Brands
Hudson Oil appoints Grapes Digital to handle digital mandate
MUMBAI: In a recent announcement, Hudson Canola Oil has appointed Grapes Digital as its digital agency. The agency will handle the complete digital mandate. The account was won after a multi-agency pitch.
The agency will be involved in the digital media planning and buying, strategy, content creation and design across all social media platforms.
Food is an art on Instagram, cooking is a passion on blogs and information about health is just a click away. In this landscape, how can an oil brand join the conversation? This objective is now in the capable hands of Grapes, which is tasked with highlighting Hudson’s relevance in today’s Indian kitchen, using the most innovative ways possible to help increase brand awareness and drive business growth.
Grapes Digital founder Himanshu Arya says, “We are excited to partner with Hudson Canola Oil, the brand that introduced canola oil to India and the one that has led development of the canola oil category in a market where it was unknown. We are delighted to work with a brand that understands the ‘digital first’ approach. We look forward to use our digital expertise to help the brand touch new heights,”
Dalmia Continental senior vice president Akash Premsen adds, “The company’s core competency is blowing open categories that Indians did not know of or consider and creating leading brands. With Leonardo Olive Oil previously, India realised an entire new way of life. With Hudson, we have a product inherently linked to consumer behaviour and health in the Indian kitchen. We are confident of fast adoption because homes are ready for this revolution.”
The company is targeting Rs 300 crores from Hudson in five years and intends to expand the portfolio to focus on demographics that almost all oil companies ignore because they are in the commodity business, not in the consumer benefit business.
Currently, the oil category is stodgy, old and stuck in the 1990s, with almost zero appeal to the millennial generation. Hudson wants to speak directly to the young, savvy, health-aware and global-minded consumer.
Brands
IndiGo names William Walsh CEO
Former IATA chief to take charge in August after Elbers exit, Bhatia steers interim
India’s biggest airline has moved fast and gone global. InterGlobe Aviation, which operates IndiGo, has tapped aviation heavyweight William Walsh as chief executive officer, subject to regulatory approvals, marking a sharp pivot as the carrier eyes its next burst of expansion.
Walsh, currently director general at the International Air Transport Association, will step down on July 31, 2026, and is expected to take charge by August 3. The appointment comes barely three weeks after Pieter Elbers exited the corner office, with Rahul Bhatia holding the fort in the interim.
The choice signals intent. Walsh brings decades of cockpit-to-boardroom experience, having led British Airways and later International Airlines Group, the parent of Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling. His tenure across carriers has been defined by hard resets, restructurings and cross-border consolidation—skills IndiGo may need as competition intensifies and scale becomes decisive.
Vikram Singh Mehta, chairman and non-executive independent director of IndiGo, said Walsh’s experience in managing large-scale airline operations and navigating complex market dynamics makes him well-suited to lead IndiGo in an increasingly competitive global aviation environment, adding that the appointment marks a new chapter as the airline scales in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets.
Rahul Bhatia said Walsh’s global perspective, operational expertise and customer-focused approach would be critical as IndiGo enters its next phase of expansion.
Walsh, widely regarded as one of the industry’s most influential figures, will oversee overall management and strategic direction, with a mandate spanning operational performance, network expansion, commercial strategy and customer experience. He is expected to work closely with the board and leadership team to sharpen IndiGo’s growth trajectory.
Walsh said IndiGo has a strong foundation and is well-positioned to capitalise on the evolving aviation landscape, adding that he looks forward to fostering a culture of excellence, innovation and sustainable value creation across the organisation.
A new captain, a bigger runway—and a market that rewards scale. IndiGo is lining up for its next take-off.
