MAM
Atique Kazi bids farewell to WPP Media after 13 years
MUMBAI: After more than a decade of shaping India’s digital advertising playbook, Atique Kazi has stepped away from WPP Media, bringing down the curtain on a 13 year leadership journey across data, performance, commerce and emerging tech.
Kazi’s exit marks the end of an era spent building some of the most influential digital and commerce capabilities within the WPP ecosystem, at a time when India emerged as one of the fastest transforming advertising markets globally.
Reflecting on his journey, Kazi called it a “very special chapter”, crediting the people, culture and timing that defined his run. He spoke of growing through multiple leadership roles across performance, programmatic, data and commerce, while contributing to what he described as truly transformative industry work.
At WPP Media and GroupM, Kazi most recently served as president for e-commerce, performance and digital products in India, a role he held from 2021. Before that, he spent eight years at Xaxis, including stints as managing director in India and vice president for new business in Singapore, helping scale programmatic offerings across markets.
Among the standout platforms built under his leadership were Xaxis India’s programmatic solutions, Turbine which grew into India’s largest scaled DMP, Finecast India’s connected TV advertising platform, and Inca APAC, an AI powered influencer marketing business spanning nine countries. He also helped establish full stack performance and commerce service suites that became central to client growth strategies.
Kazi was generous in his acknowledgements, thanking colleagues, mentors, clients and partners across the WPP network for their trust and collaboration. A special mention went to his teams, whom he credited for turning ambitious ideas into products that delivered consistent client impact, while still making time for the lighter moments along the way.
“WPP Media skilled me up in fostering innovation, continuous reinvention, client centricity and leading with purpose,” he said, adding that while it was not easy to say goodbye to a place that had long felt like home, the time felt right to embrace new opportunities.
Before WPP, Kazi built an international career spanning Yahoo, The Economist, The Times of India, JVC and Hutchison Whampoa, with roles across India, the Middle East, the UK and Singapore. Each stop added another layer to a career that blended media, technology and commercial strategy.
As he signs off from WPP Media, Kazi leaves behind a legacy of platforms, people and progress, and an industry keen to see what chapter he writes next.
MAM
Deepanshu Manchanda named IIMSAM Goodwill Ambassador
Zappfresh founder to advocate for Zero Hunger and nutrition goals.
MUMBAI: Deepanshu Manchanda just got a United Nations side quest because when you’re already fighting hunger from farm to fork, the next level is global goodwill. Deepanshu Manchanda, founder and managing director of DSM Fresh Foods Ltd. (Zappfresh), has been appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by the Intergovernmental Institution for the Use of Micro-Algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition (IIMSAM), an observer to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
The honorary, non-remunerative role recognises his work in building inclusive, transparent food systems, strengthening smallholder farmer livelihoods especially women producers and advancing nutrition and food security.
Since founding Zappfresh in 2015, Manchanda has focused on traceability, farmer inclusion and public health. A notable collaboration with Shared Wealth Ventures LLC (a Heifer Project International subsidiary) established a backyard poultry sourcing model across Odisha, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, linking women-led households directly to organised markets while promoting biosecurity and premium procurement practices.
As Goodwill Ambassador, he will support initiatives aligned with:
- SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) – advocating sustainable nutrition solutions
- SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) – raising awareness of malnutrition interventions
- SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) – fostering collaboration across institutions and communities
Manchanda said, “I’m honoured by IIMSAM’s recognition. It reflects the journey we began at Zappfresh to build transparent food systems that support smallholder farmers and improve nutrition outcomes. I’m eager to support collaborative progress toward Zero Hunger, better nutrition, and strong partnerships on a global scale.”
In a world where hunger and opportunity often sit at the same table, Manchanda isn’t just serving fresh food, he’s serving fresh hope, one traceable chicken and empowered farmer at a time.
