MAM
D. Shivakumar elected new chairman of ASCI
MUMBAI: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has appointed D. Shivakumar as the new chairman of the board for ASCI.
Shivakumar is the group executive president of corporate strategy at Aditya Birla Group.
As the member of the board of governors for three years, supporting self-regulation, Shivakumar is an accomplished business leader having spent over 19 years in sales, marketing and general management positions across consumer products and the luxury industry.
Sony Pictures Networks India President of network sales and international business Rohit Gupta has been elected as the vice-chairman while Media Brands CEO Shashidhar Sinha has been re-appointed as the honorary treasurer.
Members of the Board of Governors include Harish Bhat (director, Tata Global Beverages.), Subhash Kamath (Managing Partner, BBH Communications India), Sandeep Kohli (executive director and vice president for personal care Hindustan Unilever Ltd), Prof S.K. Palekar (adjunct professor and advisor – Executive Education Institute of Management Technology), .S. Rajan (managing director, Ketchum Sampark), K.V. Sridhar (founder and chief creative officer Hyper Collective Creative Technologies), Abanti Sankaranarayanan (former vice chairperson, CIABC), Girish Agarwal (director, Dainik Bhaskar Group), Madhusudan Gopalan (CEO, Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care), Prasun Basu (president – South Asia Nielsen India), Sivakumar Sundaram (president- revenue Bennett, Coleman & Co), Vikas Agnihotri (director sales, Google India) and Umesh Shrikhande (CEO, Taproot India).
The outgoing chairman of ASCI Abanti Sankaranarayanan said, “2017-18 has been another strong year for ASCI as we have made significant advancements towards building our organizational muscle, external credibility and strong collaborations. Our stringent guidelines, seamless processes and the dedication and hardwork of our Consumer Complaints Council have contributed to restricting the use of misleading advertisements and enhance self regulation. ASCI’s momentous achievements for the year include successful completion of three year-long collaboration with Department of Consumer Affairs, renewal of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Food Safety Standards Authority of India, introduction of “Guidelines for Celebrities in Advertising” and inclusion in AYUSH’s Empowered Committee to control misleading ads of AYUSH drugs. As the Chairman for ASCI for the year 2017-18,I am extremely proud to be a part of this journey and I am confident that under Shivakumar’s Chairmanship ASCI will continue to grow swiftly and steadily.”
The incoming chairman, D. Shivakumar said, “I want to thank Abanti for her stewardship. We live in changing times with respect to information, media and trust of society. ASCI has been built on the foundation of self-regulation and the wisdom of the previous chairmen and the board. It’s my privilege to do the role now”.
The Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) established by ASCI is an independent body (majority of its members drawn from civil society members like consumer activists, lawyers, doctors, educationists), the CCC met 47 times during the year and deliberated on complaints against 2641 advertisements. Complaints against 1177 advertisements were upheld, while for 483 they were not upheld. The significant increase in the number of complaints as compared to 2016-17 numbers (2300) is largely due to ASCI’s Suo Moto Monitoring project viz. National Advertisement Monitoring Services (NAMS). The Independent Review Process (IRP) received a very favourable response and 30 IRPs were conducted during this year.
Brands
Primus Partners appoints Akasa Air co-founder Neelu Khatri as independent director
Veteran aviation and defence professional joins as independent director
NEW DELHI: Primus Partners has appointed Neelu Khatri, a founding member of Akasa Air, as an independent director, strengthening the consulting firm’s board as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
Khatri brings more than three decades of experience across defence, aviation, aerospace technology and consulting. She was part of the core team that helped build Akasa Air from concept to launch, contributing to what has been widely described as one of the fastest airline scale ups in recent aviation history.
At Primus Partners, she will provide strategic guidance on corporate governance and help steer the firm’s long term growth plans. Her experience of building a start up into a full scale organisation is expected to support the consulting firm as it expands its footprint.
Primus Partners co-founder and chairperson Davinder Sandhu, said the appointment brings valuable expertise to the board. “Neelu’s journey across defence, aviation and consulting brings a rare blend of operational insight and strategic thinking. Her experience in rapidly scaling Akasa Air will be invaluable as we continue to grow while maintaining a strong focus on corporate governance,” he said.
Primus Partners, an India headquartered management consulting and solutions firm, has emphasised governance and board oversight since its early days. The company has also taken an unconventional approach by inviting its Gen Z employees to attend board meetings so that younger perspectives can contribute to discussions.
Speaking on her appointment, Khatri said the consulting sector is entering a transformative period shaped by emerging technologies. “The industry is evolving rapidly with the rise of AI. This is an exciting moment for an Indian origin consulting firm like Primus Partners to expand its product offerings and strengthen its presence globally,” she said.
She added that as the firm pursues ambitious expansion plans, her focus will be on ensuring strong governance frameworks and effective risk management as the organisation scales.
