MAM
Ankur Madan named as COO and co-founder at Chargeup
Mumbai: Chargeup, the homegrown battery-swapping network for e-rickshaws, has announced the joining of Ankur Madan as COO and co-founder of the company.
At Chargeup, Madan will head operations and technology and lead the company’s product strategy, said the statement.
Madan has over 15 years of market experience in multiple industries and is proficient in building businesses from scratch. Prior to Chargeup, he held key positions in Ubico Networks, Bharti Airtel, Haier Appliances, and Spectra.
“Ankur is vastly experienced in product strategy and development, and managing various commercial aspects in the customer as well as business-facing arenas. With his expertise, I foresee Chargeup moving faster towards its next step of product development and market expansion across India,” said Chargeup CEO and co-founder Varun Goenka. “We are aiming to leverage best-in-class technologies to constantly improve our battery services, and Ankur’s joining augurs well for our plans on this front as well.”
Madan has a bachelor’s degree in information technology with a master’s in management from the London School of Economics. He has also studied ‘design thinking and innovation’ as part of the MIT Sloan Executive Education programme.
Chargeup is an advanced technology-driven solution provider that offers Battery as a Service (BaaS) support to EV drivers in India. By facilitating easy battery swapping, Chargeup is enabling electric two and three-wheeler drivers to overcome range anxiety through standardised battery technology and robust execution capabilities, said the statement.
Brands
Kingfisher signs three-year IPL partnership
Packaged water brand signs on as ‘good times partner’ for 2026–28 cycle
MUMBAI: Kingfisher Premium Packaged Drinking Water is betting big on cricket’s biggest stage, sealing a three-year partnership with the Board of Control for Cricket in India to sharpen fan engagement at the TATA Indian Premier League.
The brand, owned by United Breweries, will serve as the official “good times partner” for the men’s IPL from 2026 to 2028, extending a relationship that began with the Women’s Premier League. The move signals a broader push to embed itself deeper into live sport, with a focus on immersive, consumer-led experiences rather than conventional sponsorship visibility.
At the heart of the tie-up is a suite of fan-first activations spanning broadcast, stadiums and digital channels. These include the “Kingfisher Bird Cam”, offering a branded spider-cam perspective during live matches, and the “Good Times Zone”, an in-stadium entertainment hub during play-offs aimed at amplifying match-day buzz. The brand will also back IPL fan parks, elevate public screening experiences and run digital contests tied to key moments through the season.
Vikram Bahl, chief marketing officer, United Breweries, said cricket in India “is more than a sport, it is a shared cultural moment”, adding that the IPL brings that energy alive at scale. “For Kingfisher Premium Packaged Drinking Water, being present at the heart of these moments, in partnership with the BCCI, is a natural extension of what we stand for. Through this association, we aim to enrich how fans experience the game… making every match more immersive, social and memorable,” Bahl said.
Devajit Saikia, honorary secretary, BCCI, said the IPL “has always been at the forefront of redefining sports entertainment and fan engagement”. He added that the collaboration would fuse cricket fandom with “innovative fan experiences that extend beyond the stadium”, helping create memorable moments for audiences nationwide.
For United Breweries, part of the HEINEKEN group, the play is clear: move from passive branding to active participation in the fan journey—on screens, in stands and across social spaces. With millions tuning in and turning up each season, the IPL remains the country’s most potent marketing theatre. The question now is whether “good times” can translate into lasting brand recall in a market where visibility is easy, but engagement is hard-won.
