MAM
Pratik Bane steers his way to Starcom India
MUMBAI: Pratik Bane has swapped his perch at FCB Kinnect for a director’s chair at Starcom India, where he’s now steering media planning and strategy for a clutch of heavyweight brands. The move came in September. Bane previously handled several accounts at FCB Kinnect including TVS, Van Heusen, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Canara Robeco Mutual Fund and Skechers as an account director media.
At FCB Kinnect, where he spent five years and nine months, Bane climbed from manager of media strategy to director of the data centre of excellence. In his final role, he drove data-driven strategies across the FCB Group in India, wielding tools like Mintel, GWI, SimilarWeb and Comscore to shape new business pitches and brand reviews.
The Mumbai-based strategist brings an arsenal of digital marketing skills honed across affiliate marketing, search engine advertising, display remarketing and paid social. His toolkit spans Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook Business Manager and Google Tag Manager. Before FCB Kinnect, he cut his teeth at Performics India managing affiliate and search marketing, and earlier still at Crisil Global Research & Analytics, where he ran sales and marketing for the Asia Pacific region.
Armed with an MBA in marketing and multiple certifications, Bane now faces the task of crafting campaigns that marry data with creativity. His passion, he says, is creating work that drives growth and value. With Starcom’s resources and his roster of blue-chip clients, he’ll get ample opportunity to prove it.
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.
