MAM
Fast lanes only as L&T Finance bowls in speedy two wheeler loans
MUMBAI: When Jasprit Bumrah charges in, things happen fast and L&T Finance wants borrowers to feel the same rush. L&T Finance Ltd. (LTF) has rolled out a new television commercial, Just Zoom Two-wheeler Loans, starring its brand ambassador Bumrah, drawing a neat parallel between the pacer’s lethal speed and the company’s promise of swift, friction-free two-wheeler financing. The campaign carries the punchy line Bumrah Ki Speed Par, tying cricketing precision to credit approvals.
Timed for maximum eyeballs, the TVC debuted during the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, where L&T Finance is an associate sponsor across Sony’s broadcast network spanning 13 channels. The film zeroes in on what the lender believes matters most to two-wheeler buyers, instant approvals, higher loan eligibility and EMIs starting at Rs 2,199 per lakh.
Set inside a two-wheeler showroom, the ad plays out like a split-screen thriller. A hesitant customer questions how quickly the loan will come through, while a television in the background shows Bumrah mid-over. As the bowler powers through his run-up, the LTF executive completes the digital loan journey in real time document upload, credit check and approval, all before Bumrah sends the stumps flying. The punchline lands with the wicket: speed, delivered.
Behind the scenes, LTF credits its proprietary AI and machine-learning engine, Project Cyclops, a three-dimensional credit risk assessment system that evaluates customers in real time to enable near-instant underwriting decisions.
L&T Finance, managing director and CEO Sudipta Roy said two-wheeler loans often mark a borrower’s first step into formal credit. “For millions, a two-wheeler is not just mobility but economic independence. By accelerating this first-stage loan, we’re helping aspirations move at the pace modern India expects,” he said.
L&T Finance chief marketing officer Kavita Jagtiani said the film was designed to be as sharp as Bumrah’s yorker. “The idea was simple: minimal wait, maximum impact. We’ve also layered AI-led personalisation across touchpoints to keep the experience fast and relevant,” she added.
The campaign forms part of a wider integrated marketing push across 13 cities, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Pune. The rollout spans outdoor hoardings, airport branding, metro media, inflight magazines, WhatsApp bot integrations and social platforms. Adding a gamified twist, LTF is also launching an AI-powered Bowl like Bumrah contest, alongside influencer activity and signed merchandise giveaways.
The TVC will air across Sony Sports feeds in English, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam, as well as Sony PIX, Sony Max and Sony Wah, including HD channels ensuring LTF’s message travels almost as fast as its star bowler.
MAM
Madison World to launch AI platform M BrAIn for media planning
Agency group invests about $1 million as it shifts to AI driven growth planning.
MUMBAI: If media planning once ran on spreadsheets and gut instinct, the next chapter may run on algorithms and curiosity. Madison World is preparing to roll out the first version of its proprietary artificial intelligence platform Madison M BrAIn in early April, as the independent agency group accelerates its transition toward AI driven planning and product led media services.
The platform, expected to involve an investment of around $1 million, is designed to reshape how the agency approaches strategy by combining internal knowledge, external data sources and advanced AI models into a single intelligence ecosystem.
According to Madison Media, OOH and Hiveminds partner and group CEO Ajit Varghese the initiative forms part of a larger structural rethink within the organisation. “Traditionally agencies built frameworks around media planning and allocation. We are redesigning that structure into what we call a Growth Planning System (GPS),” Varghese said.
The shift reflects a growing belief that effective media strategy must begin earlier in the decision making process. Instead of jumping directly to channel allocation, planners must first decode the market itself identifying consumer barriers, purchase triggers and the core challenges facing a brand.
Once those insights are mapped, agencies can build clearer growth agendas for clients and design media strategies that connect more closely with business outcomes.
To support that approach, Madison has built Madison M BrAIn as what it describes as a human AI cognitive ecosystem. Acting as a central intelligence hub, the platform aggregates proprietary insights alongside external data sources and large language models, enabling planners to access deeper market intelligence before building campaign strategies.
Varghese said one of the core objectives is to democratise knowledge across the organisation. “In the past, this level of understanding was largely available to senior leaders or experienced strategists. With Madison M BrAIn, even a junior planner should be able to access the same intelligence and approach clients with a far more informed perspective,” he said.
The agency has already implemented the new planning philosophy internally and completed three months of testing for the AI platform, with early trials showing encouraging results in terms of learning capability and system performance.
While the first version relied on global large language models, Madison is now developing its own proprietary Small Language Model (SLM) to serve as the core of the M BrAIn ecosystem.
“The SLM will be able to read global LLMs, but the LLMs cannot read the SLM,” Varghese explained. “That ensures all the intelligence we build remains within the Madison ecosystem and strengthens our proprietary knowledge base.”
The first version of Madison M BrAIn is expected to go live in early April, with a more refined version targeted by the end of June. Over time, the platform will integrate additional external data streams and APIs including consumer insight platforms, social listening tools and client datasets.
These integrations are expected to enhance the system’s learning capability and enable it to generate increasingly sophisticated strategic recommendations.
Although the platform is currently being deployed for internal use, Madison sees potential for it to evolve into a licensable product in the future.
“At the moment, our focus is to stabilise and strengthen M BrAIn internally. But over time there is potential for this to become a product that could be licensed externally,” Varghese said.
The AI platform is also part of a wider technology transformation underway at the agency group. Alongside M BrAIn, Madison is building a broader digital infrastructure called the Catalyst operating system, which aims to integrate operational processes, data and product platforms into a unified ecosystem.
This broader technology stack could require an additional $1 million to $1.5 million investment over time, though spending will be phased and reviewed regularly.
“We are evaluating progress every three months and prioritising the most critical capabilities first,” Varghese said.
Madison expects the full AI and operating ecosystem to be fully functional within 12 to 18 months, positioning the agency to combine human strategy with machine intelligence as the advertising industry enters its next data driven phase.
