MAM
Contract Advertising appoints Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar as CCO
MUMBAI: Contract Advertising has announced the appointment of Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar as its chief creative officer. With over three decades of experience across leading advertising agencies in India and abroad, Mahabaleshwarkar is a highly feted creative professional with multiple domestic and international awards under his belt. In his long and successful career, he has left his mark on brands like Samsung, Adidas, Grants, Apollo Munich and Jet Airways.
Contract Advertising CEO Raji Ramaswamy said, “I am delighted to welcome Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar as the chief creative officer responsible for guiding the creative output of Contract in the digital age. He is a seasoned new age creative leader who has the finest art and design sensibilities. He has worked on some of the biggest brands in the country across both traditional and new media platforms and excelled in every one of them. He has a deep understanding of digital and technology with a strong belief that the future lies in the meeting of the two. He has built strong integrated teams in his earlier roles and we are confident that he will take the agency to the next level as an integrated agency of the future with big ambitions”.
On his appointment, Mahabaleshwarkar said, “The vision of Contract and the direction that JWT group is taking globally, is to make brands agile and to make brands purposeful. That’s a dynamic shift which is challenging and forward looking. Having worked on a winning note in a highly competitive, tech-first consumer business for the last three years, I am confident the shift is in the right direction.”
J Walter Thompson chairman and group CEO Tarun Rai said, “We have been in discussions with Sagar for the last few months. And I am very happy that we have him on board, finally. Sagar is an industry stalwart who has built his reputation over the years across many agencies in India and abroad. He is the ideal creative leader to take Contract to the next level and make it a creative powerhouse.”
"I would like to thank Ashish Chakravarty for providing Contract with the creative leadership and support and in getting us to where we are today. I would also like to wish him the very best for the future,” Ramaswamy added.
Contract's erstwhile CCO, Ashish Chakravarty, is moving to McCann Worldgroup.
Brands
Dream Sports to enter stock broking with launch of new platform Dream Street
Fantasy gaming giant pivots to wealth management to tackle recent market hurdles
MUMBAI: Dream Sports, the parent company of the prominent sports platform Dream11, is officially entering the stock broking industry. The Mumbai-based firm is launching a new platform called Dream Street, marking a significant diversification as it prepares to compete with established fintech players such as Groww and Zerodha.
The strategic move follows a challenging period for the group. Following a ban on real-money gaming in August 2025, the company has been under pressure to establish fresh revenue streams. Dream Sports began laying the groundwork for a financial services portfolio last year with the launch of Dream Money, and this latest venture signals a deeper commitment to the wealth management sector.
This expansion is part of a broader restructuring. Dream Sports co-founder Harsh Jain confirmed to Moneycontrol that the company has secured all necessary licences. The platform is currently undergoing internal testing, with a public launch expected to take place shortly.
The leadership team for Dream Street consists of experienced internal executives. Dream Sports chief product officer Rahul Mirchandani will lead the brokerage as ceo. He is joined by co-founders Karan Bansal and Nikhil Lalvani. Within the new structure, Dream Street chief business officer Karan Bansal will oversee operations, while Dream Street chief product officer Nikhil Lalvani will manage the technical development.
Financial reports indicate that this shift in strategy follows a period of contraction. For the 2025 financial year, Dream11 reported a 15 percent decline in revenue to Rs 6,759 crore. The company also moved from a profit of Rs 1,295 crore in 2024 to a loss of Rs 479 crore in 2025. While one-time tax expenses and director benefits contributed to the loss, the regulatory changes to its core gaming business have necessitated a search for more stable growth.
By leveraging its massive existing user base, Dream Street aims to convert sports fans into retail investors. The company is betting that its experience in high-traffic digital platforms will allow it to capture a significant share of the retail broking market as it builds out its broader financial services ecosystem.
