Brands
Mastercard enables priceless experiences: Manasi Narasimhan
MUMBAI: There are certain experiences that money cannot buy and Mastercard truly believes that. With a Mastercard credit card, consumers can book enticing offers and life experiences through the Priceless programme. From a ballet session to experiencing fine dining with your favourite chef, Mastercard provides accessibility to unique experiences that cannot be found elsewhere, hence the name Priceless.
On the launch of Priceless Cities in South Asia for Colombo, Mastercard vice president & head, marketing & communications South Asia Manasi Narasimhan speaking exclusively to indiantelevision.com said, “There is enough resource worldwide to show that consumers value great experiences like a moment spent with their loved ones and time pursuing their passion. These are the things that money can’t buy so, therefore, our entire grand campaign has been built on the concept of priceless. We give the exclusivity to people who are passionate about it and who will absolutely love talking about it and will cherish it for a lifetime.”
Introduced for the first time in New York in the year 2011, the program rejoices by connecting consumers’ passions to derive unique experiences, privileged access, and attractive programs. It has been planned in such a way that consumers feel closer to their passions like sports, dining, shopping, arts and entertainment through once in a lifetime experience and exclusive access in more than 40 places.
While commenting about the marketing strategy of the program, Narasimhan said, “Being a global network, Mastercard wants to popularise it not just in one country or market but throughout the world. Now that we are launching Priceless Srilanka, we send circulars directly through digital marketing agencies. Banks play a major role in our sector so I want banks across the world to recognise the value that these experiences provide to high-end cardholders. In India, cardholders are travelling like never before, and they want to have local experiences so when they go with this kind of bank they are more than happy to share details with their cardholder base and that is how we end up promoting it.”
Customer experiences have now become a top priority for brands and businesses this year will be no different. Customers no longer base their loyalty on price or product. Instead, they stay loyal to companies due to the experience they receive. A survey conducted by Walker Study stated that by the end of 2020, 86 per cent of buyers will pay more for better experiences.
More than a campaign Narasimhan views this as a property that she is proud to launch for the first time in Sri Lanka. Commenting on the same she said, “It is more about telling consumers that Mastercard really values you and understands your passion. Some of the things that they have are spectacular Wildlife sanctuary where you can go with the forest rangers and experience the wildlife and have a lifetime photography session.”
Brands
Pre-seed funding fuels nailinit, India’s new-age nail care brand
Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund backs Gen Z-focused beauty startup
MUMBAI: nailinit, a community-first nail care startup targeting Gen Z and millennials, has raised Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 crore in a pre-seed round led by Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund and Marsshot VC, alongside a clutch of consumer, technology and operator angels.
Backed by entrepreneur and investor Nikhil Kamath, Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund is betting on nailinit’s attempt to give India’s nail care aisle a long overdue makeover. The fresh capital will be used to deepen distribution across quick commerce and D2C channels, build its community engine, and accelerate product innovation in a category that is high frequency but still light on strong brands.
Founded by Tanishq Ambegaokar and Shubham Singhal, nailinit is positioning itself at the crossroads of beauty, self-expression and culture. The brand wants nails to be more than a finishing touch. It sees them as a canvas for identity, content and commerce.
“At nailinit, we are building for a generation that sees beauty as self-expression, not just routine,” said Ambegaokar. “The nail category in India has largely been underserved by strong brands. This capital allows us to invest in product depth, community and distribution in a thoughtful and long-term way.”
Singhal added that while the brand’s tone may be playful, its operating focus is sharp. “This round strengthens our supply chain, expands our digital footprint and enables disciplined execution as we scale.”
The funding round drew notable angels including Shashank Kumar of Razorpay, Arjit Johri of Marsshot VC, Yash Jain, formerly of NimbusPost, Karan Jindal of Meta, Jivraj Singh Sachar of ISV Capital, Nishank Jain of Accel, Yashvardhan Kanoi, Ashwarya Garg of HYPD, Venus Dhuria of Phot.AI and Amishi Parasrampuria of The Whole Truth.
Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund fund manager Gauri Kuchhal, believes the opportunity lies in shifting habits. “Nail care remains underpenetrated in India, with consumers relying on time-intensive salon visits. As convenience and self-expression gain ground, press-on nails can unlock more frequent and experimental usage. Nailinit is well-placed to expand beyond press-ons into adjacent categories.”
The brand is currently the only nail care player in India blending product-led retail with a dedicated kiosk at Jio World Drive in Bandra, where customers can walk in for services while discovering the range. It has also built early traction across quick commerce platforms such as Zepto and Blinkit, with a launch on Instamart in the pipeline, and is available on Amazon, strengthening its omnichannel presence.
In a space long dominated by salon chairs and scattered labels, nailinit is attempting to file, shape and polish the category into something sharper. With fresh funding in hand, the startup is setting out to prove that in beauty, small details can make a bold statement.
