MAM
Asics marks 17 Years with TMM and unveils New Gel Nimbus 28
MUMBAI: Asics laced up a milestone moment in Mumbai as it celebrated 17 years with the Tata Mumbai Marathon while rolling out the Gel Nimbus 28, its headline running shoe for the 2026 season. The launch, fronted by actor and fitness enthusiast Dino Morea, unfolded at the brand’s Linking Road store where the company also showcased its exclusive TMM 2026 gear.
Known for its plush cushioning and cloud-soft ride, the latest Gel Nimbus arrives sleeker and lighter, shedding more than 20 grams from the previous version. The shoe aims to offer a smoother, more effortless stride while preserving the comfort that runners swear by.
The brand also revealed its limited-edition TMM 2026 SM Graphic T-shirt, drawing inspiration from Mumbai’s evolving coastal road. The design echoes the city’s forward motion, weaving in elements of connection, ambition and progress. An illustrated running shoe sits at its centre as a playful nod to momentum and new milestones. The wider apparel line includes 2-in-1 shorts, breathable caps and lightweight socks designed to keep runners cool and race-ready.
Asics India and South Asia managing director Rajat Khurana, said India is entering a landmark decade for performance sport, with running at its core. He noted that the brand’s long partnership with the marathon reflects its faith in events that encourage healthier lifestyles. He added that the Gel Nimbus 28 continues Asics’ mission to bring global innovation to Indian runners while creating meaningful, science-backed experiences on and off the track.
Procam International managing director Anil Singh, said Asics remains vital to the marathon’s evolution, adding that excitement for the 21st edition is already sweeping the city. He described the event as a celebration of Mumbai’s trademark spirit and resilience.
The launch event brought together runners, partners and athletes, setting the pace for the upcoming season. Asics, which already partners with major events including the New Delhi Marathon, the TCS World 10K Bengaluru and the NMDC Hyderabad Marathon, continues to build a strong nationwide running circuit.
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Abhay Duggal joins JioStar as director of Hindi GEC ad sales
The streaming giant brings in a seasoned revenue hand as the battle for Hindi television advertising heats up
MUMBAI: Abhay Duggal has a new desk, and JioStar has a new weapon. The media and entertainment veteran has joined JioStar as director of entertainment ad sales for Hindi general entertainment channels, adding 17 years of hard-won revenue experience to one of India’s most powerful broadcasting operations.
Duggal is no stranger to big portfolios or bruising markets. Before joining JioStar, he spent a brief stint at Republic World as deputy general manager and north regional head for ad sales. Before that, he put in three years at Enterr10 Television, where he ran the north region for Dangal TV and Dangal 2, two of India’s leading free-to-air Hindi channels. The north alone accounted for more than 50 per cent of total channel revenue on his watch, a number that tends to get attention in any sales meeting.
His longest stint was at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, where he spent over six years rising to associate director of sales. There he commanded the Hindi movies cluster across seven channels, owned more than half of north India’s revenue across flagship properties including Zee TV and &TV, and closed marquee sponsorships across the Indian Premier League, Zee Rishtey Awards and Dance India Dance. He also handled monetisation for the English movies and entertainment cluster and the global news channel WION, a portfolio that would stretch most sales teams twice his size.
Earlier in his career Duggal closed what was then a Rs 3 crore single deal at Reliance Broadcast Network, one of the largest in Indian radio at the time, before that he helped launch and monetise JAINHITS, India’s first HITS-based cable and satellite platform.
His edge, by his own account, lies in marrying data and instinct: translating audience trends, inventory signals and client demands into long-term partnerships built on cost-per-rating-point discipline rather than short-term deal chasing. In a media landscape being reshaped by streaming, fragmented attention and AI-driven advertising, that kind of rigour is increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.
JioStar, which blends the scale of Reliance’s Jio platform with the content firepower of Star, is doubling down on its advertising business at precisely the moment the Hindi GEC market is getting more competitive. Bringing in someone who has spent nearly two decades doing exactly this, across some of India’s most watched channels, is a pointed statement of intent. Duggal has spent his career turning audiences into revenue. JioStar is clearly betting he can do it again, and bigger.
