MAM
Bobby Pawar: Post JWT
MUMBAI: He may be out of JWT India, but he definitely is not down and out. We are referring to former JWT India managing partner and chief creative director Bobby Pawar who put in his papers after Vijay Simha Vellanki, creative director at Blue Hive, a WPP unit dedicated to managing the Ford business, was asked to resign for creating a few posters with which got the client auto company Ford all choked up after some consumers got upset with the so-called sexist depiction in the ads.
Pawar earlier today put out a post on facebook which said: “My friends, I am touched by your concern and affection. I am the luckiest man in the world, despite what the tabloids might say. I cannot repay your spontaneous outburst of support, so as my meagre offering I give you this for your viewing pleasure, a Santa Claus made with condoms. Oops, will that get me in trouble gain?”
Pawar has not been reachable since he jettisoned from the agency he joined around 15 months ago. He had issued a comment, saying he was resigning because “as a leader, this incident happened on my watch. I have to take moral responsibility for it.”
But he has been active on facebook since, posting pictures of his family as they take some time out in Srinagar.
And an avalanche of support has poured in for him.
Said Scarecrow Communications branch head and executive creative director Anindya Banerjee, “Still trying to figure out the ‘sexist‘ portion in the ads. Looks like a mystery that‘s not going to be answered.”
Added Pinstorm Technologies boss Mahesh Murthy, “While the JWT India scam ad for Ford was dumb, sacking the ECD Bobby Pawar for it is dumber. Smacks of testicular deficiency all around I think. Stand up for your creatives, @Colwyn Harris. Don‘t sell them out at the first sign of trouble. Now who with a brain and a backbone will work for you?”
Said Bang Bang film founder and managing director Roopak Saluja, “At the end of the day, that‘s all that matters, Bobby. And you know the whole industry knows what this is all about. A $2Billion ad budget is a tough thing to be weighed against. Yet you walk away with an unscathed rep…Godspeed!”
Said media veteran Bhaskar Das (currently with Zee News) : “It‘s so true, Bobby. You will rock always.”
On 23 March, Pawar had an interaction with former McCann and Ogilvy & Mather professional Rob Ichelson which went as follows:
Rob: “Hi BubbaHave you read Kenney‘s Book”
Bobby: “No Rob would like to. What‘s it called?”
Rob: “Truth in Advertising”
Bobby: @Rob. “Is there any truth to it?”
He could not have been more prophetic.
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.
