MAM
Walkabout launches India’s first athlete recognition for over-55s
Walkabout Athlete Program offers Rs 25,000 stipend and national spotlight to active seniors 55 plus in track, badminton, cycling, swimming, kabaddi and more.
MUMBAI: Age may be just a number, but for India’s over-55 athletes it’s finally getting the medal it deserves without anyone having to hang up their boots. Walkabout, India’s largest community platform for active agers (55 plus), has rolled out the Walkabout Athlete Program, the country’s first formal initiative to recognise and support older adults who continue to compete seriously in organised sports. From track and field to badminton, cycling, swimming, martial arts, kabaddi, hockey, pickleball and even chess, the nationwide search is on for anyone over 55 who simply hasn’t stopped playing.
Selected athletes will receive a Rs 25,000 recognition stipend to help with training, equipment, entry fees or travel. They’ll also earn official Walkabout Athlete status, exclusive gear, and a national platform through content features, press interviews, social media spotlights and priority access to Walkabout events across India.
The first cohort will pick 4 to 5 athletes in the initial phase. Applications are open pan-India, with a selection panel judging consistency of participation, community influence, the quality and relatability of each athlete’s story, willingness to engage, and diversity across geography, sport and gender.
Walkabout co-founder and MD, BD and partnerships Ashwini Kapila put it perfectly, “I know a 58-year-old still competing in badminton tournaments. A community member took up athletics at 65. These people are everywhere in India, yet almost none get recognised. India has strong systems to find its next Olympic medallist, we’re building one that finds the 55-year-old who never stopped training. Both matter. Competitive sport doesn’t have to end at 30 or 40.”
The programme builds on Walkabout’s growing momentum in active ageing. In December 2025 the platform hosted its first Walkabout Senior Games in Mumbai (Juhu), followed by the nostalgic Senior Ball Night at Pioneer Hall in Bandra in March 2026. Founded in 2024 by Deval Delivala and Ashwini Kapila (formerly Getsetup India), WalkAbout has raised seed funding from HDFC Bank and partners with names including Raymond Realty, Bblunt, Furtados and Uber.
While India pours resources into spotting young talent, Walkabout is quietly championing the millions of adults over 50 who never left the field. This isn’t about nostalgia alone, it’s about giving late-life athletes the recognition, support and visibility they’ve long earned. Applications are now open for anyone ready to step into the spotlight and show that the game isn’t over until you decide it is.
AD Agencies
Havas Media Network India names Archana Aggarwal chief growth officer
The appointment comes as the network accelerates its integrated, data-led push across one of its top ten global markets.
MUMBAI: Havas Media Network India is moving fast, and it wants someone who can move faster.
The network has appointed Archana Aggarwal as chief growth officer, tasking her with driving the new business agenda and deepening client partnerships across Havas Media, PivotRoots, Havas Play and Arena Media. Based in Gurugram, she will report to Mohit Joshi, chief executive of Havas Media Network India.
Aggarwal arrives with more than two decades of media and marketing experience, most recently as vice-president of media at Airtel, where she led integrated media strategies tied to shifting consumer behaviour and business outcomes. Before that, she worked across some of the world’s most demanding marketing accounts, including P&G, Unilever, L’Oréal, Coca-Cola, the Diamond Trading Corporation and Airtel, spanning FMCG, telecom and the broader marketing ecosystem. She is noted for her command of emerging platforms, including connected TV, AI and the metaverse.
Rana Barua, group chief executive of Havas India, South-East Asia and North Asia, framed the hire as timely. “India continues to be a critical market for Havas globally and is among our top ten markets worldwide,” he said, noting strong momentum across the network’s integrated model and growing client partnerships. “Archana’s appointment comes at a pivotal time as we continue to scale our capabilities and accelerate growth.”
Joshi was equally direct. “Her deep understanding of consumer behaviour and proven ability to translate insights into business outcomes will be instrumental as we continue to scale our integrated, data-led capabilities across agencies,” he said.
Havas Media Network India currently serves more than 100 clients and employs over 1,000 professionals across Gurugram, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The network’s growth engine runs on Converged.AI, its proprietary operating system that brings together data, technology and human insight under the global vision of “Growth Powered by Desire.”
Aggarwal, for her part, called the opportunity compelling. “The chance to drive growth across a diverse and integrated ecosystem is exciting,” she said. “I look forward to working with the teams to deliver meaningful impact for clients.”
In a market where media fragmentation is accelerating and clients are demanding cleaner proof of return, Havas has hired someone who has sat on both sides of the table. That, in itself, is a statement of intent.
