MAM
Gulf News appoints Raman Kumar Chugh as strategic advisor – India
25 INS agencies onboarded as Gulf News sharpens India strategy
DUBAI: Gulf News has appointed Raman Kumar Chugh as strategic advisor – India, entrusting him with building a nationwide network of INS-accredited advertising agencies to deepen the publication’s presence in the Indian market.
The mandate focuses on creating a structured agency ecosystem spanning metros, tier-2 cities and district markets, aimed at driving business growth through compliant, locally rooted partnerships. The initiative is designed to offer Indian advertisers streamlined access to Gulf News’ platform in the UAE and wider GCC region.
Chugh will lead the appointment and integration of accredited agencies, positioning Gulf News as a launchpad for Indian brands seeking cross-border expansion. The strategy targets both large advertisers and smaller businesses, enabling them to reach international markets through a single, regulated media channel.
As an early milestone, Gulf News has already onboarded 25 INS-accredited agencies across major Indian metros following a joint pitch exercise led by Chugh. The agencies will form the backbone of a new international vertical, offering cross-market campaign execution and access to GCC-focused advertising formats.
The move reflects growing interest among Indian agencies in diversifying revenue streams through international media platforms, as well as Gulf News’ push to strengthen grassroots penetration in one of its fastest-growing source markets.
Commenting on the initiative, Chugh said the goal was to “democratise international market access for Indian businesses”, adding that a distributed agency network would allow brands of all sizes to expand globally in a structured and efficient manner.
Brands
Former Tesla India director Prashanth Menon joins Venttup as strategic advisor
MaaS startup taps global leader to drive scale-up and expansion plans
KOCHI: Venttup has appointed Prashanth R. Menon, former India director at Tesla, as strategic advisor to steer its next phase of growth and global expansion.
Menon brings over two decades of experience across strategy, operations and business transformation. At Tesla, he played a key role in shaping the company’s India entry strategy and building its operations across multiple verticals, while also serving as chairman of the board for Tesla India.
In his new role, he will work closely with Venttup’s leadership team to drive scale-up strategy, strengthen operational efficiency and profitability, and support investor engagement and global market expansion.
Welcoming the appointment, Venttup co-founder and ceo sandeep nair said, “We are excited to welcome Prashanth R. Menon to Venttup. His deep global experience in strategy and transformation, combined with his leadership in scaling global organisations, will help us accelerate our journey towards building a world-class manufacturing startup from India.”
Before his India stint, Menon served as director advisory at Tesla in the US, where he led global teams focused on revenue growth, productivity improvement and cost optimisation. Earlier, he worked with EY, advising senior executives on corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, supply chain and operational integration.
Sharing his perspective, Venttup strategic advisor prashanth r. menon said, “I am impressed by the outlook and the energy of the Venttup leadership team, and their vision to build a sustainable and local supply chain to fulfil global needs. Venttup has a promising business model aligned with the Government of India’s Make in India initiative.”
Backing the move, Unicorn India Ventures managing partner bhaskar majumdar said, “A warm welcome to Mr Menon to the Venttup advisory team. His deep industry experience and understanding of global supply chain dynamics will significantly strengthen Venttup’s scale-up strategy and growth journey.”
With this appointment, Venttup is sharpening its focus on building a scalable, globally competitive manufacturing platform, signalling its ambitions to play a larger role in India’s growing deep-tech ecosystem.
