MAM
Danone India appoints Taproot Dentsu as creative partner for Protinex
MUMBAI: Danone India has roped in Taproot Dentsu as the creative agency on record for the entire portfolio of the FMCG company’s health food drink brand, Protinex. Danone India is a part of the global food-products multinational corporation Danone, headquartered in Paris.
Taproot Dentsu, which is a part of the Dentsu Aegis Group, had already partnered the brand on a project-based relationship to handle the entire brand portfolio for the past one year. A multi-agency pitch had preceded this alliance in the year 2015, wherein Taproot Dentsu had won the mandate. Given the fruitful collaboration last year over the core Protinex brand campaign (the launch of Protinex Grow), some tactical competitive work and expanding of the flavour portfolio, taking this partnership to the next level was a seamless, mutual decision, a Dentsu Aegis Network release stated.
Danone India marketing head Himanshu Bakshi said, “Brand positioning and portfolio present a huge opportunity to establish as an everyday family health brand with a clear differentiator on protein. Taproot Dentsu has been quite instrumental to bring alive this paradigm shift on the brand. The team, with its strong planning and creative minds, has already delivered multiple campaigns to help build protein relevance across cohorts through the lens of Protinex. We feel very confident to strengthen the Protinex-Taproot Dentsu partnership, especially when the brand and category is at the cusp of a new dimension of expansion, innovations and growth. We look forward to a stronger collaboration in the future.”
“Danone’s global mission to ‘Bring Health Through Food To As Many People As Possible’ allows us to address unmet needs for the greater good. In India, eclectic dietary patterns and cultural nuances provide a huge demand creation opportunity to food brands that offer serious nutrition. We are committed to creating persuasive conversations that build on Danone’s strong and scientific brand propositions,” Taproot Dentsu CEO Umesh Shrikhande said.
Brands
Radico Khaitan appoints Kunal Madan as chief marketing officer
Promotions signal focus on premium spirits, global expansion and homegrown leadership
UTTAR PRADESH: Radico Khaitan has elevated two long-serving insiders to its top leadership team, signalling a bold push into premium spirits and global markets. Kunal Madan steps in as chief marketing officer, while Sudhir Upadhyay takes charge as chief sales officer, both part of what managing director Abhishek Khaitan calls a consciously built next-generation leadership bench.
“At Radico Khaitan, our growth has always been powered by people,” Khaitan said. “True leadership is not imported, it is cultivated.” He added that empowering internal talent ensures continuity while keeping the company globally competitive and future-ready.
Madan, with over 20 years of experience across global sales and marketing, will drive brand architecture, marketing strategy, and the premiumisation agenda, including travel retail. Upadhyay, who has 25 years in the industry and was most recently national sales head, will oversee distribution expansion and execution across markets.
The leadership reshuffle comes amid Radico’s intensified focus on premium spirits, a segment driving higher margins and international growth. Last year, Ajay Kakkar was brought on to head the Premium On-Trade vertical, targeting modern and institutional channels to boost presence in high-growth segments.
Meanwhile, Amar Sinha stepped down as chief operating officer after contributing across multiple growth phases. Khaitan acknowledged Sinha’s role in supporting the company’s trajectory, while Sinha described his tenure as “an absolute privilege,” crediting Khaitan’s leadership for shaping the company’s strategic direction.
With a homegrown leadership bench and a clear premium agenda, Radico Khaitan is set to accelerate its global expansion while doubling down on brand elevation and market impact.
