MAM
GroupM India rejigs top management
MUMBAI: GroupM India, the media investment group of WPP, has appointed Sidharth Parashar as President – Investments and Pricing, GroupM India and Ashwin Padmanabhan as President – Partnerships and Trading, GroupM India. As part of this elevation, both Sidharth and Ashwin will join the GroupM Executive Committee.
GroupM South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar said, “The elevation of both Sidharth and Ashwin is a testament of GroupM’s continued investment in its talent which has helped build a strong leadership pipeline, creating leaders to take our business into the future. In this ever-evolving integrated media ecosystem, we understand the importance of having leaders across key client focus areas like media investments and trading. Both Sidharth and Ashwin are astute leaders and I am confident that they will continue to drive client delight and expand GroupM’s reach across platforms.”
Sidharth and Ashwin have been leading GroupM’s pricing-investment and partnerships-trading practices over the years and they will take over their respective new roles effective November 2019.
Sidharth has been with GroupM for over 15 years. He commenced his journey as the Agency Buying Head for Maxus and has played a key role in evangelising the buying function in the organisation. In his new role, Sidharth will be responsible for leading GroupM India’s investment mandates across all media. He will further build on GroupM’s buying function and provide unique solutions to his clients. All the GroupM Agency Trading Heads and Cluster Heads will continue to report to Sidharth.
GroupM India President – Investments and Pricing Sidharth Parashar said, “It has been an amazing 15 years working at GroupM and I am delighted to join the executive leadership team. I am excited about the opportunity to lead the Group’s investments across platforms. GroupM has always raised the bar on innovation and providing exceptional value to our esteemed clients. I look forward to continuing delivering these company values each day.”
Ashwin joined GroupM from Reliance Broadcast Network where, as the COO he led the network’s Radio and Television business. At GroupM, Ashwin has been driving Trading and Partnerships. Along with his trading roles, Ashwin also leads Motion Content Group. Under his leadership, Motion’s unique value proposition of content Production, Financing and Monetization across platforms has become a big differentiator to the entire content ecosystem.
GroupM India President – Partnerships and Trading Ashwin Padmanabhan said, “I am delighted with this recognition and I would like to thank Prasanth Kumar and the GroupM leadership team for reposing faith and for considering me for this position. GroupM gives a unique opportunity to create, innovate and build in an entrepreneurial environment and I look forward to continue enhancing the GroupM value proposition for our clients, media and technology partners. ”
Both Sidharth and Ashwin will continue to be based out of the GroupM’s Gurgaon office and will report to Prasanth Kumar
Digital
How an AI personality became one of India’s fastest-growing influencers
A web series star, podcaster, and 376k Instagram followers, Naina Avtr is India’s first AI superstar
MUMBAI: Move over humans, India’s first AI superstar is taking centre stage. Meet Naina Avtr, a 22-year-old virtual influencer from Jhansi who has captured the imagination of millions. Since her debut in late 2022, Naina has become more than just a CGI creation – she is a bona fide digital celebrity with over 3.76 lakh Instagram followers.
Naina’s claim to fame is packed with firsts. She made her acting debut in October 2025 in the micro-drama series Truth & Lies on Instagram, marking the first time an AI character led a drama alongside human actors. She also hosts The nAIna Show, India’s first AI-driven podcast, where she has chatted with celebrities like Sobhita Dhulipala, Richa Chadha, Kritika Kamra, Saiyami Kher, Esha Deol, Hansika Motwani, and Nargis Fakhri.
The virtual diva has also become a style icon and brand ambassador, collaborating with big names like Nykaa, Puma, and Pepsi. Her Instagram feed, packed with dance routines, outfit reels, fitness tips, and lifestyle snapshots, regularly sparks debate among fans over whether she is real or robot.
Behind the magic is Avtr Meta Labs, led by CEO Abhishek Razdan. Naina comes to life using a blend of CGI, generative AI, and hybrid motion capture, where a human double’s movements are digitally swapped with Naina’s face. Her AI-powered voice can speak in 120 languages, making her a truly global digital star.
The AI icon has not gone unnoticed, winning awards such as the NDTV WhosThat360 AI Creator Award, the Midday Showbiz AI Influencer Award, and the International Iconic AI Influencer title in 2024.
Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or just scrolling for entertainment, Naina Avtr proves that the line between virtual and reality is blurring, and she is leading the parade.
