Brands
DS Group taps O9’s AI engine to turn supply chain chaos into a crystal-clear command centre
MUMBAI: When your empire stretches across 15 lakh retail outlets and five different sales channels, you don’t use spreadsheets—you use AI. DS Group, one of India’s heavyweight FMCG conglomerates, has teamed up with enterprise AI platform O9 to turbocharge its digital transformation and planning muscle across its business verticals.
The DS Group-O9 partnership will roll out AI-powered forecasting, demand planning, and supply chain visibility enhancements across DS Group’s sprawling distribution ecosystem. That includes general trade, modern trade, ecommerce, quick commerce, and institutional channels—a web of more than 100 super stockists, 5,000+ distributors, and a direct-to-retail reach of over 15 lakh stores nationwide.
“Our partnership with O9 marks a significant step in DS Group’s digital transformation journey. We aim to leverage their cutting-edge Enterprise Knowledge Graph and agile platform to drive scalability, enhance collaboration, and unlock predictive insights, crucial for navigating the dynamic Indian FMCG landscape and future growth,” said DS Group SVP, information technology Santosh K Singh.
DS Group becomes one of the first major Indian FMCG players to tap into O9’s enterprise-grade AI suite—known for its modular setup, machine-learning forecasts, and sector-savvy Consumer Products Reference Model.
O9’s predictive dashboards and planning algorithms will sit at the core of DS Group’s supply strategy, helping teams visualise performance, respond to disruptions, and unify siloed data sets in real time. PwC India is spearheading the implementation, with teams from all three organisations working like a single organism to get things live.
“Multiple teams from DS Group, PwC and O9 came together as ‘one team’ throughout the journey that helped in smooth go live. We will now help in adoption through user engagement, training and support so that DS Group fully embraces the solution,” said PwC India director Rohit Saxena.
O9’s co-founder & CEO Chakri Gottemukkala added, “We are extremely proud to partner with DS Group as they modernise their planning capabilities across core business units. The company’s focus on unifying data, teams and planning processes reflects a clear commitment to agility and long-term value creation.”
The digitisation push comes at a time when India’s FMCG sector is sprinting to keep pace with shifting demand signals, inflation tremors, and rising consumer expectations. With its new AI toolkit in play, DS Group looks ready to turn planning paralysis into predictive precision.
Brands
KKR sixes to power EV charger rollout under VIDA campaign
Cricket meets clean mobility as big hits spark India’s charging growth
NEW DELHI: VIDA, the electric mobility arm of Hero MotoCorp, has teamed up with Kolkata Knight Riders to launch a campaign that turns cricketing flair into real-world impact.
Titled ‘6 for 6’, the initiative promises to install a 6kW fast EV charger for every six hit by KKR during the ongoing Indian Premier League season. The idea is simple but powerful, as each big hit on the field contributes directly to expanding India’s fast-charging infrastructure.
The campaign builds on VIDA’s growing network, which already spans over 5,300 fast-charging points across more than 430 cities. With EV adoption gaining pace, the brand is using cricket’s mass appeal to accelerate both awareness and infrastructure growth.
Explaining the thinking behind the move, Hero MotoCorp emerging mobility business unit chief business officer Kausalya Nandakumar said, “Cricket has an incredible ability to unite and inspire millions across the country. With the ‘6 for 6’ campaign, we are turning every big hit on the field into a step towards a cleaner and a more accessible mobility future.”
She added that VIDA’s expanding fast-charging network and removable battery technology are designed to make EV ownership more convenient and practical for everyday users.
From the franchise’s side, the campaign is also about giving on-field moments a larger purpose. Kolkata Knight Riders chief executive officer Venky Mysore said, “The ‘6 for 6’ campaign exemplifies the potential of sport as a platform for meaningful, real-world impact. By linking every six to the expansion of EV charging infrastructure, this partnership transforms fan excitement into tangible progress.”
As part of the rollout, VIDA has introduced co-branded charging stations in KKR’s signature colours, with a flagship installation unveiled alongside team players. The chargers are designed for quick top-ups, powering VIDA scooters from zero to 80 percent in about an hour, while also being positioned along key highways to support longer journeys.
The initiative also taps into VIDA’s removable battery system, which allows users to charge using standard household plug points, adding flexibility to the charging ecosystem.
By blending the thrill of cricket with the urgency of clean mobility, VIDA and KKR have found a neat way to make every six count twice, once on the scoreboard and again on India’s road to an electric future.
