Brands
Hamilton Housewares appoints Somasree Bose Awasthi as business unit head
MUMBAI: Hamilton Housewares, the maker of Milton products, has appointed Somasree Bose Awasthi as business unit head. A former chief marketing officer at Marico and at Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL), she brings more than 22 years of FMCG experience spanning personal care, home care, hair care and edible oils.
Awasthi has overseen businesses worth more than Rs 7,500 crore and has led brands including Saffola, Parachute, Cinthol, HIT and Good Knight. She helped launch Godrej Aer and Godrej Magic, driving GCPL’s entry into air care and liquid handwash. At Marico, she steered portfolio diversification for Parachute Advansed, Livon and Saffola, and introduced processes for market-mix modelling, innovation pipelines and brand activation.
She began her career as a management trainee at the Godrej group, later becoming its first female area sales manager in east India. She rose to the post of CMO and sat on the firm’s management committee.
Awasthi has been recognised among The Economic Times Women Ahead 2017 list and has featured in Impact’s Top 50 most influential women in marketing for six consecutive years. A graduate in industrial engineering from Nagpur University, she holds an MBA from XIM Bhubaneswar.
Brands
Budweiser 0.0 partners five IPL franchises to boost fan engagement
Fan-first campaign brings city pride, merch and match-day culture into focus
NEW DELHI: Budweiser 0.0 has announced its debut partnership with five franchises in the Indian Premier League, marking a significant step in its growing play in India’s cricket ecosystem.
The brand has teamed up with Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals for the ongoing season, aiming to connect with fans across key cricketing cities.
The collaboration signals the brand’s shift from national-level associations to more localised, city-driven engagement. It builds on Budweiser 0.0’s “In the Hands of Fans” platform, which focuses on celebrating the passion, rituals and identity that supporters bring to the game.
As part of the partnership, the brand will roll out limited-edition merchandise inspired by each of the five teams, giving fans a tangible way to showcase their loyalties. The initiative is designed to tap into match-day culture and extend fan engagement beyond the stadium and screen.
Commenting on the move, AB InBev vice president marketing & trade marketing Vineet Sharma said, “Cricket is one of India’s most powerful cultural connectors, and our debut partnership with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 reaffirmed the depth of fan passion behind it. At Budweiser 0.0, we see ourselves at the forefront of culture, acting as trendsetters for evolving fan expression, shaping how young India engages with sport, and setting the tone for how it shows up today. Entering the country’s biggest T20 cricket league, a platform widely loved by Indians, is a deliberate step in this journey, taking the brand from national fandom to the heart of city fandom. Through our partnerships with these five iconic teams, we will celebrate the pride, traditions and energy that define Indian cricket fandom, while creating experiences that keep fans at the heart of the game.”
The move also builds on the brand’s earlier association with global cricket events, as it looks to deepen its presence in India through culturally relevant storytelling and fan-led experiences.
As the IPL season unfolds, Budweiser 0.0 is betting on city pride and fan passion to drive its next innings, turning spectators into participants in the ever-evolving world of cricket fandom.
