MAM
Auburn Digital Solutions appoints Manish Kumar to bolster its Delhi team
Mumbai: Auburn Digital Solutions, a full-service omnichannel digital agency has announced the appointment of Manish Kumar as AVP – client consulting and strategic initiatives. He will be based in Delhi.
In this role, Kumar will focus on developing and strengthening the agency’s national digital services and helping existing and new clients transform their digital processes and marketing strategies as well as achieving ROI-driven marketing outcomes, said the agency in a statement. “He will focus on digital PR and other strategic and innovative solutions, and the continued development of the company’s approach to an omnichannel digital strategy that cuts across programmatic, paid, social, search and e-commerce,” it added.
“We are delighted to welcome Manish into Auburn. His experience will be instrumental in further strengthening our senior leadership talent pool and is marketing acumen will add to our omnichannel digital strengths,” said Auburn Digital Solutions co-founder Ashish Tripathi
“We are expanding rapidly, and with digital remits becoming even more important in the marketing mix today, Manish is well poised to strengthen our service offerings as we leap into our new phase of growth,” added Auburn Digital Solutions co-founder Harsh Kedia.
Kumar has over two decades of experience in managing large-scale marketing, communications, PR and digital programs for clients like Cairn India, NIIT, ISWAI, and TUI. He joins Auburn Digital Solutions from Eventcombo, a USA-based virtual event and digital technology platform which provides virtual event solutions.
His previous assignments include BG India, Bharti Group and Reliance Energy among others. He has the cross-category experience, and exposure to diverse domains like food and beverages, alcobev, power, IT, education, oil and gas, training and several others.
“I am elated to be part of a team which is at the forefront of the digital confluence of brands, creativity and innovation,” said Manish Kumar. “I look forward to working with brands to explore and co-create the best marketing and brand outcomes.
MAM
India’s employability gap persists despite strong hiring intent
Only 1 in 5 institutions achieve 76 to 100 per cent placements within six months of graduation.
MUMBAI: India’s young workforce is ready in numbers, but the real question is whether they are ready for work and senior leaders from industry, academia and policy gathered in Delhi to find practical answers. A closed-door roundtable hosted by Vaishali Nigam Sinha, co-founder of Renew, brought together key voices to discuss actionable solutions for bridging the persistent employability gap. The session highlighted that while job opportunities are expanding, the alignment between education and industry needs remains a critical challenge.
According to Teamlease EdTech’s Career Outlook Report HY1 2026, 73 per cent of employers plan to hire freshers in the first half of 2026, signalling steady recovery in entry-level hiring. However, employers are shifting focus from mere qualifications to demonstrable capability, placing greater value on internships, live projects and proof-of-work.
Teamlease Edtech, founder and CEO Shantanu Rooj emphasised the need for better alignment, “India’s employability challenge is no longer about access alone, but about alignment between education and work. Employers are increasingly relying on demonstrable capability such as internships, projects, and applied learning as indicators of readiness.”
Vaishali Nigam Sinha stressed the importance of execution over intent, “India has both the talent and the opportunity. What is needed now is alignment. We have to move from intent to execution by embedding employability into the system itself.”
Other prominent speakers included Dr Chenraj Roychand, Chancellor of Jain (Deemed-to-be) University, who called for universities to evolve from degree providers to ecosystem enablers, Prof M. Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman of the Board of Governors at IIM Calcutta, who highlighted the need for flexibility and multidisciplinary learning, and Dr T.N. Singh, Director of IIT Patna, who advocated deeper industry engagement through research and experiential learning.
The discussion also drew insights from the book Accelerating Impact. Enabling Dreams – Making India Employable by Shantanu Rooj and co-authors, which features contributions from leaders like Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Dr Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan and Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
During the event, Teamlease Edtech Foundation launched Project SEED, a national initiative aimed at bridging the education-employability gap for underserved youth. The project focuses on early intervention at the school level to guide students towards informed career choices and work-integrated pathways.
With only 16.67 per cent (1 in 5) of institutions achieving 76–100 per cent placements within six months of graduation, the conversation made one thing clear, India’s demographic dividend will deliver real value only when education and employability walk hand in hand. The gathering served as a timely reminder that the future of India’s workforce depends not just on creating more jobs, but on preparing young people far better to seize them.
