MAM
BSH Home appliances elevates Gunjan Srivastava as asia-pacific head; Neeraj Bahl joins as new india managing director And CEO
MUMBAI: BSH Home Appliances Group, Europe’s largest home appliances manufacturer and one of the world’s leading companies in the sector today announced leadership changes at the helm of the organization with Mr. Gunjan Srivastava, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer elevated as Head of BSH Region Asia-Pacific headquartered at Singapore.
Over the last five years, Gunjan has been instrumental in spearheading BSH India’s growth in a competitive consumer durables category by firmly establishing its three flagship brands – Bosch, Siemens and the most recently launched luxury brand – Gaggenau. Today, BSH India is a strong contributor to the company’s global vision and growth trajectory witnessing double digit growth as well as cementing the brand’s presence in new product segments. In his expanded role, Gunjan’s mandate will encompass running BSH’s business across the Asia-Pacific region including India, South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
His successor, Mr. Neeraj Bahl joins BSH Household Appliances as the MD and CEO starting
July 01, 2019 from Panasonic India Pvt. Ltd where he was the Group Chief Sales for Retail and Online. In his role as the Business Head for Consumer Electronics at Panasonic, he was responsible for increasing sales of TV panels from a mere 3% to over 10% market share within a span of six-seven years. He greatly contributed in expanding the company’s sales network from 5000 to more than 15000. His achievements include the successful launch of XXL panel in 2016, launch of the OLED range of panels in 2018 with Ranbir Kapoor as the brand ambassador, the Viera Shinobi pro series panels and the relaunch of Panasonic urban audio in 2017. During his significant tenure of more than 25 years, Neeraj has also worked with leading global organizations including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and Electrolux India bringing vast industry experience.
Commenting on his new role at BSH, Gunjan Srivastava – Head of BSH Region Asia-Pacific said, “The last five years as BSH’s India head have been an enriching experience establishing its credentials as well as becoming the first triple brand player catering to varied customer segments, expanding/doubling our market footprint, fortifying our presence in established verticals as well as introducing new categories. I am excited to take on my new role and the incredible opportunities it brings, strengthening BSH brand and product presence in the APAC region. I wish Neeraj Bahl success as BSH India readies for its next phase of growth.”
The newly-appointed India head, Neeraj Bahl said, “Within a short span of time, BSH Household Appliances has become a strong brand bringing the best of German Engineering along with localized appliances for Indian consumers. With a unique three brand strategy with Bosch, Siemens and Gaggenau, the company’s robust manufacturing capabilities and innovative product portfolio, I am excited to carve the future of BSH India as well as reinvent and simplify daily lives of consumers across the country with a strong focus on India’s tier II & III cities as well.”
MAM
VML India lands two finalist spots at Cairns Hatchlings 2026
The Mumbai agency is back in Australia with two teams, a UN brief and 24 hours to impress
MUMBAI: VML India is heading to Australia again. The Mumbai-based creative agency has secured two finalist spots at the Cairns Hatchlings 2026 competition, one in the Audio category and one in Design, making it the only Indian agency to have reached the finals in both editions of the contest since its launch in 2025.
Four people will make the trip. Senior copywriter Shilpi Dey and senior art director Raj Thakkar will compete in Audio. Art directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi will go head-to-head with the world’s best in Design. The finals take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 13th May, culminating in an awards ceremony on 15th May.
The work that got them there is worth examining. For the Audio category, Dey and Thakkar tackled a brief for LIVE LIKE MMAD with a campaign called Inner Voice, Interrupted. Using spatial audio techniques, the campaign recreates the overwhelming self-doubt that descends after a long workday, physically panning negative thoughts left and right before cutting the noise entirely to reveal a confident inner voice. Strategically targeted at commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours, the campaign reframes the hours after work as an opportunity for personal growth and charitable action.
For the Design category, Shabbir and Negi worked on a brief for Canteen’s Bandanna Day, a campaign highlighting how cancer pushes teenagers out of their own defining moments. Using a pixelated design language to create stark contrast between a blurred world of isolation and a focused world of connection, the campaign, titled The Flipside of Cancer, shows teenagers fading into the background of birthdays, skateparks and school proms. As a Canteen bandanna appears, the blur flips and the teenager snaps back into sharp focus.
Kalpesh Patankar, group chief creative officer of VML India, made no attempt to disguise his satisfaction. “We are immensely proud to see our teams consistently excel on the Cairns Hatchlings platform since its inception,” he said. “They have masterfully tackled challenging briefs across diverse categories, demonstrating both layered storytelling and a unique creative approach. This exceptional teamwork is truly inspiring.”
Dey and Thakkar, returning to the finals after last year’s run, were candid about the demands of the audio medium. “It’s one of the most demanding mediums, where we only have a few seconds to capture a listener’s world with sound alone, so absolute clarity is essential,” they said. “The true measure of creative work is its ability to create positive change, and our audio submission was made to help those who need it most while encouraging people to silence the inner voices that hold them back.”
Shabbir and Negi, competing in Design for the first time, described the experience as “a completely different beast.” “We see it as an opportunity to showcase our expertise, raise the bar, and challenge ourselves in new ways, while also learning from creative minds from across the globe,” they said.
In Australia, the four finalists will face a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations before presenting in a live pitch session. Twenty-four hours, one brief, one shot. VML India has been here before. It knows exactly what is at stake.
