MAM
Brand sewa takes the wheel at Rath Yatra with Rs 50 crore ride to recall
MUMBAI: This Rath Yatra, brands aren’t just showing up, they’re showing up with purpose. From shaded rest zones to multilingual helpdesks and hydration kiosks, the 2025 Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra is seeing a holy union of devotion and disruption as advertisers swap billboards for bio toilets, prasad delivery and public service. Spearheading this transformation is Chaaipani, which has clinched exclusive brand integration and activation rights for the Yatra in collaboration with the Puri District Administration. The result? An expected brand value generation of over Rs 50 crore this year, with projections soaring to Rs 200 crore in the coming years as brands discover the power of service-led participation.
Over 15 million pilgrims are expected to visit the coastal town this year, creating a diverse and emotionally charged audience base that spans geographies, age groups, and spiritual leanings. “We’re not placing logos, we’re placing help,” said Chaaipani founder Shruti Chaturvedi. “This is not about advertising; it’s about alignment with culture, with service, with the real needs of real people.”
The shift is not just symbolic. Brand interventions ranging from real-time digital updates via the Jagannath Dham app, pan-India prasad delivery, and hygiene-focused installations are all vetted for cultural sensitivity and operational relevance in partnership with local authorities.
Puri District collector Siddharth Shankar Swain (IAS) called the move a “sacred duty of seva”, saying, “It’s heartening to see brands stepping in not as sponsors, but as sevaks. This is a collective movement of unity, care, and public service.”
And the momentum is industry-agnostic. From FMCG to digital payments, logistics to beverages, the brands stepping in aren’t just selling, they’re serving.
The audience is as diverse as it gets rural and urban, tech-savvy and tradition-rooted, young and old making it a unique moment where faith and footprint converge. “Commerce meets consciousness,” as Chaturvedi puts it. “And when that happens, brands earn not just mindshare but heartshare.”
The 2025 edition of the Rath Yatra could go down not just as a spiritual high point, but also as a case study in how brands can walk the path of relevance barefoot, hand-in-hand with culture.
MAM
JBCN Education appoints The Other Circle for PR mandate
Mumbai agency to lead communications for progressive K–12 group.
MUMBAI: JBCN Education just circled in a fresh voice because when your classrooms already think outside the box, the next logical step is to get the story out of the classroom. JBCN Education has appointed Mumbai-based communications agency The Other Circle (TOC) to handle its public relations and strategic communications mandate. The partnership aims to amplify the institution’s distinctive Educreative philosophy, which blends rigorous academics with experiential learning, creativity and values-led development.
TOC will shape JBCN’s narrative through educator-led thought leadership, media engagement and strategic storytelling, fostering deeper conversations with parents, educators and the academic community on modern, meaningful learning.
JBCN Education, senior vice president for marketing Nikhil Sharma said, “Every institution has a unique narrative, one filled with innovative learning, passionate faculty, and the next generation of Changemakers. The Other Circle’s strategic approach and deep familiarity with the education sector make them the right partner to strengthen our brand presence and forge meaningful connections.”
The Other Circle Group of Companies co-founder & CEO Aakanksha Gupta added, “The best communications work happens when the story is already true—you just have to find the right way to tell it. JBCN Education represents a powerful shift in how learning is imagined and delivered in India, and that story is rich: a philosophy that’s lived in the classroom, educators who believe in it, and outcomes that speak for themselves.”
The appointment marks a new phase for JBCN as it seeks to lead national conversations around progressive education, inquiry-based learning and preparing students for an interconnected world.
In an education landscape where the real competition isn’t marks but mindset, JBCN isn’t just teaching kids, it’s teaching the country what forward-thinking learning can look like, and now it’s got a voice loud enough to make sure everyone hears it.
