MAM
Hashtag Orange bolsters creative team with three appointments
Mumbai: Hashtag Orange, a full-service digital communication agency, has announced the appointment of senior creative hires to further strengthen its creative team. The three senior appointments include Suresh Joshi as senior creative director, Ratna Mishra as associate creative director – art, and Abhishek Prakash Khankriyal as associate creative director – copy.
This new development comes in line with some recent account wins like Wildcrafty, Mufti, Kama, and GLS and the appointees would spearhead their respective domains under the creative leadership of Hashtag Orange chief creative officer Gaurang Menon, said the agency in a statement.
“I am delighted to Suresh, Abhishek, and Ratna on board. They bring the right mix of experience across brands in both digital and mainline and are hungry to do more,” said Menon. “As we move on to our next stage of growth and expansion, I am sure they will add more value to the work we do for our partner brands.”
Joshi brings in multi-agency expertise with 15 years of work experience at some prominent players like Lowe Lintas, Contract Advertising, M&C Saatchi on a diverse brand portfolio including LG Electronics, Sony, JP Group, Fortis, Future Brand, Amar Ujala, Dominos, Dabur, Funda Candy, and Carl’s Jr.
Mishra has been the face behind several award-winning campaigns and has hands-on experience on brands like Samsung, Pepsi, Nestle, Maruti, Havells, Uber, ITC, Max Bupa, HDFC, JK Tyres, etc. In her career span of over a decade, she has worked with some of the prominent network digital & mainstream agencies like Havas worldwide, Group M, Dentsu, and Cheil worldwide.
Khankriyal joins from Dentsu International and brings along a rich experience of over 10 years of having worked upon several award-winning and functionally benefitting advertising campaigns across various brands.
“With the recent pitch wins in view, we needed the best mix of thoughtful people to sail the ships on these brands,” said Hashtag Orange founder Mukesh Vij. “I am quite excited to extend our arms further, with so many creative capabilities added to our tribe of the un-commons at Hashtag Orange. I wish us all a benefitting journey ahead.”
Brands
ZEEL transfers syndication business, invests Rs 505 crore in IP push
Restructuring, stake buy and FCCB moves signal sharper content strategy
MUMBAI: In the content economy, owning the story is half the battle monetising it is the real game, and Zee Entertainment Enterprises is doubling down on both. The company has approved the transfer of its syndication and content licensing business to its wholly owned subsidiary ZI-IPR Enterprises, alongside an investment of Rs 505 crore aimed at strengthening its play in content intellectual property (IP) acquisition, management and monetisation. The move, effective April 1, 2026, will see the business transferred on a slump sale basis at book value, including all associated assets, liabilities and commercial rights effectively consolidating IP operations under a more focused structure.
At its core, the restructuring signals a strategic shift. As content consumption increasingly fragments across digital and global platforms, the value of IP lies not just in creation but in how efficiently it can be distributed, repackaged and monetised across markets. By housing its syndication engine within ZI-IPR Enterprises, ZEEL appears to be building a more agile and scalable ecosystem, one that can better extract value from its vast content library while adapting to evolving distribution models.
But the company’s ambitions are not limited to restructuring. ZEEL has also approved an investment of up to Rs 20.09 crore in Culture of Real Experiences (CORE), acquiring a 51 per cent stake in the entity. The move expands its footprint into the broader creative and experiential space, suggesting a push beyond traditional broadcasting into areas where content, culture and immersive experiences intersect.
At the same time, ZEEL has moved to tidy up its financials, approving the redemption of $23.9 million in outstanding foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs) and cancelling an unused $215.1 million commitment. The twin steps are expected to ease pressure on its treasury, freeing up capital and improving financial flexibility as the company invests more aggressively in its IP strategy.
Taken together, the decisions reflect a company in recalibration mode streamlining legacy structures, sharpening its focus on content ownership, and exploring new avenues for growth. In a market where the lines between television, streaming and experiential entertainment are increasingly blurred, ZEEL’s latest moves suggest it is not just creating content, but building a system to make that content travel further and pay better.
