MAM
Sumanto Chattopadhyay to move on from 82.5 Communications
Mumbai: 82.5 Communications chairman and chief creative officer Sumanto Chattopadhyay will be retiring later this month after having been with the Ogilvy Group for 30 years, the network has announced. The company said in a statement that Sumanto’s journey with Ogilvy and then in setting up 82.5 was nothing short of excellence, and he leaves behind several proteges and a robust collection of awards from Indian and international platforms.
Anuraag Khandelwal and Mayur Varma will take on the creative leadership role as joint chief creative officers, 82.5 Communications India. Both Anuraag and Mayur are home-grown leaders—seeped in the Ogilvy group culture, part of the 82.5 founding team, with a body of internationally and nationally acclaimed work to show.
Ogilvy chairman global creative & executive chairman India Piyush Pandey said, “Sumanto Chattopadhyay has spent 30 glorious years with Ogilvy and 82.5 and retires after a well-played, long innings. Sumanto leaves with blessings and good wishes from all of us at Ogilvy and 82.5.”
He added, “I am delighted to announce the appointment of two new CCOs who will work together to keep 82.5 shining. Mayur Varma and Anuraag Khandelwal are experienced and Ogilvy-trained creative stars who have received international and national recognition for their phenomenal creative work over the years. I am happy that Sumanto leaves behind a solid creative leadership for 82.5.”
82.5 Communications India chairman & chief creative officer Sumanto Chattopadhyay said, “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the adventure called Ogilvy, including its 82.5 chapter. Now it’s time for me to seek new adventures. It’s good to know that I can pass the baton to capable hands. Mayur has grown up under me in Ogilvy Kolkata, then Mumbai, and finally at 82.5. It’s wonderful to see him come into his own. Anuraag is a fabulously creative person who has done 82.5 proud with his work and will, no doubt, shine brighter now. Kapil, my co-chairman, is a man for all seasons. With this leadership, the agency has a great future. My warmest wishes to them, to 82.5 and to all my colleagues past and present.”
82.5 Communications India co-chairman and chief executive officer Kapil Arora added, “I’ve had the privilege of being Sumanto’s partner these last three years and have much to thank him for, including helping build 82.5 Communications into a formidable agency in such a short period of time. Sumanto is well known for grooming fantastic leaders throughout his career. As is the case with Anuraag Khandelwal and Mayur Varma, they are two of the best new-age, open and fearless creative leaders, and I can’t wait for them to bring their ideas, energy, and creative vision for the future of 82.5 Communications to life.”
“We are super excited to be given the India responsibility of 82.5! Our endeavour is to work towards creating a more collaborative, creative and empathetic culture for our clients and us. With work that is both loved and fearless,” said Anuraag Khandelwal and Mayur Varma.
Brands
Vodafone Idea elevates Vineeth Jayendranath as VP, marketing head Mumbai
Telecom marketer takes charge of Mumbai circle with growth and brand focus
MUMBAI: Vodafone Idea Limited has promoted Vineeth Jayendranath to vice president, marketing head for the Mumbai circle, marking a key milestone in his career as the telecom operator sharpens its regional strategy.
In his new role, Jayendranath will lead marketing efforts across prepaid and postpaid segments in one of the country’s most competitive telecom markets. His mandate includes driving revenue growth, strengthening brand positioning, and deepening customer engagement, while also managing profit and loss responsibilities for the circle.
Sharing the update, Vineeth Jayendranath said, “Excited to share, I am starting my new stint as Vice President, Marketing Head for Mumbai circle at Vodafone Idea Ltd. Would like to thank everyone who has supported me in this journey.”
Jayendranath brings over 12 years of experience spanning telecom and IT, with a strong focus on customer value management and data-led marketing. Since joining Vodafone Idea, he has held multiple leadership roles, most recently serving as general manager leading customer value management and prepaid business across Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa.
During this period, he handled large subscriber bases and multi-billion rupee revenue portfolios, while rolling out hyper-personalised campaigns and a “segment of one” strategy to improve customer retention and upgrades. He also championed a digital-first approach, pushing adoption of data services and unlimited plans through targeted, insight-driven initiatives.
Earlier, he worked with Idea Cellular Ltd in strategy and business intelligence roles, and began his career at Infosys as a systems engineer. A brief stint at Hyundai Motor India Ltd during his internship added early exposure to marketing strategy.
An alumnus of SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Jayendranath has steadily built a reputation for combining analytics with marketing execution.
His elevation comes as telecom players double down on circle-level strategies to stay competitive, and Vodafone Idea appears to be betting on data-backed marketing to keep Mumbai firmly in its corner.
