MAM
GroupM appoints Rohit Suri as Chief Talent Officer
MUMBAI: GroupM has appointed Rohit Suri as the chief talent officer for their South Asia operations effective from 1 February. He will be based in Mumbai and report to Group M South Asia CEO CVL Srinivas and GroupM APAC chief talent officer Angela Ryan. Suri takes over from Gaurav Hirey, who is now based in Singapore with Millward Brown, another WPP company.
Speaking on Suri’s appointment Srinivas said “We are at an exciting stage in our journey to build a data centric digitally charged Agency network of the Future. We are delighted to welcome Rohit to our team. Given his vast experience across different markets and the several interesting initiatives he has championed in his career we are sure he will add a lot of value to our business and take our strong talent management practice to the next level”
“I am very excited to take this step in my career and join the world’s largest media investment group,” Suri says. “GroupM has embarked on an exciting journey which places talent management at the core. I look forward to leveraging my experiences in total rewards and innovative talent management practices in India, APAC and Europe for the growth of GroupM’s business.”
Partnering with the leadership teams, he will be responsible for building out talent initiatives regionally, to ensure all GroupM talent have exceptional career experiences and development, while maximizing their full potential. He will also be a part of the GroupM South Asia, and the GroupM APAC Talent Executive Committees.
Brands
Kingfisher signs three-year IPL partnership
Packaged water brand signs on as ‘good times partner’ for 2026–28 cycle
MUMBAI: Kingfisher Premium Packaged Drinking Water is betting big on cricket’s biggest stage, sealing a three-year partnership with the Board of Control for Cricket in India to sharpen fan engagement at the TATA Indian Premier League.
The brand, owned by United Breweries, will serve as the official “good times partner” for the men’s IPL from 2026 to 2028, extending a relationship that began with the Women’s Premier League. The move signals a broader push to embed itself deeper into live sport, with a focus on immersive, consumer-led experiences rather than conventional sponsorship visibility.
At the heart of the tie-up is a suite of fan-first activations spanning broadcast, stadiums and digital channels. These include the “Kingfisher Bird Cam”, offering a branded spider-cam perspective during live matches, and the “Good Times Zone”, an in-stadium entertainment hub during play-offs aimed at amplifying match-day buzz. The brand will also back IPL fan parks, elevate public screening experiences and run digital contests tied to key moments through the season.
Vikram Bahl, chief marketing officer, United Breweries, said cricket in India “is more than a sport, it is a shared cultural moment”, adding that the IPL brings that energy alive at scale. “For Kingfisher Premium Packaged Drinking Water, being present at the heart of these moments, in partnership with the BCCI, is a natural extension of what we stand for. Through this association, we aim to enrich how fans experience the game… making every match more immersive, social and memorable,” Bahl said.
Devajit Saikia, honorary secretary, BCCI, said the IPL “has always been at the forefront of redefining sports entertainment and fan engagement”. He added that the collaboration would fuse cricket fandom with “innovative fan experiences that extend beyond the stadium”, helping create memorable moments for audiences nationwide.
For United Breweries, part of the HEINEKEN group, the play is clear: move from passive branding to active participation in the fan journey—on screens, in stands and across social spaces. With millions tuning in and turning up each season, the IPL remains the country’s most potent marketing theatre. The question now is whether “good times” can translate into lasting brand recall in a market where visibility is easy, but engagement is hard-won.
