MAM
FCB Cogito elevates Vidyadhar Wabgaonkar as CEO
Mumbai: FCB Group India has announced the elevation of Vidyadhar Wabgaonkar as the CEO of FCB Cogito, the independent consulting arm of the Group in India. The announcement comes as part of the Group’s recent restructuring of operations in a three-agency structure of FCB Ulka, FCB Interface, and FCB India.
Vidyadhar Wabgaonkar, popularly known as Wabs, has been leading FCB Cogito for over four years now. An engineering gold medalist and a rank holding MBA from IIM Kolkata, Wabgaonkar comes with a rich marketing background that includes stints in P&G India and MARICO Industries. According to the Group, his expertise lies in the seamless combination of qualitative and quantitative aspects and the application of tenets of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) to marketing and business management. He is also a certified life coach and a Master Practitioner of NLP.
Under Wabs’s aegis, FCB Cogito Consulting has come to be known for its strong proprietary products like ‘Chess’ for getting clients ready for competition and future and ‘Brand Hormone’ for rejuvenating brands, it said in a statement.
The Group is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, and this elevation comes in at a very crucial time when the agency is looking forward to the next 60 years in India, it added.
Speaking on Wabgaonkar’s elevation, FCB Ulka vice-chairman Karkare, said, “FCB Cogito has been the secret weapon in our armory. It represents our capability to solve higher-order problems for our clients with data and insight-driven solutions. It is our intellectual capital, and a means to provide strategic partnership to our clients. Wabs always brings a fresh perspective, and in today’s times, his unique skills are going to be invaluable to brands as they navigate uncharted terrains.”
Speaking on his new role, Wabgaonkar said, “ FCB Cogito believes that most clients have the resources required to be successful. It is the paradigm that connects the resources that often need evolution. ‘Why buy me’ is the most important question that each brand needs to answer, and the answer frequently lies well beyond the tangible aspects of the brand. A good answer and a consensus around it, together multiply the force of selling and marketing manifold.”
MAM
Sagar Kadam joins JioStar as senior director – ecosystem partnerships
Veteran from SonyLiv takes charge of subscription and ecosystem growth for JioHotstar from January 2026.
MUMBAI: Sagar Kadam just switched teams in the OTT big leagues because when you’re this good at partnerships, even the streaming giants line up to sign you. Sagar Kadam has joined JioStar as senior director for ecosystem & subscription partnerships for the digital venture (JioHotstar), effective January 2026. In his new role in Mumbai, he will focus on building and scaling subscription revenue, ecosystem alliances, and strategic partnerships across telcos, banks, ISPs, connected devices, e-commerce, fintech, gifting, rewards, loyalty channels, and more.
Kadam brings deep experience in digital growth and monetisation. He most recently served as associate vice president for partnerships, growth and monetization at Sony Pictures Networks India (SonyLiv) from October 2021 to January 2026, where he drove subscription revenue through partnerships and business development. Before that, he was associate director for partnerships, growth and monetization at Zee5 (April 2019–October 2021).
His earlier career includes nearly nine years at Shemaroo Entertainment (2010–2019) in various business development roles, a stint at I-Free (2008–2010) as manager for content & alliances, and an early position at Enable Mobile Technologies (2007–2008).
Kadam holds an MBA in Marketing from ITM Group of Institutions (2011–2013).
His move to JioStar comes as the merged entity ramps up its push in India’s booming streaming market, where ecosystem partnerships and subscription strategies are key to capturing and retaining users. For someone who’s spent years turning alliances into revenue engines, this role at JioHotstar feels like the perfect next play pairing his partnership playbook with one of the country’s biggest digital platforms. Whether it’s striking telco deals or unlocking fintech tie-ups, Kadam’s arrival signals JioStar is gearing up to make every connection count.
