MAM
Havas snags French data firm to turbocharge its AI ambitions
PARIS: Havas is buying Unnest, a French data consulting and engineering outfit, in a bid to beef up its ability to deploy AI-driven marketing solutions at industrial scale. The acquisition bolsters Havas Media Network’s global data and analytics arm, CSA, as part of what the group calls its Converged.AI strategy—corporate speak for using technology and data to help brands navigate digital transformation without falling flat on their faces.
Founded in 2021 by Nicolas Chollet and Mehdi Moreau, Unnest has carved out a niche building data platforms for blue-chip clients in retail, travel, beauty, automotive and luxury. Its team of specialists work across Google Cloud Platform, Azure, Snowflake and Amazon Cloud, designing infrastructure, ensuring data quality and governance, and developing use cases ranging from media performance measurement to first-party data activation and applied AI.
The deal will fold Unnest into Havas’s Business Science practice alongside existing units CSA Data Consulting, DBi and TED Consulting, creating a combined French team of 120 data experts. Havas plans to roll out these capabilities globally through CSA’s network, though it’s keeping Unnest’s name and letting the firm retain what it describes as its “agility and technological DNA.”
Havas chairman and chief executive Yannick Bolloré says the acquisition will “accelerate our Converged.AI strategy” and help drive AI adoption across the group’s client base. Havas France chief data officer and president of Havas Data Business Intelligence Yoann Denée, reckons Unnest will enhance the group’s ability to deliver “increasingly advanced tech solutions” for clients wrestling with data, AI and automation challenges.
Chollet, for his part, sees the move as a chance to “leverage our technological expertise in support of a global vision” and contribute to “innovative solutions for brands”—which is consultant-speak for getting access to bigger budgets and fatter contracts.
Havas, which traces its roots back to 1835 Paris, operates in over 100 markets with nearly 23,000 people. The group has been pushing its Converged.AI model hard, promising to fuse data, technology and AI with what it calls “inspired human ideas” to churn out real-time, personalised marketing at scale. Whether that vision survives contact with actual clients remains to be seen. But with Unnest’s cloud engineering chops now in the fold, Havas at least has the pipes to try.
MAM
BLR Airport Launches ‘Connections’ Service to Ease Transit Travel
New initiative targets smoother transfers as Bengaluru hub traffic rises 30 per cent.
MUMBAI: Missed connections may be a traveller’s nightmare but Bengaluru is trying to make them a thing of the past. Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR Airport) has rolled out ‘Connections by BLR’, a new transfer programme designed to take the friction out of connecting journeys. Built around three pillars ease, efficiency and experience,the initiative aims to simplify what is often the most stressful leg of air travel.
The move comes as transfer traffic at BLR Airport climbs sharply, up more than 30 per cent year-on-year. Transfers currently account for around 15 per cent of total passenger traffic and are projected to touch 20 per cent by 2026, signalling a clear shift in how the airport is positioning itself within airline networks.
At its core, the programme focuses on making navigation intuitive and downtime more comfortable. Dedicated transfer desks have been set up across terminals, supported by colour-coded wayfinding blue and yellow signage designed for quick recognition. Inter-terminal movement is being streamlined through complimentary shuttle services with predictable wait times, while designated transfer zones aim to reduce passenger confusion.
Beyond logistics, the airport is leaning into experience. Travellers in transit now have access to a wider choice of lounges, curated retail and food and beverage options, as well as sleeping pods for short stays. For longer layovers, transit hotels in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 offer boutique in-terminal accommodation, an increasingly sought-after feature as global travel patterns evolve.
The timing is strategic. BLR Airport now connects to 114 passenger destinations 80 domestic and 34 international with key routes spanning Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Pune domestically, and Singapore, London Heathrow, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur internationally. Recent additions such as Hindon, Bidar and Silchar within India, alongside Dammam, Hanoi and Riyadh overseas, are further expanding its reach.
Infrastructure is also catching up with ambition. Developments including the West Cross Taxiway, Terminal 1 refurbishment and Terminal 2 expansion are laying the groundwork for higher capacity and smoother operations critical for any airport aiming to become a serious transfer hub.
Bangalore International Airport Limited chief operating officer Girish Nair framed the initiative as both a response to demand and a forward-looking play. He pointed to the growing depth of the airport’s network and the opportunity to build a more reliable transfer ecosystem that benefits both passengers and airline partners.
In an era where travel is as much about transitions as destinations, BLR Airport is betting that a seamless connection might just be the journey’s most important upgrade.
