Brands
Appsflyer lights up post-Diwali growth for marketers
MUMBAI: From Diwali sparks to a nine-week growth blaze. India’s festive season is no longer a one-week sprint to Diwali, and Appsflyer is showing marketers how to keep the momentum glowing. The global marketing measurement leader has released its 2025 India Festive Report, revealing that high-intent app activity now stretches across a nine-week window, offering brands extended opportunities for growth.
Analysing 20.5 million app installs and over 576 million dollars in user acquisition and remarketing spend, the report highlights booming post-Diwali activity. Gaming and food & drink apps saw post-peak install growth of 29 per cent and 16 per cent respectively, while Android remarketing spend in travel jumped 40 per cent. Ios Shopping engagement surged with session volume up 20 per cent, boosted by extended deals and gift redemption cycles.
“India’s festive season has evolved into a sustained momentum period that demands smarter campaign pacing and post-Diwali re-engagement,” said Appsflyer general manager INSEA and ANZ Sanjay Trisal. “Android delivers long-tail value when remarketing is timed right, while Ios needs sharper sequencing and early conversion. Brands that invest in lifecycle strategies and fraud protection at key moments can maximise both growth and efficiency.”
Key takeaways from the report show that top shopping apps grew share of paying users by 32 per cent year-on-year, while post-festival fraud rates spiked, particularly in food & drink on Ios (up 176 per cent) and entertainment on Android (up 74 per cent). Remarketing budgets should be reallocated to the post-Diwali period, with segmented push campaigns and reactivation flows between Days 10 and 14 ensuring retention beyond the first week.
Meta vertical head of gaming, tech, health & education Rishad Chindamada added, “Mobile platforms drive rapid acquisition and re-engagement, enhanced by AI tools optimising campaigns. Brands that leverage full-funnel marketing across channels can turn festive season spikes into lasting loyalty.”
Appsflyer’s report underscores a shift in festive marketing strategy, it’s not just about winning Diwali week, it’s about sustaining the spark long after the lamps go out.
Brands
Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail reshuffles top deck; Nikhil Modha to take over as CFO
Phased transition sees Marco Agnolin head OWND!, Nikhil Modha lined up as CFO as company readies next growth leg
MUMBAI: Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail is redrawing its leadership map, lining up a new generation of executives across key roles as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
The company has named Suraj Bahirwani as chief executive (designate) of Pantaloons, effective April 1, 2026, with a full transition to the top role slated for October 1, 2026. He will also be designated as senior managerial personnel.
A two-decade veteran of the Aditya Birla Group, Bahirwani joined as a group management trainee in 2002 and has since held a string of leadership roles across retail and manufacturing. His resume spans stints at Aditya Birla Retail, a tenure as chief operating officer of Pantaloons, and most recently, head of global sales at the group’s cellulosic fibres business, where he drove international expansion and strengthened value-added portfolios.
Academically, he holds a PhD from the University of Mumbai, a postgraduate management diploma from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, and is a chartered accountant. Over the years, he has picked up multiple chairman’s awards, including distinguished achiever, exceptional contributor and accomplished leader.
The transition at Pantaloons will be staged. Incumbent chief executive Sangeeta Tanwani will continue until September 30, 2026, steering the handover before moving into an advisory role to the managing director from October 1, 2026. She is set to retire on January 31, 2027, at which point she will step down as whole-time director and key managerial personnel.
Alongside, the company has brought in Marco Agnolin as chief executive of OWND! and senior managerial personnel, effective April 6, 2026. Agnolin arrives with over three decades of global experience, having held senior roles at Inditex, where he helped expand Zara in Italy, and later served as chief executive of Bershka and Diesel. His track record spans fast fashion, brand turnarounds and youth-focused retail.
On the finance side, Nikhil Modha has been appointed chief financial officer (designate) and senior managerial personnel from April 1, 2026. He will assume full charge as chief financial officer and key managerial personnel from January 1, 2027.
Current chief financial officer Jagdish Bajaj will oversee a phased transition until December 31, 2026, before retiring and stepping down from his roles.
The reshuffle signals a calibrated succession plan rather than a sudden overhaul, with the company staggering exits and appointments to ensure continuity even as it refreshes leadership across verticals.
As Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail juggles legacy brands and new-age formats, the message is clear: steady hands for the present, sharper ones for the future—and no pause in the push for scale.
