Brands
SKY’s the limit as Skyscanner signs Suryakumar Yadav as brand face
MUMBAI: When cricket’s Mr. 360 takes flight, you know it’s not just sixes soaring into the stands. Suryakumar Yadav, soon to lead India in the Asia Cup, has just been unveiled as Skyscanner’s first-ever brand ambassador in India bringing his flair for all-round play to the world of travel.
The partnership is no shot in the dark. With nearly half of Indians (47 per cent) willing to travel just to watch cricket live, sport-led tourism is booming, as revealed in Skyscanner’s Pitch Perfect Journeys report. Yadav’s adventurous personality and nationwide appeal fit neatly into the travel app’s push to connect with digital-first, lifestyle-hungry audiences. In short, cricket meets check-ins, and boundaries meet boarding passes.
The tie-up kicks off with a fan-driven contest across Skyscanner India and SKY’s own social media, where travellers are invited to design his ultimate personalised itinerary from hidden gems to underrated hotspots. The 10 most creative plans will win fans an exclusive meet-and-greet with the star himself. For Skyscanner, which opened its first India office only last year, roping in SKY is more than just a marketing play, it’s a bold statement of intent to become India’s go-to travel buddy, whether fans are chasing wickets or wanderlust.
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.
