MAM
Gemba Capital strengthens advisory board with Somak Ghosh’s expertise
Mumbai: Gemba Capital enhances its advisory board with the addition of Somak Ghosh, a seasoned banking and investment management expert. With over 30 years of experience spanning corporate and development banking, venture capital, private equity, infrastructure finance, and corporate strategy, Ghosh is poised to bring invaluable insights to the table.
Ghosh began his career in 1993, spending a decade at prominent firms like ICICI, Reliance, and Rabo India before joining Yes Bank as Group President in 2004. At Yes Bank, he led the bank’s Corporate and Development Banking Charter and was recognized as a Professional Co-Founder for his pivotal role in establishing one of India’s most successful mid-sized banks. By the time he departed in 2012, Ghosh managed over ₹40,000 crore of the bank’s assets and contributed to over 50% of its profits.
Driven by a passion for the startup ecosystem, Ghosh established the SEBI-registered Contrarian Vriddhi Fund in 2013 and made seed investments in 12 startups, including Pratilipi, Progcap, Signzy, Squadstack, and Minjar.
In addition to his role at Gemba Capital, Ghosh serves on the Investment Committee of Motilal Oswal Real Estate Fund. He earned his MBA from FMS (Delhi) and is an Advanced Leadership Fellow at Harvard University in the USA.
On joining the advisory board at Gemba Capital, Somak Ghosh stated, “I always wanted to contribute towards the development of the startup and fintech ecosystem in India. This engagement with Gemba Capital is an effort to help the ecosystem with my experiences and learnings. I have known both Adith and Govind for a long time, and I look forward to adding strategic value to Gemba Capital and their portfolio companies.”
Gemba Capital founding partner, Adith Podhar commented, “Ghosh brings a vast wealth of experience across BFSI and Venture Capital domains. The Fund will seek his advice on governance and strategic decisions. With his expertise and mentorship, we will add real value to our Portfolio Companies since fintech is a core investment focus for our Fund-II. We are super elated to have him as part of the Gemba Capital family.”
Gemba Capital has already invested in over 50 startups, including Plum Insurtech, Grip Invest, Wint Wealth, Zuper, Navadhan, Volt Money, Click Post, Showroom, Strata, and Kredmint. The firm recently received a SEBI license for its second fund of $30 million, which aims to invest in seed and pre-seed stage startups across Fintech, Consumer Tech, and B2B platforms.
MAM
Pulse launches 7th Loyalty Day with #PulseUpYourDrink campaign
Runs May 1 to 15, invites fans to create drinks, 100 winners get merchandise.
MUJMBAI: If candy had a cocktail hour, Pulse is ready to stir things up literally. The Dharampal Satyapal Group’s confectionery brand has rolled out the seventh edition of Pulse Loyalty Day, anchored by a new digital-first campaign, #PulseUpYourDrink, running from May 1 to May 15, 2026. The idea: turn a tangy candy into a creative ingredient, and let consumers do the mixing. Tapping into a growing trend of flavour experimentation, especially among Gen Z and millennials, the campaign invites fans to create mocktails and beverages using Pulse candy. The format leans heavily on user-generated content, with participants encouraged to share their creations on social media by tagging @passpass_pulse.
To kick things off, a set of chefs will introduce Pulse-inspired mocktail recipes, setting the base for fans to remix and reinterpret. Actor Mannara Chopra joins the campaign to amplify reach, signalling a continued focus on youth engagement.
The activation is designed to play out across the digital ecosystem, with nano and micro influencers driving participation and conversation. As an added incentive, 100 participants will win Pulse-branded merchandise, blending fandom with rewards.
Pulse, which has led the hard-boiled candy segment for the past nine years, is increasingly positioning itself as more than just a product leaning into culture, community and online behaviour. Loyalty Day, now in its seventh edition, has evolved into a recurring digital moment where consumers actively co-create the brand narrative.
The strategy is clear: keep the flavour familiar, but the engagement fresh. Because in today’s attention economy, even a candy needs to stay in the mix.
