MAM
When Rice Finds Rhythm Kohinoor turns Gujarati pride into a brand anthem
MUMBAI: Rice met rhythm this festive season as AWL Agri Business Ltd., under its premium Kohinoor Basmati Rice portfolio, unveiled a new brand song in collaboration with celebrated Gujarati folk singer Aditya Gadhvi. The launch also marks Gadhvi’s onboarding as Kohinoor’s brand ambassador, strengthening the brand’s cultural connect across Gujarat and key western markets.
Rooted in Gujarati musical idioms and contemporary folk expression, the song celebrates warmth, togetherness and the emotional pride associated with home-cooked meals. It positions rice not just as a staple, but as a shared memory maker echoing the role Kohinoor Basmati Rice has played in Indian kitchens for generations.
The campaign is anchored by a new television commercial that brings the music to life through everyday Gujarati family moments. Cultural nuances, familiar rituals and Gadhvi’s signature musical style come together to create a narrative that feels lived-in rather than staged, reinforcing Kohinoor’s long-standing association with trust and authenticity.
Commenting on the launch, AWL Agri Business head of media & digital Jignesh Shah said the collaboration reflects the brand’s intent to build deeper emotional relevance. Kohinoor, he noted, has always aimed to resonate with the cultural fabric of its consumers, and the music-led approach allows the brand to celebrate Gujarati pride, warmth and everyday traditions in a way that feels natural and engaging.
For Gadhvi, the association was deeply personal. He described rice as his comfort food across cuisines and geographies, and the project as an opportunity to express that connection through music. The Gujarati melody, rooted lyrics and a youthful rap section inspired by local rhythm, he said, reflect the soul of Gujarat while speaking to a new generation.
With this launch, Kohinoor Basmati Rice uses music as a bridge between tradition and contemporary expression, reinforcing its timeless values of aroma, authenticity and the joy of cooking for loved ones, one grain, and now one song, at a time.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
