MAM
Cheil onboards Kaushik Datta as ECD
Mumbai: Cheil India today announced the appointment of Kaushik Datta as executive creative director. His last stint was at Leo Burnett. He was helming their New Delhi office while also managing the art and design duties for all of India. In his current role, he will report to Cheil India’s chief creative officer Vikash Chemjong.
Talking about his new role, Datta (KD) said, “I believe creativity becomes more powerful and effective when technology comes along with it, and Cheil is a great place to do that. It’s a great honour and opportunity for me. I am very excited and looking forward to doing some great work.”
Datta is an industry veteran with a career spanning more than 23 years. He has worked across a wide swath of industries, and his repertoire of clients includes marquee brands like Hutch, Seagram, LG, Bacardi, Apple, Airtel, Kohler, ThumsUp, Maaza, Limca, Minute Maid, Tinder, Fortis, Mc Donald’s, Popeyes, GM, SBI Card, GSK, Hindustan Times, Cargill, and many more.
Welcoming Datta on board, Chemjong said, “It’s exciting times for us at Cheil, not only in terms of the type of work we are trying to do but also in terms of the type of talent we are attracting, and now with Datta coming in with his talent, experience, rigor, and enthusiasm, it’s another shot in the arm for us!”
In this role, Datta’s scope of responsibilities will include upping the art and design quotient for our brands, with a special emphasis on the flagship products—the S and Z series. He will also be involved in the agency focus of thinking of ways to bring tech into our communication and add more zing to our creative product. The appointment is part of Cheil India’s endeavour to bolster its creative capabilities as it seeks to add more talent to its team.
Cheil India chief operating officer Sanjeev Jasani, said, “We are pleased to welcome Datta to the Cheil family. He is a well-known name in the industry and brings with him a wealth of experience that will help Cheil deliver the best transformational work to our clients.”
Brands
Hyundai and TVS Motor partner to develop electric three wheelers
Joint development pact targets last mile mobility with localisation push
MUMBAI: Three wheels, one big ambition and a charge towards the future. Hyundai Motor Company and TVS Motor Company have signed a joint development agreement to co-create electric three-wheelers (E3Ws), aiming to crack India’s complex last-mile mobility puzzle. The collaboration moves beyond concept talk into execution mode, building on the E3W prototype first showcased at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025. The goal now is clear, design, develop and commercialise a purpose-built vehicle tailored to Indian roads, riders and realities.
Under the agreement, Hyundai will lead design and co-development, bringing its global R&D muscle and human-centric engineering approach to the table. TVS Motor, meanwhile, will anchor the product on its electric platform, leveraging deep three-wheeler expertise and local market insight. It will also handle manufacturing and sales in India, with an eye on exports down the line.
The timing is strategic. India remains the world’s largest three-wheeler market, where affordability, durability and adaptability often outweigh sheer innovation. The upcoming E3W aims to strike that balance combining advanced technology with practical features such as adaptive ground clearance for monsoon-hit roads, improved thermal management for tropical climates, and flexible interiors suited for passengers, cargo or emergency use.
A key pillar of the partnership is localisation. Major components will be sourced and manufactured within India, a move expected to strengthen the domestic supply chain, create jobs, lower costs and improve after-sales support.
The shift from prototype to production will involve rigorous testing, certification and refinement to meet regulatory standards and consumer expectations. Dedicated cross-functional teams from both companies are already in place to accelerate timelines.
At a broader level, the tie-up reflects a growing trend in mobility, global players partnering with local specialists to navigate emerging markets. For Hyundai and TVS, the bet is that combining scale with street-level insight could unlock a new chapter in sustainable urban transport, one that runs not just on electricity, but on relevance.
