Brands
BANG BANG launches new avatar
MUMBAI: Launched in 2006 by Roopak Saluja, BANG BANG disrupted the Indian commercials production industry by introducing international directorial talent to the market. Additionally, BANG BANG was also the first to introduce standard global processes like detailed transparent costing, etc.
With an initial focus on visual storytelling, BANG BANG cornered the beauty and automotive advertising market by significantly raising the bar for production values in Indian advertising. Subsequently, it expanded its repertoire by serving as a home for iconic Indian directors like Dibakar Banerjee.
Over the years, BANG BANG has produced iconic spots for brands like IKEA, Google, Pepsi, L’Oréal, Sony, Unilever, Indigo, Netflix and dozens of others with Ogilvy, JWT, Lowe Lintas, Dentsu Taproot, Wieden + Kennedy, BBH and many other agency partners.
BANG BANG launched its new avatar earlier this year, working with Dentsu India on a mammoth production to deliver IKEA’s iconic India launch campaign, being rolled out across media over the coming months.
To announce its #Production2020 mission and evolution, BANG BANG released this high-octane video last week across social media channels.
BANG BANG founder and managing director and group CEO of The 120 Media Collective Roopak Saluja said, “It’s hard to overstate the extent of flux our industry has seen in recent years. But wait, there’s more coming. The world needs a recalibrated production model to cater to the needs of 2020. We at BANG BANG have been ramping up to this reality for years and are delivering it here and now in 2018, with commercials at the core but augmented capabilities, backed by a vast body of work, across content, photography, digital, interactive, gaming and more. The one constant is storytelling but there are now a thousand ways to get there.”
Brands
upGrad acquires Internshala in 90 per cent stock deal to own career funnel
Deal aims to scale Internshala’s revenue from Rs 45 crore to Rs 100 crore
MUMBAI: upGrad has acquired Internshala, the world’s largest internship and early-talent marketplace, in a bid to stitch education, skilling and employment into a single career pipeline.
The transaction, announced on 26 February, is structured as a 90 per cent stock-swap, with the financial terms undisclosed. The deal deepens upGrad’s push to control the full career lifecycle, from learning to hiring, at a time when India’s skilling economy is under pressure to deliver outcomes, not just credentials.
Founded in 2010, Internshala claims more than 34 million registered users and 450,000 employers, with roughly 3 million active applicants each year. Over 40 per cent of its users come from tier 2 and tier 3 cities, and most of the platform’s traffic is organic. The company currently reports an annual revenue base of Rs 45 crore.
Under upGrad’s ownership, Internshala is expected to scale aggressively. The company aims to grow the platform’s revenue to Rs 100 crore and beyond, backed by increased investment in product development, AI-led talent matching and enterprise hiring solutions.
Internshala will continue to operate as an independent brand, led by its founder and CEO Sarvesh Agrawal, while tapping into upGrad’s technology stack, distribution and learning ecosystem.
“Education and employment in India have operated in silos for too long,” said upGrad head of corporate strategy and growth Chirag Samdaria. He said the acquisition strengthens the earliest and most consequential stage of the career journey, where intent is high and outcomes can be shaped.
Agrawal described the deal as a natural convergence of learning and opportunity, adding that the partnership would allow Internshala to skill millions of candidates and supply pre-trained talent to employers at scale.
Investec acted as exclusive financial adviser to Internshala.
The acquisition marks a strategic milestone for upGrad as it seeks to position itself not merely as an education provider, but as an end-to-end workforce development platform aligned with India’s evolving labour market.
