Brands
Deepak Sharma takes charge as head of media planning at Leeford
MUMBAI: Leeford Healthcare Limited has strengthened its marketing leadership with the appointment of Deepak Sharma as head of media planning. A familiar name in India’s media and advertising circles, Sharma steps into the role with over a decade of experience shaping media strategies for some of the country’s most competitive brands.
Announcing the move, Sharma shared his enthusiasm about beginning a new chapter at Leeford Healthcare. He expressed gratitude to Amit Gupta for the opportunity and trust, adding that he looks forward to working closely with the team and contributing to the company’s growth journey. The tone was upbeat and optimistic, setting the mood for what promises to be a dynamic phase ahead.
Sharma joins Leeford after a successful stint at Publicis Groupe, where he served as director, media planning for more than three years. In this role, he led integrated planning mandates and helped drive sharper, more accountable media outcomes. Before that, he spent over four years at Mindshare Fulcrum as director-the exchange, further deepening his expertise in strategic planning and partnerships.
His career path also includes leadership roles at Alliance Advertising and Marketing and Publicis Media, where he handled media management responsibilities across diverse categories. Earlier in his professional life, Sharma was associated with ZenithOptimedia, gaining foundational experience that helped shape his understanding of ROI-led planning and execution.
At Leeford Healthcare, Sharma is expected to bring a blend of strategic clarity and practical insight to the brand’s media approach. With healthcare communication becoming more competitive and consumer driven, his appointment signals the company’s intent to sharpen its media planning playbook and connect more meaningfully with audiences. For Sharma, it is a fresh canvas. For Leeford, it is a timely boost of seasoned perspective.
Brands
Reserve Bank of India cancels Paytm Payments Bank licence
Central bank cites compliance failures; curbs tighten as wind-up looms
MUMBAI: India’s banking watchdog delivered its sharpest blow yet to Paytm Payments Bank, cancelling its licence and effectively ending its ability to operate as a bank under the law.
The Reserve Bank of India said the entity can no longer conduct banking business under the Banking Regulation Act, citing concerns that its affairs were not being run in the interest of depositors or the public and that it had failed to meet licence conditions.
The move escalates a crackdown that has been building for months. The bank had already been barred from onboarding new customers since March 11, 2022, and later faced restrictions on deposits, credit and wallet top-ups. In January 2024, the central bank ordered it to stop accepting fresh deposits, pointing to persistent non-compliance, including lapses in customer due diligence, use of funds and technology systems.
Operationally, the bank is now on a tight leash. It may process withdrawals of existing deposits and facilitate loan referrals through banking correspondents, but it cannot take fresh deposits.
The central bank said it would apply to the high court to wind up the bank.
Paytm sought to ringfence the fallout. In a regulatory filing, it said the licence cancellation applies to Paytm Payments Bank Limited, a separate entity, and should not be attributed to One 97 Communications. It added that there is no exposure or material business arrangement with the bank and that it operates independently, without Paytm’s board or management involvement.
“As informed earlier, Paytm (One 97 Communications Limited) and its services, which have been operating without interruption, will continue to operate uninterrupted. These include the Paytm app, Paytm UPI, Paytm Gold and all other services offered by its subsidiaries and associated companies,” the company said.
The distinction may reassure users of the app ecosystem, but the regulator’s verdict is unequivocal. After years of warnings, caps and curbs, the payments bank experiment at Paytm is being shut down—decisively, and with little room left to manoeuvre.
