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Anita Arjundas, MD, Mahindra Lifespaces, with Nidhi Chandna, winner of the #JoyfulHomecomings contest, and her family
Mumbai, April 25, 2018: Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited (‘MLDL’), the real estate and infrastructure development arm of the Mahindra Group, has announced the winner of its #Joyful Homecomings ‘Home at Re. 1’ contest. The contest was part of a campaign to bring to life Mahindra Lifespaces’ brand value proposition of ‘Joyful Homecomings’. The winner, Gurgaon resident Ms. Nidhi Chandna, is now the proud owner of an apartment at Happinest – Palghar: Mahindra Lifespaces’ latest affordable housing project, which has emerged as one of the fastest-selling projects in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Sharing her excitement on her big win, Ms. Chandna said, “An apartment in MMR for Re. 1 is like a dream come true! I would like to thank Mahindra Lifespaces for creating a one-of-a-kind opportunity for a truly joyful homecoming.”
Added Sunil Sharma, VP – Marketing & CRM, Mahindra Lifespaces, “Purchasing a home is a major life decision, and most intending buyers today start their real estate journey online. At Mahindra Lifespaces, we are focused on ensuring that every aspect of this process is enjoyable. Digital has been working as one of the core media for the brand to build engagement & salience. The #JoyfulHomecomings campaign is a manifestation of our customer-centric approach on the digital platform, and we heartily welcome Ms. Chandna to the Mahindra Lifespaces family.”
Ahmed Aftab Naqvi, CEO and Co-founder, Gozoop, said, “Buying a home is one of the most cherished moments in a person’s life and our campaign #JoyfulHomecomings is an innovative take on spreading this happiness with just a single rupee. With over 142K potential home buyers engaged, this digital first campaign left an indelible impression on not just their minds, but their hearts as well.”
Mahindra Lifespaces’ brand proposition of Joyful Homecomings encompasses the delivery of thoughtfully designed homes and community spaces; hassle-free experiences; a portfolio of post-handover services; and the creation of vibrant communities that augment the living experience for residents. The month-long #JoyfulHomecomings campaign invited participants to answer a simple question – ‘What does #JoyfulHomecomings mean to you?’ The campaign also leveraged GIF and vox-pop videos wherein participants were asked for ideas on how they would spread joy with only Re. 1, thereby rousing wide curiosity and anticipation. The campaign generated 6.8K+ conversations over a month across digital platforms.
About Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd.
Established in 1994, Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd. is the real estate and infrastructure development business of the USD 19 billion Mahindra Group, and a pioneer of sustainable urbanisation in India. The Company is committed to transforming India’s urban landscape through its residential developments under the ‘Mahindra Lifespaces’ and ‘Happinest’ brands; and through its integrated cities and industrial clusters under the ‘Mahindra World City’ brand.
Mahindra Lifespaces delivers innovative customer-focused solutions that are rooted in a legacy of trust and transparency. The Company’s development footprint spans 23 million sq. ft. (2.137 million sq. m.) of completed, ongoing and forthcoming residential projects across seven Indian cities; and over 4960 acres of ongoing and forthcoming projects under development/management at its integrated developments in four cities.
A pioneer of the green homes movement in India, Mahindra Lifespaces has been ranked 4th in Asia in its category, in the ‘2017 GRESB Real Estate ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Assessment’. The Company has also been ranked among the top 50 great mid-size workplaces in India – 2017, by the Great Places To Work Institute.
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ASCI study uncovers how Gen Alpha navigates ads in endless digital feeds
‘What the Sigma?’ ethnographic report maps blurred boundaries between content and commerce for 7–15-year-olds.
MUMBAI: Gen Alpha isn’t scrolling through the internet, they’re living rent-free inside its never-ending dopamine drip, and the ads have already moved in next door. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) Academy, partnering with Futurebrands Consulting, has published ‘What the Sigma?’, an immersive ethnographic study that maps how Indian children aged 7–15 (Generation Alpha) consume, interpret and live alongside media and commercial messaging in a hyper-digital environment.
The research draws on in-home interviews, sibling and peer conversations, and discussions with parents, teachers, counsellors, psychologists, marketers and kidfluencers across six cities. It examines not only what children watch but how algorithms, content creators, peers and parents shape their relationship with the constant stream of shorts, vlogs, gameplay, memes, sponsored posts and ‘kid-ified’ adult material.
Five core themes emerged:
- Discontinuous Generation, Gen Alpha is not growing up alongside the internet, they are growing up inside it. Cultural references, humour, aesthetics and language sync globally in real time, often leaving adults functionally illiterate in their children’s world. A reference that lands instantly for a 10-year-old in Mumbai or Visakhapatnam feels opaque or disjointed to most parents.
- Authority Vacuum, Parents and teachers frequently lose cultural fluency in digital spaces. The algorithm responsive, inexhaustible and perfectly attuned to preferences becomes the most attentive presence in many children’s daily lives. Rules around screen time feel increasingly difficult to enforce when adults cannot fully see or understand the content landscape.
- Digital as Society, Online and offline no longer exist as separate realms, they form one continuous reality. The phone is not a tool children pick up; it is the primary social environment they inhabit.
- Great Media Mukbang, Content flows as an ambient, boundary-less, multi-sensorial stream. Entertainment, advertising, commerce, gameplay, memes and vlogs merge into one undifferentiated feed. The line between active choice and passive absorption has largely collapsed.
- Blurred Ad Recognition, Children aged 7–12 typically recognise only the most overt advertising formats. Influencer promotions, gaming integrations and vlog sponsorships often register as organic entertainment. Children aged 13–15 show greater ad literacy but remain highly susceptible to narrative-integrated, passion-driven and emotionally resonant brand messaging. Discernment remains low across the board in a non-stop stream.
ASCI CEO and secretary general Manisha Kapoor said, “ASCI Academy’s study is an investigation into the content life of Generation Alpha not to judge them but to understand them. Their cultural reference points seem disjointed from those of earlier generations. Insights on how they perceive advertising is the first step towards building more responsible engagement frameworks, given that they are the youngest media consumers in our country right now.”
Futurebrands Consulting founder and director Santosh Desai added, “While earlier generations have been exposed to digital media, for this generation it is the world they inhabit. This report explores not only what they watch but how they are being shaped by algorithms, content and advertising.”
The study proposes four adaptive, principles-led pathways:
- Universal signposting of commercial intent using design principles that make advertising recognisable even to young audiences.
- Ecosystem-wide responsibility shared among advertisers, platforms, creators, schools and parents.
- Future-ready safeguards built directly into children’s content experiences rather than as optional background settings.
- Formal media and advertising literacy embedded in school curricula to teach age-appropriate understanding of persuasion and commercial intent.
In a feed that never pauses, Gen Alpha isn’t merely watching content, they’re swimming in an ocean where entertainment, commerce and identity swirl together. The real question isn’t whether they can spot an ad; it’s whether the adults building the ocean can agree on where the lifeguards should stand.
