Brands
Axis Bank invites kids to paint their dreams
MUMBAI: Axis Bank is giving young dreamers a canvas to imagine, create and express. The bank has launched Splash 2025, the 13th edition of its nationwide art, craft and literature competition for children aged 7 to 14 years, inviting entries on the theme “Dreams.”
The annual contest, inspired by Axis Bank’s philosophy of being Dil se open, aims to reach over 11 lakh participants through both online and offline formats. Kids can submit their entries on axisbanksplash.in till 31 December 2025, or join on-ground events at select Axis Bank branches, schools and residential societies.
This year’s sub-themes, A day in my dream life (ages 7–10) and The future as I dream it (ages 11–14,) encourage children to turn imagination into expression. A panel of more than 100 experts, including Amar Chitra Katha’s Savio Mascarenhas, Ryan International Group’s Snehal Pinto, and The Art Society of India’s Deepak Patil, will evaluate the entries.
Winners won’t just take home medals and memories. The six winners and six runners-up will receive Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000 respectively, plus an invitation to an exclusive art and craft workshop at Tashkeel, Dubai. Their artworks will also be showcased at Bengaluru’s Museum of Art and Photography (MAP).
Adding a futuristic twist, Axis Bank has also unveiled an ‘AI Dream Generator’, a playful tool that turns children’s dream descriptions, from flying cars to talking animals, into visuals inspired by their chosen medium: art, craft or literature.
“We believe every dream deserves a voice,” said Axis Bank president & chief marketing officer Anoop Manohar. “Splash is more than a competition; it’s a celebration of creativity, courage and possibility.”
Last year’s edition drew over 9 lakh entries from 3,300 plus schools and bagged honours including Best Integrated Media Campaign at the E4M Indian Digital Marketing Awards.
From crayons to keyboards, Splash 2025 is all about turning little dreams into big inspirations, one masterpiece at a time.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
