MAM
Havas picks up majority stake in Mediaxis MPG
MUMBAI: Fortifying its position in the Swiss ad market, global media group Havas Media has acquired its majority stake in Zurich based media group Mediaxis MPG.
Havas Media and MPG have been associated for the past nine years. The majority stake is in effect from today.
Mediaxis MPG will remain the group‘s main operational brand and founder Peter Hofstetter will continue as chairman and member of executive committee. The management of the company will remain on board as key elements on the new long-term joint expansion plan.
Mediaxis MPG is a qualitative media agency with a client list that includes Reckitt Benckiser, Danone, Lindt, Barclays and Hermes.
Havas Media CEO Alfonso Rod?©s said, “The Swiss market is a key market for Havas Media and I am delighted that following a prosperous nine year relationship, the management team have decided to further commit to the group and officially join our other 122 markets worldwide.”
Mediaxis MPG chairman Peter Hofstetter added, “We have all prospered as a result of our partnership and joining the Havas Media team is a natural step in further strengthening the group‘s operations in the Swiss market. The existing management team have committed to driving this group forward and look forward to continuing to benefit from Havas Media‘s tools and wider thought leadership activity such as its Meaningful Brands framework.”
Brands
Uidai partners with Google to help users locate Aadhaar centres
Verified Aadhaar centres to appear on Maps with services and access info
MUMBAI: Finding an Aadhaar centre may soon be as easy as finding your favourite café. In a move aimed at making public services more accessible, the Unique Identification Authority of India has partnered with Google to display authorised Aadhaar centres on Google Maps. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, will allow residents to locate verified centres quickly and confidently.
More than 60,000 Aadhaar centres, including state of the art Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be mapped. When users search on Google Maps, they will be directed to authorised facilities rather than unverified listings, helping curb misinformation and confusion.
The listings will do more than drop a pin. Users will be able to see the nature of services offered at each centre, whether it is adult enrolment, child enrolment, or limited to address and mobile number updates. Details such as operating hours, parking availability and divyang friendly infrastructure will also be shown wherever applicable.
Uidai CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, said the collaboration is part of the authority’s continued effort to improve ease of living for Aadhaar holders by making authorised centres simpler and faster to navigate.
The partnership will deepen in its next phase, with Uidai using Google Business Profile to manage information and respond directly to public feedback. Looking ahead, the two organisations are also exploring the option of enabling appointment bookings through the Google Maps interface, potentially allowing residents to plan their visits with greater efficiency.
Google India country head, strategic partnerships Roli Agarwal, said integrating verified Aadhaar centres would help millions access trusted services with confidence, bringing essential government infrastructure closer to the people who need it most.
If all goes to plan, a routine Aadhaar update may soon begin not with a queue, but with a search bar.
