MAM
Kapil Batra joins Lowe Lintas as president
Mumbai: Lowe Lintas, an advertising agency announced the appointment of Kapil Batra as president at its Mumbai office, effective immediately.
Kapil’s hire completes the creative leadership team at Lowe Lintas Mumbai. The aim is to take the Mumbai office to new creative heights and continue Lowe Lintas’ legacy of delivering impactful and culturally relevant work. He will report to Prateek Bhardwaj, chief creative officer (CCO), to further strengthen the agency’s creative and strategic vision.
Kapil Batra brings with him over two decades of experience in the advertising industry, with a track record of creating iconic campaigns. His prior experience includes leadership positions at Wieden + Kennedy India and McCann Erickson.
His body of work includes the much-celebrated “PayTM Karo” campaign, the endearing “Share a Coke” series, the evergreen “Mirchi Sunne Wale Always Khush (Rudaali)”, Yatra.com’s “Ehsaan mat lo, discount lo”, Happydent’s “Dikha Bateesi kar baat achhi si” campaign and the widely acclaimed “Dettol Soap Bubbles” activation. Kapil’s creative genius has been recognized at prestigious platforms including Cannes, D&AD, Clio, One Show, Spikes Asia, and Effies, among others.
Lowe Lintas chief creative officer Prateek Bhardwaj commented, “To me, Kapil embodies what Lowe Lintas has stood for over the decades – total commitment to creative excellence and a collaborative, team-first approach. His work on PayTM, Perfetti and Coca-Cola is legendary and I have no doubt that his creativity will propel and inspire the team to new creative heights. Along with Sarvesh Raikar and Madhu Noorani in Mumbai, Vasudha Misra in Delhi, and Arpan Bhattacharyya and Litna Das in Bangalore, our senior creative leadership team is complete and ready for the future.”
Kapil’s appointment comes at a time when Lowe Lintas is focused on further strengthening its creative offerings and expanding its footprint in the Indian advertising landscape. The agency is focused on crafting brands of the future, with profound ideas on every single culture, stories that will change the way brands can connect, the way they can lead, and the impact they can have on the world.
Kapil Batra, on his new role as president of Lowe Lintas, stated, “Joining Lowe Lintas as President of the Mumbai office is an incredible opportunity to be part of an agency that consistently pushes the boundaries of creativity. Lowe Lintas has a rich legacy of creating work that is not just memorable but also meaningful. I am excited to contribute to this legacy and work alongside Prateek Bhardwaj and the immensely talented team here to create campaigns that resonate with audiences and make a real difference for our clients.”
Brands
33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
