MAM
Scroll Mantra appoints Nikhil Sharda as EVP – creative & digital communications
NEW DELHI: Scroll Mantra, one of India’s fastest-growing integrated marketing communications agency, today announced the appointment of Nikhil Sharda as executive vice president – creative and digital communications. With close to 17 years of experience, Sharda has been an ace story-teller and an artistic force behind various digital brand campaigns spread across a multitude of industries.
In his role he will be spearheading the social, digital, design, and website divisions for the agency. His key responsibility areas will be analysing client requirements, creating and executing compelling strategies, generating new business opportunities, maximising the company’s operating performance and achieving financial goals in line with the business objectives of the organisation.
Prior to joining Scroll Mantra, he served as the creative director at Frog Ideas – a digital marketing agency headquartered in Gurgaon. During his stint, he led and advised on go-to-market strategies for brands such as Comviva, Jim Beam, Terrapay, Twitter India Marketing, and more. Sharda has also had a long stint with AdGlobal360 where he spearheaded various campaigns for Rajasthan Tourism, Maruti Suzuki, Bureau of Indian Standards, BSB Edge, Delhivery, ministry of consumer affairs and European Union amongst others.
Having developed a penchant towards storytelling from an early age, Sharda completed his schooling from St George's College (Mussoorie) and then went on to graduate from Huddersfield University (UK) with Film Studies as his major. Today, he is occupied writing new stories for brands that will help make each scroll a mantra to be reckoned with.
Scroll Mantra founder and managing director Neha Bajaj said, “Despite the challenges brought on by this year, I believe that 2020 is an opportune time for brands to invest more in digital and new-age communications. The need for both PR and Digital is even more stronger and relevant during these times for brands to reach their relevant stakeholders and have an edge vis a vis its competitors. Nikhil’s reputation for excellence and driving exceptional results precedes him and I am very happy to welcome him to the Scroll Mantra family. I strongly believe that Nikhil will prove to be a value addition to our growing ecosystem and will help us scale our creative and digital wings substantially.”
Sharda said, “Scroll Mantra has been making remarkable waves with its approach in PR and Brand Communication. I am therefore excited to take on this role to continue delivering business solutions that will further revolutionize our edge. The teams here are young and passionate and I feed off that energy. To start with, we will be working with all our clients to build two sets of strategies – one to rebuild communication for 2020 without tweaking marketing objectives and strategies. And two, use the experience in 2020 as learnings to relook at strategies for 2021 and beyond, based on what we believe is the new normal for each industry.”
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Brands
Sun Pharma to acquire Organon in $11.75 billion deal at $14 per share
Acquisition to create $12.4 billion pharma giant with global scale and biosimilars push
MUMBAI: Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Organon & Co. in an all-cash deal valued at $11.75 billion, marking one of the largest cross-border pharma acquisitions by an Indian firm.
Under the terms of the agreement, Organon shareholders will receive $14.00 per share in cash, with Sun Pharma set to acquire 100 per cent of the company’s outstanding shares. The transaction, approved by the boards of both companies, is expected to close in early 2027, subject to regulatory approvals and shareholder consent.
The deal significantly expands Sun Pharma’s global footprint and strengthens its position across women’s health, biosimilars, and branded generics. The combined entity is projected to generate revenues of around $12.4 billion, placing it among the top 25 pharmaceutical companies globally.
Organon, which was spun off from Merck in 2021, brings a portfolio of over 70 products spanning women’s health and general medicines, with operations across more than 140 countries. Its established presence in key markets such as the US, Europe, and China complements Sun Pharma’s existing strengths and growth ambitions.
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited executive chairman Dilip Shanghvi said, “This transaction represents a significant opportunity for Sun Pharma to build on its vision of reaching people and touching lives. Organon’s portfolio, capabilities and global reach are highly complementary to our own.”
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited managing director Kirti Ganorkar added, “This transaction is a logical next step in strengthening Sun Pharma’s global business. Together, we will become a partner of choice for acquiring and launching new products.”
From Organon’s side, Organon & Co. executive chair Carrie Cox noted, “This all-cash transaction offers compelling and immediate value to Organon stockholders, while positioning the business for continued growth under Sun Pharma.”
Strategically, the acquisition gives Sun Pharma entry into the global biosimilars space as a top 10 player and strengthens its innovative medicines portfolio, which is expected to contribute around 27 per cent of combined revenues. The deal is also expected to nearly double EBITDA and cash flow, supporting long-term deleveraging and investment capacity.
Sun Pharma plans to fund the acquisition through a mix of internal accruals and committed financing from global banks, while maintaining focus on disciplined integration and operational continuity post-merger.
If completed as planned, the deal signals a clear shift in India’s pharmaceutical ambitions, from scale at home to leadership on the global stage, with Sun Pharma positioning itself as a more diversified and innovation-led healthcare powerhouse.
