Brands
Marketing maven climbs the Kotak ladder with promotional panache
MUMBAI: Kanchi Parekh has ascended to vice president marketing at Kotak Mahindra Bank, capping a three-year climb through the private banking heavyweight’s ranks. The April 2025 promotion marks another conquest in her decade-plus march through India’s most competitive financial services sector.
Parekh’s CV reads like a masterclass in brand warfare. Her journey began at Peacock Media (2008-2010), cutting teeth on client management and retail campaigns. A stint at The Indian Express honed her event orchestration skills before the real breakthrough at DHFL, where she managed portfolios worth Rs 89-107 crores whilst delivering a jaw-dropping 458 per cent lift in enquiries and 1,377 per cent increase through direct CRM.
At ItzCash Card, India’s pioneering prepaid card entity, she commanded Rs 6 crores across 65,000 franchisees. Her insurance sector mastery crystallised at Future Generali and HDFC ERGO, where she crafted “always-on” marketing strategies spanning retail, bancassurance, and digital channels. SBI General Insurance elevated her to team lead, polishing her multi-channel expertise.
Kotak clearly spotted a thoroughbred when it hired Parekh as deputy vice president in February 2022. Her swift promotion suggests the investment paid handsome dividends. In an era of soaring customer acquisition costs, having a marketing strategist who navigates B2C and B2B2C channels with equal aplomb is worth its weight in rupees.
Her skill set resembles a marketing Swiss Army knife: campaign management, digital strategy, public relations, employer branding, and analytics—all backed by proven agency management abilities. As India’s financial services sector digitises rapidly, Kotak appears to have secured a marketing general capable of commanding campaigns across every conceivable channel.
For Parekh, vice president represents not just career progression, but validation of a strategy that’s seen her master every major financial vertical whilst building Mumbai’s most versatile marketing reputation.
Brands
Axis Bank named Official Banking Partner of DP World PGTI
Partnership supports all tournaments this season to grow professional golf in India.
MUMBAI: Axis Bank just teed up a hole-in-one partnership because when a bank sponsors golf’s biggest swing in India, even the fairways feel more financially secure. Axis Bank has been appointed Official Banking Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (DP World PGTI), strengthening its commitment to sporting excellence and community engagement while backing the growth of professional golf across the country.
Under the partnership, Axis Bank will support all DP World PGTI tournaments this season, contributing to talent development, enhanced tournament experiences and wider fan engagement. The collaboration aligns the bank’s values of precision, discipline and trust with the Tour’s focus on performance and opportunity.
Axis Bank executive director Munish Sharda said, “We are pleased to partner with DP World PGTI as its Official Banking Partner. Golf embodies precision, discipline, and a pursuit of excellence qualities that strongly reflect who we are at Axis Bank. This association also strengthens our engagement with India’s growing premium customer segments, where the sport has a deep and enduring connect.”
Professional Golf Tour of India president Kapil Dev said, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Axis Bank as a Tour Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India. Partnerships of this stature play a vital role in strengthening the foundation of the Tour, enhancing opportunities for our players, and expanding the sport’s reach across the country.”
Professional Golf Tour of India CEO Amandeep Johl added, “Axis Bank’s strong legacy of excellence, innovation, and nationwide reach aligns perfectly with DP World PGTI’s goal to elevate professional golf in India and provide greater opportunities for our players.”
In a sport where every stroke counts and every partnership drives distance, Axis Bank isn’t just backing golfers, it’s investing in the fairway to future, turning India’s greens into a stage where precision meets passion and every drive has the power to inspire.
