MAM
Publicis India terminates Ishrath Nawaz
MUMBAI: Publicis India has decided to terminate Ishrath Nawaz following allegations of sexual harassment against him.
Ishrat’s involvement came to light after a Twitter user posted her experience working with him where he would leach and pass sexual comments about his female colleagues on several occasions.
Publicis India announced his termination on Twitter by stating: “The investigation in relation to Mr. Ishrath Nawaz has been concluded. Mr. Nawaz’s conduct has been found to be violative of Publicis India’s policy. Consequently, Mr. Ishrath Nawaz’s services have been terminated.”
Statement. pic.twitter.com/DrwlDmD7SI
— Publicis India (@PublicisIndia) October 19, 2018
Ishrath Nawaz was recently appointed as the national creative director at Publicis India.
He joined Publicis India from McCann Worldwide where he was the senior creative director.
If you're working in advertising and come across this man, run. Run for your fucking life. Saying this out of personal experience.#TimesUphttps://t.co/KHQ6yhz2Io
— (@Kalamwali_Bai) October 5, 2018
Ever since the conversation around #MeToo movement began in India, the advertising industry, that no one would imagine of, seems to have a lot of stories to be told.
Recently, Dentsu Aegis Network also took action against four of its top employees after their name surfaced in the #MeToo movement. Soon after, DAN terminated all four employees including Kartik Iyer, Praveen Das, Dinesh Swamy and Bodhisatwa Dasgupta.
Brands
Pocket FM elevates Lalit Gangwar to COO to drive global growth
Founding member to lead operations, monetisation and expansion across markets
MUMBAI: Pocket FM has elevated Lalit Gangwar to chief operating officer, tasking the founding team member with leading global business operations as the company sharpens its international growth strategy.
In his new role, Gangwar will oversee end-to-end operations across markets, including growth, monetisation and execution for the company’s audio business. The appointment comes as Pocket FM looks to strengthen its operating foundation and build a more predictable, scalable global business.
Gangwar has been closely involved in shaping the company’s trajectory from its early days. He played a key role in building the growth and marketing playbook in India, helping the platform scale to over 150 million users within its first year and establish a strong foothold in the audio storytelling category.
He later led Pocket FM’s expansion into the United States, where he set up teams, defined market strategy and drove scale, contributing significantly to the company’s international ambitions.
Pocket FM co-founder and CEO Rohan Nayak said, “Lalit has been central to Pocket FM’s journey from the very beginning. He has built our growth engine and scaled our business across markets.” He added that the company’s focus on nurturing internal talent makes Gangwar a natural choice to lead the next phase.
Gangwar said, “Pocket FM has always been driven by a simple belief that powerful stories can travel across borders and create meaningful impact.” He noted that the company will continue to focus on scaling markets, investing in AI-led storytelling and strengthening monetisation.
As COO, Gangwar is expected to bring greater operating discipline while building systems, talent and processes to support long-term growth.
With leadership continuity and a clear global focus, Pocket FM appears to be turning the page to its next chapter, one that aims to take its storytelling playbook well beyond home turf.
