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Honda drives forward as Takashi Nakajima takes the wheel at HCIL
MUMBAI: Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) is shifting gears at the top, with Takashi Nakajima set to take over as president & CEO from 1 April 2025. Nakajima, a Honda veteran with over 30 years of global experience, succeeds Takuya Tsumura, who will return to Japan after an impactful three-year stint at the helm of HCIL.
During his tenure in India, Tsumura bolstered Honda’s premium brand positioning, enhanced customer-centric solutions, and steered the company toward profitable growth. His leadership saw the launch of several landmark models, including the Honda City e:HEV, India’s first mainstream hybrid model; the Honda Elevate, the brand’s new global SUV; and the 3rd Generation Amaze, a refreshed take on Honda’s popular compact sedan.
Under his watch, Honda’s export operations expanded, with the Made-in-India elevate hitting Japanese roads. Tsumura also focused on integrated marketing campaigns to engage a diverse audience, while implementing efficiency-driven initiatives to enhance both customer experience and dealer profitability.
Bringing decades of expertise from markets including Japan, China, Spain, Czech Republic, and Russia, Nakajima is no stranger to strategic growth. His impressive career spans business planning, product strategy, marketing, and sales promotion, with a recent role as president of Honda Motor Russia. He also led product planning and corporate communications for Honda’s domestic automobile business in Japan.
With Honda gearing up for its first Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) launch in India, Nakajima’s entry signals a bold new chapter in Honda’s journey. As he prepares to take the wheel, all eyes are on how he will steer innovation, expansion, and electrification in one of the world’s most dynamic auto markets.
As the industry shifts towards sustainable mobility, Nakajima’s leadership promises to accelerate Honda’s evolution in India. With a strong foundation laid by Tsumura, the road ahead looks primed for bigger ambitions, smarter technology, and an electrifying future.
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Hyphen launches sunscreen campaign featuring Kriti Sanon as SPF Police
Campaign drives SPF habit; Blinkit tie-up enables instant sunscreen delivery.
MUMBAI: No SPF, no mercy Kriti Sanon is out patrolling your skincare routine. Hyphen has rolled out a new campaign film starring its Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer Kriti Sanon, who steps into a playful alter ego as the brand’s “SPF Police”, turning sunscreen reminders into a full-blown public service announcement with a wink. The campaign kicked off with a cheeky social media tease suggesting Sanon had “stepped down” from her role, sparking chatter online before the brand revealed the twist: she hasn’t gone anywhere, she has simply taken on an additional avatar, one dedicated to ensuring people do not skip sunscreen.
The film leans into humour to drive home a serious point. In a slice-of-life setting, Sanon intercepts a gym-goer about to step out without sunscreen, promptly handing over Hyphen’s ‘All I Need Sunscreen’, which arrives instantly via Blinkit. The message is clear: forgetting SPF is no longer a valid excuse when it can be delivered in minutes.
Beyond the laughs, the campaign taps into a well-known gap in everyday skincare habits. Sunscreen, despite being one of the most recommended steps, is often the most ignored. By gamifying the reminder through an “SPF Police” persona, Hyphen aims to turn a routine into a reflex.
The multi-stage rollout from intrigue-led teasers to the final film has been designed to spark conversation while embedding the brand into daily behaviour. It also spotlights Hyphen’s quick commerce partnership with Blinkit, positioning accessibility as a key enabler of consistency.
Sanon, who remains closely involved in product development and brand strategy, noted that the idea stemmed from a simple insight: skincare works best when it is easy, habitual and hard to ignore. The campaign reflects that philosophy equal parts science, storytelling and a nudge you cannot quite escape.
The film is now live across Hyphen and Blinkit’s digital platforms, with further activations expected to extend the campaign’s reach and perhaps keep the SPF Police on duty a little longer.
