MAM
Dentsu Communications hires Suresh Mohankumar as national planning head
MUMBAI: Dentsu India Group has appointed Suresh Mohankumar as national planning head at Dentsu Communications.
Mohankumar will lead strategic planning and brand management at Dentsu Communications across its offices in New Delhi and Bangalore and will be based out of Bangalore. With nearly two decades of experience, he joins Dentsu from Mudra India where he was senior vice president and head of planning – Mudra South.
Dentsu India executive chairman Rohit Ohri said, “Suresh has the right combination of passion, talent and commitment to partner our creative and account management teams to take our creative product to the next level.”
Dentsu Communications chief operating officer Taira Kimura said, “Suresh brings on board strong experience across brand, categories and regions. I have great confidence in his abilities and expertise to add value to our service deliveries and up the ante at Dentsu Communications.”
Mohankumar said, “The communications business is at a crossroads as convention increasingly gives way to real consumer engagement. That integration and media-neutral planning is the way forward is exactly what Dentsu believes in and I believe that Dentsu is uniquely structured to deliver that. Also as part of an organisation at the cusp of an exciting transformation, I am very excited about my journey ahead and look forward to my mandate at Dentsu Communications.”
A commerce graduate, Mohankumar completed his MBA with a dual specialisation in marketing and finance from T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) in 1993. He started his career in account management with RK Swamy/BBDO in Chennai. Over the next seven years, he worked with Contract and Lowe in Bangalore. He switched to account planning in 2000 when he moved to Mudra Chennai. As a strategic planner, he then worked with Contract and JWT in Chennai.
He has in the past been associated with brands like Tanishq, BPL, Ford, Volkswagen, Carbon, MRF, Lotte, TI cycles, Henkel, Fa, Reynolds, McDowell’s, Johnson & Johnson and Lipton.
Brands
Nykaa eyes majority stake in Deepika Padukone’s 82°E brand
Deal could help scale premium label as Nykaa sharpens its beauty play
MUMBAI: Nykaa is in advanced discussions to acquire a majority stake in 82°E, the premium skincare label founded by Deepika Padukone, according to media reports.
The proposed deal signals Nykaa’s intent to deepen its House of Nykaa portfolio while giving 82°E the scale it has struggled to achieve independently. Padukone is expected to retain a minority stake if the transaction goes through.
For Nykaa, the play is both strategic and timely. With a customer base of over 42 million, the company is betting on its strong distribution, logistics, and repeat purchase ecosystem to revive the brand’s momentum. The two sides already share a working relationship, with Padukone serving as Nykaa’s global brand ambassador since September 2025.
Launched in late 2022, 82°E entered the market with a premium positioning but has faced headwinds. The brand reported revenue of Rs 14.7 crore in FY25, down 30 per cent year on year, alongside losses of Rs 12.26 crore. Industry observers have pointed to steep pricing, a somewhat diffused brand identity, and intense competition from digital-first labels as key challenges.
The potential acquisition also reflects a broader shift in India’s beauty and lifestyle space, where celebrity-led brands are increasingly partnering with larger corporates to unlock scale. Alia Bhatt’s Ed-a-Mamma, for instance, sold a majority stake to Reliance Retail, while Katrina Kaif’s Kay Beauty has emerged as a standout success within Nykaa’s portfolio, clocking Rs 132.4 crore in FY25 revenue.
Nykaa itself has been on a strong growth trajectory. Its parent, FSN E-Commerce Ventures, reported a 156 per cent jump in net profit to Rs 68 crore in the December 2025 quarter, with revenue reaching Rs 2,873 crore.
Nykaa has been steadily building its portfolio through acquisitions such as Dot & Key, Earth Rhythm and Nudge Wellness, signalling a clear push to own and scale homegrown brands.
If the 82°E deal materialises, it could mark a fresh chapter for the label, blending celebrity appeal with corporate muscle. For Nykaa, it is another calculated step in staying ahead in an increasingly crowded beauty aisle.
