Brands
Castrol India names V Kaushik Vedula as VP of Marketing
MUMBAI: Castrol India has roped in marketing veteran V Kaushik Vedula as its new vice president marketing, with effect from 2 February 2026, adding fresh momentum to the lubricants major’s leadership team.
Vedula will join the company’s management committee and take charge of its integrated marketing engine, spanning brand building, media strategy and consumer research. In short, he will be the man fine tuning how Castrol speaks to drivers, partners and an increasingly digital audience.
Welcoming the appointment, Castrol India Limited interim CEO Saugata Basuray, said the brand was at an inflection point. With media habits shifting gears and new sales channels accelerating change, Vedula’s experience in digital-first businesses and consumer engagement would help Castrol stay ahead of the curve while remaining rooted in technology-led innovation.
Vedula brings over 20 years of experience across consumer goods, fast moving durable categories and digital ventures. Most recently, he served as vice president marketing at Emami, shaping brand and business strategy across multiple portfolios. Prior to that, he built and scaled a digital product business at Quess Corp and also ran his own B2B2C venture for seven years. His earlier stints include roles at Procter and Gamble and Nokia, where he worked across brand management, category growth, consumer marketing and multi-channel sales.
Calling Castrol a brand he has long admired, Vedula said the evolving mobility landscape presents a chance to sharpen relevance while staying anchored in engineering excellence. He added that he looks forward to working with the team to help power the next phase of the company’s growth.
With a steady hand on the marketing wheel, Castrol appears set to rev up its engagement strategy for the road ahead.
Brands
Akoirah rolls out Diamond Draw campaign across cities for Akshaya Tritiya
Festive offer blends discounts with prize draws to boost jewellery shopping buzz
MUMBAI: Akoirah has launched a festive ‘Diamond Draw’ campaign across Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune, aiming to add a dash of excitement to jewellery shopping ahead of Akshaya Tritiya.
Running from April 6 to 19, the limited-period initiative offers customers a chance to win diamond jewellery worth Rs 1.5 lakh with every eligible purchase. Winners will be announced in-store, with one winner selected per outlet, turning a traditional shopping ritual into a more interactive experience.
Alongside the draw, the brand is also offering a flat 20 per cent discount on diamond value during the campaign period, positioning the offer as both celebratory and value-driven.
The move reflects a broader shift in festive retail strategies, where brands are looking beyond straightforward discounts to create more engaging, experience-led campaigns. By linking each purchase to a unique entry in a store-specific draw, the campaign aims to keep participation simple while ensuring fairness across locations.
Speaking on the initiative, Akoirah founder Namita Kothari said the idea was to make festive buying more meaningful and rewarding. She noted that while Akshaya Tritiya remains deeply rooted in tradition, customers today are increasingly seeking memorable shopping experiences alongside value.
The campaign also taps into evolving consumer preferences, with buyers leaning towards lighter, design-led jewellery rather than purely weight-based purchases. This shift has encouraged brands to combine product appeal with experiential elements to drive footfall and engagement.
Backed by digital promotions and in-store activations, the Diamond Draw campaign is expected to build momentum during the festive window. As competition intensifies around key buying occasions, initiatives like these underline how jewellery brands are reimagining the retail experience to keep customers coming back for more than just the sparkle.
