Huella, he served as business head for Wion and Zee Business at Zee Media Corporation. Earlier, he was national sales head at QYOU Media, where he led commercial partnerships and advertising growth.
His experience also includes managing commercial operations for major television brands such as Zee TV, Zee Cinema and Zee Bollywood, with responsibilities spanning North and East India.
Commenting on the appointment, Huella, co-founder and CEO Prrincey Roy said the company is strengthening its leadership team as it prepares for the next phase of growth.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Pankajj at a time when Huella is expanding both its portfolio and ambition. His depth of experience and strategic lens make him an invaluable addition as we build not just better products, but better outcomes for our partners and brands,” Roy said.
Huella Services is currently building technology driven advertising platforms that integrate AI powered content ecosystems with brand engagement, reflecting a broader shift in the media industry towards data driven and interactive advertising formats.
With Rai now leading ad sales and monetisation, the company aims to deepen relationships with advertisers while scaling its AI driven media products in an increasingly competitive digital advertising landscape.
