Brands
Optimum Nutrition unveils project Protein Thali on World Protein Day
MUMBAI: To mark World Protein Day, Optimum Nutrition has unveiled project Protein Thali, an initiative designed to educate active Indian adults on the importance of protein in their diet. The campaign aims to bridge the country’s significant protein deficiency by encouraging individuals to rethink meal compositions and make protein a priority.
With 73 per cent of India’s population deficient in protein and over 90 per cent unaware of their daily protein needs, project Protein Thali seeks to drive awareness and behavioural change. The campaign promotes the swap the serve concept, advocating for replacing a portion of carbohydrates with protein. When combined with Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard 100 per cent Whey, a single meal can provide 40 grams of protein-an essential component for muscle gain and recovery after physical activity.
Renowned athlete PV Sindhu stated, “Throughout my journey as an athlete, expert guidance on nutrition has been vital to my performance. Protein plays a key role in recovery, and I am excited to collaborate with Optimum Nutrition to share these insights through project Protein Thali.”
Glanbia Performance Nutrition general manager, Sumit Mathur stated, “Protein is crucial, yet many Indians, including sports enthusiasts, do not prioritise it. By transforming the traditional Indian thali into a Protein Thali, we aim to inspire a shift towards a protein-inclusive diet.”
In a practical demonstration of its commitment, Optimum Nutrition introduced project Protein Thali at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), where athletes were served specially curated protein-rich meals, including Gold Standard 100 per cent Whey. This initiative aimed to highlight how effortlessly protein can be incorporated into daily diets.
Optimum Nutrition invites consumers to participate in the movement by sharing their own Protein Thali creations on social media using Swaptheserve. With Gold Standard 100 per cent Whey trusted by millions worldwide, the brand continues to lead the way in fulfilling the protein needs of active individuals.
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.








