MAM
Canon launches OOH initiative in India
NEW DELHI: Canon India has launched a first-of-its kind Out-of-Home (OOH) initiative in India by setting up unique Neon Signs at International Airports in New Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai.
This is the first such initiative by any Japanese company in India. Designed by advertising giant Dentsu India, the concept lies in the growing popularity of Neon Signs in the country that surround consumers with unique and ubiquitous visual impact.
Expressing his views on the launch, Kazutada Kobayashi, President and CEO, Canon India, said, “Canon is a powerful brand, both in India and worldwide. Today, we have pioneered the ‘Out of Home Media’ initiative by launching the Canon Neon sign at specific locations in three major cities of India becoming the first Japanese Company to create such a major launch in India. This is part of our growth strategy for 2013 to create a powerful brand recall for our customers. This would be the first strategic step to create a positive image for the Brand as well as the Company. As part of our Vision and Mission, we want people to be proud of associating themselves with the Canon Brand; this initiative would pave the way for creating that association together with our state-of-the-art technology and quality service network.”
Dr. Alok Bharadwaj, Executive Vice President, Canon India, said, “As part of the company’s commitment to India and its growth, we, at Canon India, are delighted to launch the Neon signs at prominent international airports in India today. An example of innovation and digital expertise, the Neon signs will help Canon stand out as a company which drives innovation in every aspect of its business – be it product or marketing. Initiatives like these also help improve the brand awareness and are an assurance of the long term commitments.”
In 2012, the company rolled out a new marketing campaign by roping in young Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma as the brand ambassador for Canon’s cameras. After it’s successful ‘What Makes Us Click’ campaign, Canon is determined to extend its marketing initiatives to reach out to a niche target audience and retain the exuberance, energy and appearance of the brand. In the past decade, Canon has undertaken several pioneering advertising and marketing campaigns with renowned brand ambassadors from the field of sports and Bollywood.
Canon Hong Kong was also recognised for delivering the first revolving neon sign in Asia and LED lighting wall as part of the Symphony of Light Show in Hong Kong.
Brands
Tessolve lands a semiconductor veteran to drive its next big push
Ravi Kumar Chirugudu, who started his career at ISRO and has spent 35 years building chips and companies, joins the Bengaluru-based firm as president and chief operating officer
BENGALURU: Tessolve has never been shy about its ambitions. The Bengaluru-based engineering services firm already counts 18 of the world’s top 20 semiconductor companies among its clients, employs more than 3,500 engineers across 12 countries, and last year pocketed a $150m investment from TPG. Now it has hired the executive it believes can turn those assets into something bigger. Ravi Kumar Chirugudu, a 35-year semiconductor veteran who once built satellite payloads for ISRO and has since scaled engineering organisations across three continents, joins as president and chief operating officer, effective immediately.
THE MAN AND THE MANDATE
The appointment is, by any measure, a serious hire. Ravi Kumar Chirugudu comes to Tessolve after senior leadership stints at HCL Technologies, Altran and Wipro, where he managed large profit-and-loss portfolios and oversaw cross-regional teams. Over the course of his career, he has been instrumental in bringing more than 1,000 new products to market across the high-tech, energy and manufacturing verticals. Before the private sector claimed him, he began his working life as a scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation, contributing to research and development in charge-coupled device technology and satellite payloads, a foundation that shaped everything that followed.
In his new role, he will lead Tessolve’s global growth strategy: expanding its engineering capabilities, deepening customer relationships and accelerating innovation across semiconductor and high-performance computing domains. The brief is broad, but the context is specific. Tessolve operates in the $550 billion global semiconductor market, and its recent moves, the acquisition of Germany’s Dream Chip Technologies and the TPG funding round, have sharpened both its reach and its expectations.
Srini Chinamilli, co-founder and chief executive of Tessolve, is characteristically direct about why Ravi Kumar Chirugudu was the choice:
“As we scale our global semiconductor and system engineering capabilities, Ravi’s appointment marks an important step forward. As global semiconductor demand continues to accelerate across industries, it is creating significant opportunities across the semiconductor lifecycle, from design, packaging, validation and systems integration. Ravi’s deep knowledge and leadership in this ecosystem brings the right mix of industry expertise, customer connect and execution capability, which will play a key role in strengthening our position as a trusted global engineering partner and reinforcing our market leadership.”
THE NEW ARRIVAL SPEAKS
Ravi Kumar Chirugudu, for his part, frames the move in terms of timing and culture, two factors that veteran executives tend to weigh as heavily as title or compensation:
“I am happy to join Tessolve at a time when the industry is rapidly evolving towards more complex, AI-driven systems. What stands out to me is its strong people-first culture and its commitment to bringing value to its customers. The strength of its global team, combined with its deep expertise in semiconductor innovation and next-generation product engineering, creates a solid foundation to build differentiated, scalable solutions. I look forward to working closely with the team to drive strategic growth and strengthen its role in shaping the global semiconductor ecosystem.”
The reference to AI-driven systems is not incidental. The semiconductor industry is in the midst of a structural reshaping, driven by the insatiable compute demands of artificial intelligence. For engineering services firms like Tessolve, which offers end-to-end capabilities from silicon design to packaged parts and invests in high-performance computing, high-speed interfaces, photonics and 5G, the moment is both an opportunity and a test. The company says it is well positioned to capture the next wave of industry growth. Ravi Kumar Chirugudu is now the person who has to prove it.
He came in from outer space, literally, and spent three decades learning how the semiconductor industry works from the inside out. Now Tessolve is betting that accumulated knowledge can help it cross the next frontier. In the $550 billion global chip market, the gap between ambition and execution is measured in engineering hours and leadership quality. Tessolve has just gone shopping for both.
