Brands
Ola Electric names Deepak Rastogi CFO as Harish Abichandani bows out
MUMBAI: Ola Electric has appointed Deepak Rastogi as chief financial officer, ushering in a new finance chief as Harish Abichandani exits the electric two-wheeler maker.
The appointment, approved by the board and disclosed in an exchange filing on January 19, takes effect from January 20, 2026. Rastogi will also serve as key managerial personnel and join the company’s senior management team. Abichandani stepped down citing personal reasons, with his resignation effective January 19.
Rastogi joins Ola Electric from real estate developer Puravankara Limited, where he was group CFO. He brings more than two decades of experience across manufacturing, chemicals, auto components and infrastructure, with deep exposure to large, complex balance sheets.
His career began at Raymond Synthetics as assistant manager, accounts, followed by roles at Castrol and DuPont. He later moved to Alcatel-Lucent as head of finance before joining The Timken Company, where he rose from CFO for India to CFO for Asia, overseeing finance, planning, fund-raising, taxation, risk management, compliance and M&A, while driving EBIT improvement and shareholder value.
Rastogi subsequently served as president and group CFO at Tata Autocomp Systems and later at Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals, cementing his reputation as a turnaround-focused finance leader.
The appointment comes at a critical juncture for Ola Electric as it sharpens its focus on scale, margins and governance. With a heavyweight CFO in the saddle and a clean handover at the top, the EV maker is signalling that the next phase will be less about speed and more about financial discipline.
Brands
Summercool signs 10-episode Teen Taal podcast deal as presenting sponsor
Brand taps content-led marketing with seamless integrations on Aaj Tak show
NEW DELHI: Summercool Coolers has partnered with Teen Taal as the presenting sponsor for a 10-episode podcast series, marking its push into content-led marketing as brands increasingly look beyond traditional advertising formats.
The collaboration with Aaj Tak, part of the India Today Group, aims to tap into the growing influence of podcasts as high-attention platforms where audiences engage more deeply with content.
Instead of standard ad slots, the partnership leans on a content-first approach, with Summercool integrated directly into the show’s environment through studio branding, contextual mentions and visual cues. The idea is simple: be part of the conversation, not a break from it.
Early signs suggest the strategy is working. In the opening episode, the brand is woven into the discussion without interrupting the flow, offering a more natural recall compared to conventional advertising bursts.
Summercool Coolers director finance Abhishek Gupta said, “This partnership reflects our belief in engaging audiences where they are most attentive. By integrating naturally within a compelling storytelling format like Teen Taal, we are able to create authentic connections and drive organic engagement.”
Echoing this, India Today Group Digital CEO Salil Kumar said, “Podcasts today are not just content formats, they are high-attention environments. With Teen Taal, we’ve created a space where brands can participate in conversations, not interrupt them.”
Hosted by Kamlesh Singh, Kuldeep Mishra and Asif Khan, Teen Taal has built a loyal following for its mix of humour, satire and sharp takes on current affairs and everyday culture. That easy, conversational tone makes it a natural fit for brands seeking relevance without being overly intrusive.
With the first episode already live across platforms such as YouTube, Spotify and JioSaavn, the series offers a glimpse into how storytelling and subtle branding can go hand in hand. For Summercool, it is less about cooling the air and more about warming up to a new way of reaching audiences.
