MAM
Ashika Group brings in Vishesh Sharma as CMO
Mumbai: Finacial services provider Ashika Group has appointed Vishesh Sharma as chief marketing officer (CMO). He will be based in Mumbai and report directly to Ashika Group CEO Chirag Jain.
The bolstering of the company’s leadership ranks is in line with its vision of fortifying the personal finance ecosystem and transforming how New India manages its savings and investments with the newly-launched My Dhanush app, said the statement.
At Ashika Group, Sharma will be responsible for brand building, content marketing, social media, and corporate communications for the retail business, which is stacked under the company’s master brand, My Dhanush, it added.
“We are excited to welcome Vishesh, a passionate brand-builder, and are confident he will play a vital role in building a truly world-class FinTech brand,” said Chirag Jain. “I believe under his able leadership and in-depth understanding of customer communication, we will strengthen Ashika further and drive growth across our portfolio.”
A communications veteran, Sharma joins Ashika Group with 13 years of extensive and diverse work experience across fields, including brand communication, content marketing, corporate communications, reputation management, internal communications, public affairs, and financial education. In his previous stint, he was with Angel One as head of content marketing, corporate communications, and strategic alliances, where he successfully transformed the company’s image from a traditional broker to a fintech. He also led the retail communication for Angel One’s IPO.
Earlier, Sharma also served as the chief content strategist for Sharekhan by BNP Paribas, where he helped set up the digital assets department. He has worked with some prominent brands like Dalal Street Investment Journal, Progressive Media Group among others.
In the last couple of years, he has been conferred with multiple marketing awards, including Corporate Communications Person of The Year, Marketing Leader of the Year (BFSI), and Content Marketing Professional of the Year.
“I am excited to join such a fast-growing organization and play a part in building one of India’s very first personal finance super app My Dhanush. Ashika has an excellent track record of helping its clients grow their wealth by helping them invest wisely,” said Vishesh Sharma. “With a strong vision to build solutions that revolutionize the way new India invests, I look forward to helping Ashika strengthen its national leadership to be both a force for growth and a force for good.”
Brands
Pre-seed funding fuels nailinit, India’s new-age nail care brand
Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund backs Gen Z-focused beauty startup
MUMBAI: nailinit, a community-first nail care startup targeting Gen Z and millennials, has raised Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 crore in a pre-seed round led by Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund and Marsshot VC, alongside a clutch of consumer, technology and operator angels.
Backed by entrepreneur and investor Nikhil Kamath, Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund is betting on nailinit’s attempt to give India’s nail care aisle a long overdue makeover. The fresh capital will be used to deepen distribution across quick commerce and D2C channels, build its community engine, and accelerate product innovation in a category that is high frequency but still light on strong brands.
Founded by Tanishq Ambegaokar and Shubham Singhal, nailinit is positioning itself at the crossroads of beauty, self-expression and culture. The brand wants nails to be more than a finishing touch. It sees them as a canvas for identity, content and commerce.
“At nailinit, we are building for a generation that sees beauty as self-expression, not just routine,” said Ambegaokar. “The nail category in India has largely been underserved by strong brands. This capital allows us to invest in product depth, community and distribution in a thoughtful and long-term way.”
Singhal added that while the brand’s tone may be playful, its operating focus is sharp. “This round strengthens our supply chain, expands our digital footprint and enables disciplined execution as we scale.”
The funding round drew notable angels including Shashank Kumar of Razorpay, Arjit Johri of Marsshot VC, Yash Jain, formerly of NimbusPost, Karan Jindal of Meta, Jivraj Singh Sachar of ISV Capital, Nishank Jain of Accel, Yashvardhan Kanoi, Ashwarya Garg of HYPD, Venus Dhuria of Phot.AI and Amishi Parasrampuria of The Whole Truth.
Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund fund manager Gauri Kuchhal, believes the opportunity lies in shifting habits. “Nail care remains underpenetrated in India, with consumers relying on time-intensive salon visits. As convenience and self-expression gain ground, press-on nails can unlock more frequent and experimental usage. Nailinit is well-placed to expand beyond press-ons into adjacent categories.”
The brand is currently the only nail care player in India blending product-led retail with a dedicated kiosk at Jio World Drive in Bandra, where customers can walk in for services while discovering the range. It has also built early traction across quick commerce platforms such as Zepto and Blinkit, with a launch on Instamart in the pipeline, and is available on Amazon, strengthening its omnichannel presence.
In a space long dominated by salon chairs and scattered labels, nailinit is attempting to file, shape and polish the category into something sharper. With fresh funding in hand, the startup is setting out to prove that in beauty, small details can make a bold statement.
