MAM
Essence India bolsters services & presence with three key appointments
Mumbai: Essence, a global data and measurement-driven media agency that is part of GroupM on Wednesday announced three new leadership appointments to strengthen its services and presence in India.
Based in Bengaluru, Bharati Joshi will lead the agency’s product offering as India vice president – product. Kunal Danda will head the agency’s Mumbai office as India vice president – client services. Based in Delhi, Vinish Mathews will lead the agency’s partnership with key client Google as India and Southeast Asia vice president- client services. All three of them will report to India managing director Sonali Malaviya.
“Bharati, Kunal and Vinish’s appointments are key in strengthening Essence’s India leadership team. I am delighted that we are able to attract exceptional talent who share and are excited about our vision to reimagine what is possible for India. I am looking forward to partnering with Bharati, Kunal and Vinish in their new roles, and driving continued growth for our people, capabilities, clients and business across India,” said Malaviya.
Joshi brings with her over 17 years of industry experience, joining from Initiative where she was assistant vice president, strategy and insights. Previously, she held practice and client leadership positions at GroupM’s Wavemaker and Maxus.
“Essence is currently in a very interesting space with a client roster of established as well as new age brands. Leading their growth charter with our differentiated products, platforms and thinking, all rooted in data, technology, analytics and creativity, is what I am really looking forward to doing. I am excited to head the charge for our product offering in India, along with the most talented and energised bunch of people in the industry,” said Joshi.
Danda comes with more than two decades of media and marketing experience in India and the Middle East, working at agencies such as OMD, Edelman and Digitas, and organisations such as DBS Bank, Energy Central, and Arab Insurance Group. Most recently, he served as a principal partner at Mindshare in Mumbai, heading digital media, integrated marketing, and business development.
“Essence’s industry-leading capabilities are rooted in data, analytics, and technology. Here, we also have brilliant talent with a special culture of testing and learning, collaboration, as well as integrated media strategy and planning, with client-centricity at the core of everything we do. I am incredibly excited to be part of the Essence family, and driving the next stage of growth for our Mumbai office,” said Danda.
With over 18 years of industry experience in China and India, Mathews joins from Mindshare, where he was most recently managing director, overseeing teams across Beijing and Shanghai. With a proven track record in leading client relationships across sectors such as e-commerce, fast-moving consumer goods, tourism, and vision care, his capabilities in strategic brand management, media investment planning, and communications campaign design have helped brands build immersive consumer connections using media.
“It is a privilege to have the opportunity to lead Essence’s relationship with Google in India and Southeast Asia, and drive the agency’s integrated media offering for all of Google’s business and consumer products in these markets. I am looking forward to collaborating with some of the smartest people in the industry,” said Mathews.
Digital
India leads global adoption of ChatGPT Images 2.0 in first week
From anime avatars to fantasy covers, users turn AI visuals into culture
NEW DELHI: India has emerged as the largest user base for ChatGPT Images 2.0, just a week after its launch by OpenAI, underlining the country’s growing influence on global internet trends.
While the tool was introduced as an advanced image-generation upgrade within ChatGPT, Indian users are quickly reshaping its purpose. Instead of sticking to productivity-led use cases, many are embracing it as a creative playground for self-expression, storytelling and online identity.
From anime-style portraits and cinematic headshots to tarot-inspired visuals and fictional newspaper front pages, the model is being used to create highly stylised, shareable content. Features such as accurate text rendering, multilingual prompts and the ability to generate detailed visuals with minimal input have helped drive rapid adoption.
What sets the latest model apart is its ability to “think” through prompts, generating multiple outputs and adapting to context, including real-time web inputs. But the bigger story lies in how users are engaging with it.
In India, trends are already taking shape. Popular formats include dramatic studio-style lighting edits, LinkedIn-ready headshots, manga-inspired avatars, soft pastel “spring” aesthetics, AI-led fashion moodboards, paparazzi-style visuals and fantasy newspaper covers. Users are also restoring old photographs, creating tarot-style imagery and experimenting with futuristic design concepts.
Local flavour is adding another layer. Prompts such as cinematic portrait collages and Y2K-inspired romantic edits are gaining traction, blending global aesthetics with distinctly Indian internet culture.
The surge reflects a broader shift in how AI tools are being used in the country, moving beyond utility to creativity. As younger users, creators and social media enthusiasts experiment with new visual formats, AI-generated imagery is increasingly becoming part of everyday digital expression.
If early trends hold, ChatGPT Images 2.0 may not just be a tech upgrade but a cultural moment, giving millions a new visual language to play with online.
