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VML India Appoints Dhruv Warrior as executive creative director
MUMBAI: VML India has announced the appointment of Dhruv Warrior as executive creative director. With over 17 years of experience in advertising and brand communication, Warrior brings a strong mix of creativity, strategy, and cultural inclusion.
An internationally awarded creative leader, Warrior has held various positions with JWT, VMLY&R Dubai, and FoxyMoron. He has consistently delivered bold, award-winning campaigns, integrating technology, emerging trends, and precise craft to bring evocative and culturally inclusive campaigns to life.
VML India CEO Babita Baruah said, “We are excited to have Dhruv join our team. Dhruv’s commitment to infusing creativity with culture will continue to elevate VML’s ethos. Dhruv will work closely with Kalpesh Patankar and Sachin Dhir to continue driving our best work for our clients.”
VML India CCO, Kalpesh Patankar said, “Dhruv brings in the creativity that understands both global ambitions and local nuances. He has a keen cultural sensibility and a strong command of modern storytelling. VML is constantly evolving to be creatively bold, strategically relevant, and deeply connected to the audiences we serve. We are excited to have Dhruv join us and we look forward to doing some great work.”
“I am thrilled to join VML India,” said Warrior. “I firmly believe that creative thinking is the engine of transformation, driving strategy, media, engagement, and innovation. VML has set a benchmark in merging insights, strategy, technology, and innovation in their work, and I look forward to continuing to build the strategic acumen to further strengthen the agency’s creative vision. I would like to thank the leadership for this opportunity, and I am certain we are going to continue to bring out great work for our brands.”
Warrior will be based out of VML’s Bangalore office and will report into Kalpesh Patankar.
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Paramount set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in $81 billion deal
Shareholders back merger, combined entity could reshape streaming and studios.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… consolidation, Hollywood’s latest blockbuster might be happening off-screen. Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery have voted in favour of selling the company to Paramount in a deal valued at $81 billion rising to nearly $111 billion including debt setting the stage for one of the biggest shake-ups in modern media. The proposed merger, still subject to regulatory approvals, would bring together a vast portfolio spanning HBO Max, CNN, and franchises such as Harry Potter under the same umbrella as Paramount’s own heavyweights, including Top Gun and CBS.
At the heart of the deal is streaming scale. Executives have indicated plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single platform, potentially creating a stronger challenger to giants like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. Current market data suggests HBO Max holds around 12 per cent of US on-demand subscriptions, compared to Paramount+’s 3 per cent, together still trailing Netflix’s 19 per cent and Disney’s combined 27 per cent via Disney+ and Hulu.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has signalled that while platforms may merge, HBO’s creative identity will remain intact, stating the brand should “stay HBO” even within a broader ecosystem.
Beyond streaming, the deal would redraw the map for film production. Combining two of Hollywood’s oldest studios Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., the new entity aims to scale output to over 30 films annually, while maintaining a 45-day theatrical window. Warner Bros. currently commands around 21 per cent of the US box office, compared to Paramount’s 6 per cent, underscoring the strategic weight of the acquisition.
But scale comes with scrutiny. Critics warn that fewer players could mean reduced consumer choice, rising subscription costs, and potential job cuts as the combined company looks to streamline overlapping operations while managing billions in debt.
The news business, too, faces a reset. CNN would join forces at least structurally with Paramount-owned CBS, raising questions about editorial independence and positioning. The merger has already drawn political attention in the United States, particularly given perceived ties between the Ellison family and Donald Trump, though the company maintains that newsroom autonomy will be preserved.
If approved, the deal would mark another milestone in Hollywood’s consolidation wave shrinking the industry’s traditional “big six” studios to a “big four”, with Paramount joining Disney, Universal, and Sony at the top table.
In an industry built on storytelling, this merger may well become its most consequential plot twist yet.
