MAM
Danone India Announces the launch of AptaGrow
Mumbai : Danone India, with its mission ‘to bring health through food to as many people as possible, has taken a significant leap in strengthening its toddler nutrition range with the national launch of AptaGrow. AptaGrow addresses the nutrition requirement of children in the age group of 3-6 years with 37 nutrients that contains a unique blend of prebiotics which help in better absorption of vital nutrients essential to support growth, brain development and immunity.
AptaGrow has 100 per cent Milk Protein and Calcium to support height gain, Vitamin A, C, D to support immune health and DHA, Iron, Folic Acid & Iodine to support brain development, while the unique blend of prebiotics supports absorption of the essential nutrients. This low-fat, chocolate/vanilla flavoured drink serves as an ideal choice for promoting healthy growth and overall development in children.
AptaGrow stands as a testament to Danone’s commitment towards raising awareness about the importance of providing adequate nutrition, particularly during a child’s foundation years.
Danone India marketing director Sriram Padmanabhan said, “At Danone, we believe in bringing health through food to as many people as possible. It is important to have the right foundation in the early years of a child’s growth. While all mothers yearn to give the best nutrition for their children, it is important for the nutrition to be well absorbed. Based on an independent survey, 69 per cent of mothers felt their children were not growing as per their expectation and 73 per cent believed that poor absorption of nutrients results in poor growth. Keeping this in mind, we are launching AptaGrow which is scientifically designed. It provides 37 vital nutrients that have a unique blend of prebiotics which help in nutrient absorption and support child’s growth needs.”
The brand has also introduced a first of its kind tool – Aptagrow Growth Chakra, to help mothers measure and understand her child’s holistic growth needs. This tool not only measures the child’s height, weight but also immunity, brain development and overall well-being. Mothers will be provided with a FREE personalized diet plan to address specific growth needs.
Danone invites parents, caregivers, and partners to join its mission in fostering a healthier India. With its holistic approach towards providing adequate nutrition requirements, the company aspires to be accessible to every child across the country, ensuring no child is left behind in receiving essential nutrition during their formative years.
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.
