MAM
Agilitas snags ex-Bumble director Samarpita Samaddar for comms lead
MUMBAI: Agilitas is making bold moves, and this time, it’s off the track. India’s fastest-growing, end-to-end futuristic sportswear company has roped in Samarpita Samaddar as its communications lead, ensuring the brand sprints ahead in storytelling, reputation, and PR-led campaigns.
With a stellar track record, Samaddar is no stranger to crafting narratives that resonate. As the former communications director, India and southeast Asia at Bumble Inc., she was the force behind the women-first dating app’s award-winning campaigns, leading its communication strategies and serving as its official spokesperson in India for nearly four years. If Bumble made headlines, chances are, she had a hand in it.
But her expertise goes beyond swiping right. With 14 years of experience under her belt, Samaddar has built aspirational brands across consumer technology, entertainment, arts, lifestyle, and sports. Before diving into the world of dating apps, she shaped India’s film industry, helping establish powerhouse studios such as Zee Studios and Eros International. Her portfolio boasts over 40 film campaigns, including blockbusters like Bajirao Mastani, Newton, Aligarh, Dhadak, Ki & Ka, and Kesari.
Now, at Agilitas, she steps into a world where performance meets innovation—this time, in sportswear. Her challenge? To drive brand and corporate communications while ensuring Agilitas makes as much noise in the media as it does in the athletic arena.
Sharing her excitement on LinkedIn, Samaddar stated, “Super excited to share that I’ll be leading communications strategies at Agilitas in my new role! Building a pathbreaking journey for and telling the story of India’s fastest growing end-to-end, agile, futuristic, consumer-focused sportswear company is a rare opportunity, and I’m all geared up to go! I’m thrilled to help revolutionise India’s sports, fitness and fashion landscape, working closely with visionaries and an incredibly talented team. Here’s to making moves to change how people look and feel as they move!”
From Hindi cinema to Bumble and now to bold new beginnings in sportswear, Samaddar’s journey proves that storytelling has no boundaries—only new arenas waiting to be conquered.
Brands
Hocco crosses Rs 530cr revenue in two years
Sauce.vc-led Rs 100cr raise values ice cream brand at Rs 2,500cr pre-money as quick commerce hits 20 per cent of sales.
MUMBAI: Hocco has just scooped a seriously sweet milestone crossing the Rs 530 crore revenue mark in just two full years of operations. The fast-growing Indian ice cream and indulgence brand announced it has raised Rs 100 crore in fresh capital led by Sauce.vc. The round values the company at Rs 2,500 crore pre-money and underscores investor confidence in its rapid scale and distinctive India-first approach.
Founder Ankit Chona said the brand’s success stems from solving real Indian challenges extreme summer heat, fragmented cold chains and culturally rooted tastes. “In India, product development doesn’t end in the lab. It only ends when it survives the street,” he noted. This philosophy has produced viral hits such as Aamchi mango ice cream, BIX cake-sponge sandwiches, the Oh cone and culturally relevant collaborations like Haldiram’s Barfi and festive Modak specials.
Hocco currently operates manufacturing facilities in Ahmedabad and Panipat with a production capacity of approximately 3 lakh litres per day, running near full capacity in peak season. The fresh capital will help expand this to around 4.5 lakh litres per day.
Quick commerce has emerged as a major growth engine, now contributing ~20 per cent of overall business and growing nearly 2x year-on-year. The channel has boosted product discovery, increased consumption frequency and helped extend ice cream beyond its traditional seasonal limits.
Sauce.vc founder Manu Chandra said, “At Sauce, we believe that when you chance upon an outlier business, you double down with stronger conviction. We see Hocco as just that.”
With a strong innovation pipeline, deeper distribution and continued focus on cultural relevance, Hocco is entering its third year aiming to capture even more mind space and market share. In a category long dominated by legacy players, this young brand is proving that the coolest way to win is to build for India’s realities, one scoop, one street and one satisfied craving at a time.
