MAM
Ad agency 1pointsize sparkles at Spark 2004
MUMBAI: Creative outfit 1pointsize recently stole the show at the 2004 Spark which were awards hosted by the Ad Club Chennai as it walked away with five Golds, five silvers and two bronzes. The Chennai-based hot shop finished a close third behind JWT Bangalore and JWT Chennai.
1pointsize caused a major upset by winning metals in heavy-duty categories like Brand Building Campaign of the Year, Art Director of the Year and Television Commercial – English. The other prized wins were for photography, public service, corporate identity, typography, calendar and rural campaign.
An elated founder and CEO of 1pointsize Sharad Haksar said, “With just five people and a handful of small brands, we are rocking. We got nominated in 12 categories. And we’ve won in all the 12 categories. Last year we won seven metals. This year we’ve won 12.”
Haksar lead the way by winning a gold and silver for photography. ““Yeah, it’s nice to win for photography. But what gave me more kicks this year was we won in loads of categories. In the Brand Building Category, Stori beat big brands like Ford and Color Plus to bag the silver. In The Television Commercials category we won a gold for our first ever TVC (for Reva Electric Car). The other award I really treasure is the Art Director of The Year award for C P Sajith. He really deserved it. Overall I am quite pleased,” gushes Haskar.
For a two year old advertising agency, that’s quite a feat accomplished.
MAM
Beacon Group appoints Dr Rajesh Patel as Group CEO
36-year healthcare veteran to lead Beacon Diagnostics, Vector Biotek, Biogeny.
MUMBAI: A new chief, a fresh diagnosis and a sharper prescription for growth. Beacon Group has appointed Dr Rajesh Patel as its Group Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1, 2026, signalling a decisive push to scale its presence in the diagnostics and IVD space. Patel steps into the role with 36 years of experience across the healthcare and diagnostics industry, bringing a career shaped by leadership roles spanning sales, marketing, business development and operational strategy. His mandate is both expansive and precise: to steer the group’s overall strategic direction while tightening coordination across its three core entities Beacon Diagnostics, Vector Biotek and Biogeny Diagnostics.
In practical terms, that means driving cross-company synergies, accelerating market expansion and strengthening organisational capability areas increasingly critical as diagnostic players compete for scale in a fragmented yet rapidly evolving healthcare ecosystem. The group is positioning itself to capture unmet demand across chain laboratories, key accounts and standalone labs, segments that remain underserved despite growing diagnostic needs.
The appointment comes at a time when the In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) sector in India is entering a more competitive and innovation-led phase, with companies focusing not just on product pipelines but also on service delivery, integration and customer-centric models. Beacon’s leadership appears to be betting that Patel’s execution-focused approach can help translate ambition into operational momentum.
Welcoming the appointment, Chairman Dr D K Joshi described Patel’s induction as a strategic move aligned with the group’s long-term vision, emphasising the role of leadership depth in navigating the next phase of growth.
For Beacon Group, the message is clear, in a sector where precision matters, leadership is the new differentiator—and this appointment is intended to set the tone for what comes next.
