ITV News
Think9 acquires Whoppl, launches Nova9 for culture-led marketing
New unit blends creators, strategy and data to power fast-moving brand stories
MUMBAI: Think9 has acquired digital-first marketing firm Whoppl, marking a decisive step in its push to build culture-led, future-ready brands. The deal also signals the launch of Nova9, a new unit designed to help brands move at the speed of the internet with high-velocity storytelling systems.
Founded by Ashni Biyani, Avni Biyani, and Santosh Desai, Think9 is bringing together Whoppl’s creator-first approach with its own brand-building expertise. The result is Nova9, positioned as a cultural intelligence and storytelling engine aimed at navigating today’s fragmented and fast-shifting digital landscape.
Nova9 plans to operate at the intersection of creativity and data, combining strategic planning, meme fluency, cinematic storytelling, platform-native thinking and real-time analytics. The ambition is clear: to help brands behave less like advertisers and more like media companies that respond quickly to culture, communities and conversations.
Think9 Consumer Technologies co-founder and Futurebrands India CEO Santosh Desai, said the move reflects a broader shift in marketing. Brands, he noted, are moving away from one-off campaigns towards continuous, culture-led narratives that live and evolve across platforms.
The new unit will also scale its capabilities by hiring across disciplines, from cultural strategists and creative storytellers to meme specialists, community managers and ai-focused data analysts. The idea is to build teams that can decode cultural signals and turn them into stories that travel.
For Whoppl, founded in 2019 by Ramya Ramachandran, the partnership offers a chance to amplify what it already does best. Known for its work in content creation, influencer marketing and social commerce, the company has built a creator-powered ecosystem tailored for a more participative internet.
Whoppl founder and CEO Ramya Ramachandran, said brands today win attention not by broadcasting messages, but by creating stories people want to engage with, remix and share. With Nova9, she added, the aim is to scale that philosophy into a full-fledged storytelling engine.
Nova9 will also work closely with The Foundery, Think9’s platform that connects founders, operators and investors to build new-age consumer brands. With Ramachandran set to play a central leadership role, the unit is expected to act as a bridge between traditional brand-building and emerging, internet-led business models.
Together, the move positions Think9 to tap into a new marketing reality, one where relevance is earned in real time and storytelling is as much about participation as it is about persuasion.
ITV News
DSM Fresh Foods wins CII IPO Trailblazer 2025 recognition
Zappfresh honoured at CII Unicorn Summit 2026 for governance and growth
MUMBAI: From farm-fresh cuts to boardroom credibility, Zappfresh is clearly slicing its way into the big league. DSM Fresh Foods Limited, which operates Zappfresh, has been recognised as an “IPO Trailblazer 2025” at the CII Unicorn Summit 2026, an initiative by the Confederation of Indian Industry to spotlight high-growth companies demonstrating strong governance and long-term value creation. The recognition was awarded at a ceremony held at the Taj Mahal Hotel, attended by industry leaders, policymakers and business stakeholders. The honour was accepted by Prreya Manchanda, Director at DSM Fresh Foods.
The award category highlights startups and growth-stage firms that are not just scaling fast but are also building robust, compliant and future-ready businesses. For DSM Fresh Foods, it signals growing institutional confidence in its operating model within the fresh and processed food segment.
The company has been expanding its footprint through a customer-focused approach, strengthening quality-led operations and building an omni-channel distribution network to reach consumers more efficiently.
The recognition comes at a time when companies in the food-tech and fresh produce space are increasingly being evaluated not just on growth, but on governance standards and sustainability of operations key factors for any future public market journey.
For DSM Fresh Foods, the nod from CII adds another layer to its growth story, positioning it as a business that is not only scaling up but also shaping up for the long run.
