MAM
Confluent announces strategic hires to bolster India momentum
Mumbai: Confluent, Inc, the data streaming pioneer, has announced strategic new hires in India to support the company’s customer growth and momentum in the region. The company has onboarded Agastee Khante as head of marketing for India & Saarc, Jeevan Duggal as head of public sector for India and Suman Karthik as principal engineer for Confluent platform.
Confluent’s momentum in India is driven by the country’s digital-first outlook and growing customer demand for real-time information across industries. The company is seeing strong adoption, especially among BFSI companies, public sector agencies, and digital natives. The new hires will play a critical role in supporting Confluent’s continued growth in India and globally. Agastee will drive marketing campaigns and programs, while Jeevan will develop and execute go-to-market strategies for the public sector in the country. Suman will lead the continued development of Confluent Platform for global use.
“Home to the biggest Kafka community outside of the US, India represents a strategic growth market for Confluent as more organisations adopt data streaming for their most critical systems,” said Confluent area vice president & country manager – India Rubal Sahni. “Our remote-first model allows us to reach more talent from all over the country and also better positions us to support our global customer base. We are excited to welcome Agastee, Jeevan and Suman to the team to meet the rapidly growing customer demand.”
Agastee joined Confluent as the India marketing leader based in Gurgaon. With close to two decades of experience in marketing and product management, Agastee will focus on enhancing Confluent’s brand presence and driving integrated marketing programs and campaigns in India. “I’m thrilled to be joining Confluent and look forward to helping drive awareness and demand for the leading data streaming platform in this high-growth market,” said Agastee.
Based in Delhi, Jeevan has over 25 years of experience working with public sector organizations in sales and account management. Specialising in the areas of data security and data management, Jeevan worked closely with customers to design their IT infrastructure and digital transformation initiatives while keeping with regulatory requirements. Jeevan said, “Confluent’s data streaming platform is revolutionizing how government bodies build mission-critical systems and enhance citizen services. I’m excited to bring my understanding of the space to help our public sector customers realize the benefits and true value of data streaming.”
Suman joins Confluent as principal engineer for Confluent platform from Hyderabad. Having spent his career building technology at startups and large organisations across a range of domains, Suman brings a broad spectrum of technological expertise to Confluent. As the lead for Confluent Platform, Suman will build on Confluent’s vision of developing a data streaming platform that is complete and everywhere, thereby enabling customers to achieve a central nervous system of data for their organization. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to shape the technology and engineering of Confluent Platform in a meaningful way”, Suman remarked.
India has become Confluent’s biggest workforce based outside of the United States. To support the growing demand in India, Confluent plans to increase the local headcount by 25 per cent in 2024.
Confluent and associated marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Confluent, Inc.
Brands
Lovetc appoints Tamannaah Bhatia as brand face
Ananya Birla’s premium colour cosmetics line gears up for strong second year with 30 per cent monthly growth and fresh face category launch.
MUMBAI: Lovetc is tinting its success story with a starry new shade Tamannaah Bhatia has just been named the face of Ananya Birla’s premium beauty brand. As the colour cosmetics label under Birla Cosmetics completes a vibrant first year in April 2026, it is entering its second chapter with impressive momentum. The brand has delivered 30 per cent month-on-month growth, expanded thoughtfully into offline and quick-commerce channels, and built a loyal following through a digital-first approach mixed with genuine consumer connections.
Priced between Rs 650 and Rs 1,850, Lovetc focused its debut portfolio on lips and eyes categories. Hero products such as Tint, Talk, Etc Radiant Glow Hydrating Tint (SPF 30 PA++), Pout, Perfect, Etc Matte Bullet Lipstick, and Melt, Miracle, Etc Treatment Oil-Infused Lip Balm quickly won hearts. Early shoppers showed strong purchase intent, with average order values ranging from Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,800 and an average of two items per transaction, signalling healthy basket-building and repeat purchases.
The brand made its mark in key metros including Mumbai, NCR, Chennai, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Patiala, Ludhiana, and Cochin, while Tier-2 cities surprised with robust demand and loyalty. On the distribution side, Lovetc entered 90 offline retail doors in year one and is on track to cross 150 doors by Q2 2026, choosing each outlet carefully to match its premium positioning.
To mark the milestone, Lovetc is stepping into the face category with the launch of Ace, Face, Etc 4K Blur Matte Foundation in eight shades tailored for diverse Indian skin tones. Additional innovations like the multi-purpose The Etc stick and longwear lip tint Love Bites are also in the pipeline.
Tamannaah Bhatia, known for her pan-India appeal across films and her authentic love for beauty, brings cultural relevance and credibility to the brand. Ananya Birla, founder of Birla Cosmetics, said, “Year Two is going to be big. The brief for every new launch remains the same: Does it perform? Is it playful? Is it kind to the person wearing it? Performance, playfulness, and kindness that is the promise we intend to keep. Bringing Tamannaah on board feels especially pertinent because she brings together an authentic love for beauty with a connection that cuts across audiences and geographies.”
Tamannaah Bhatia added, “I have always loved beauty as a form of self-expression, and what drew me to Lovetc is that it feels playful, thoughtful, and modern at the same time. I am excited to be the face of a brand that is creating products with both performance and personality.”
With deliberate growth, quality-focused retail expansion, and a celebrity partner who genuinely connects with beauty lovers nationwide, Lovetc is blending performance with personality in a market hungry for thoughtful premium options. As it steps into year two, the brand is proving that in beauty, the right tint can make everything glow a little brighter. Delhi, Mumbai, or a Tier-2 favourite Lovetc is colouring India’s beauty shelves with confidence and charm.
