Brands
Airtel rolls out #PassTheTorch campaign
MUMBAI: Bharti Airtel (Airtel), India’s leading telecommunications service provider, today launched an innovative digital campaign #PassTheTorch to mark the 11th edition of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (ADHM).
Gautam Anand, Chief People Officer (India & South Asia), Bharti Airtel along with Airtel employees, members from top running groups in the country and people at large lit a digital torch to launch the campaign at an event held earlier today, at the Airtel Headquarters in Gurgaon. The torch will now be passed digitally across the country over smartphones to take the initiative nationwide.
The #PassTheTorch campaign celebrates the spirit of running and at the same time encourages people across India to make their run count wherever they may be and contribute towards the empowerment of underprivileged children in rural India. Airtel has partnered with leading fitness mobile app, Mobiefit for the campaign.
Mobiefit app will be branded as Airtel Mobiefit during the campaign period. Airtel will engage with over 400 top running clubs in the country to expand the reach of the campaign and clock in more kilometers on the app.
The campaign is designed around the core philosophy of ADHM, which is to bring people together for a cause. It breaks barriers by taking take the spirit of ADHM to every corner of the country through the digital flame and providing a platform to citizens to make a positive impact on the society. As part of the campaign, runners can pass on the digital flame to the next individual or group. Corresponding to the number of kilometers accumulated by the runners, Airtel will empower underprivileged children in rural areas through digital literacy, which will include teaching them use of computers and internet.
To participate in the #PasstheTorch campaign:
Download the Airtel Mobiefit app on your smartphone and register as an individual or group
Click on the Torch (Mnemonic) Screen to go to the challenge page
Click on the start icon
You can now record your run. When you finish a kilometer, the torch (mnemonic) will turn green
Once green, you can end your run and share or post your achievement across social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat etc and encourage/challenge others to participate.
Airtel had roll out a similar initiative titled ‘Make Your Run Count’ in 2016, requesting people across the country to capture screenshots of their run on running apps and upload on social media platforms. Over 10K people in rural areas benefitted from the campaign and were empowered with digital literacy as they learnt the power of internet for the first time through the initiative.
This year marks the 11th anniversary of Airtel’s association with ADHM, which is now one of the most prestigious running events across the world. The race is expected to witness participation from over 35,000 people this year who will run in 5 categories including the Half Marathon (21.097km), Great Delhi Run (6km), Open 10K, Senior Citizens Run (4.3km) and Champions with Disability (2.4Km).
Brands
MS Dhoni joins Cars24’s Crashfree India as Goodwill Ambassador
Cricketing legend lends his voice to the fight against road fatalities in India.
MUMBAI: MS Dhoni has traded his cricket whites for a new kind of captaincy, one that aims to save lives on India’s roads. The former India captain has been appointed Goodwill Ambassador for Crashfree India, Cars24’s national road safety initiative. The move brings one of the country’s most trusted and disciplined public figures to a cause that desperately needs both credibility and urgency.
India continues to record the highest number of traffic fatalities globally. In 2024 alone, 1,80,000 people lost their lives on Indian roads, one every three minutes. The country has roughly 1% of the world’s vehicles but accounts for 11 per cent of global road deaths. Shockingly, 66 per cent of those killed were between 18 and 34 years old, the most productive age group, and nearly 10,000 were school students. Seven in ten fatalities were linked to overspeeding.
Dhoni, known for his calm judgment under pressure, did not mince words when speaking about the issue. “A vehicle gives you freedom, but it also gives you responsibility,” he said. “On our roads, too many people still see safety as a rule to follow only when someone is watching. That mindset has cost us far too much.”
He added: “We already know what is going wrong. We know how many lives are being lost. What we need now is not more excuses. We need more responsibility, more discipline, and more respect for life.”
For Cars24, the association goes beyond a celebrity endorsement. Founder and CEO Vikram Chopra described Dhoni’s involvement as a game-changer: “His understanding of Indian roads is grounded in lived experience. He holds us to a higher standard and his involvement challenges us to push this mission further.”
Crashfree India aims to shift the national conversation on road safety from reaction to prevention, from accepting deaths as routine to treating them as the urgent failure they are. With Dhoni on board, the initiative gains a powerful, trusted voice that transcends statistics and connects directly with millions of Indians.
In a country where dangerous driving is too often mistaken for confidence, Dhoni’s message is refreshingly clear: true strength lies in control, discipline, and respect for life. When one of India’s most respected captains decides to lead this fight, the conversation suddenly becomes much harder to ignore.
The roads just got a new captain. And this time, the goal is not to win a trophy but to save lives.
