MAM
id8 media solutions wins PR mandate for IHOP India
MUMBAI: id8 media solutions has acquired the Public Relations mandate for American Multinational restaurant chain, IHOP. The mandate involves building and implementing strategic launch campaigns, content intelligence and media & influencer engagement.
IHOP will be launching its first restaurant in West India at Phoenix Palladium, Lower Parel, this new restaurant will serve up the brand’s World-Famous Buttermilk Pancakes, milkshakes, waffles, omelettes and familiar comfort foods. The all-day American diner chain will be launched in Mumbai in association with Bedrock Food Company Pvt Ltd. Established in 2000, Bedrock Food Company Pvt Ltd. has been a pioneer in the Indian FnB arena and the harbinger of brands such as Subway all across India, and Krispy Kreme in North India.
id8 media solutions CEO & cofounder Tanya Swetta stated, “With a legacy of more than 63 years and approximately 1,750 restaurants globally IHOP has been an expert and frontrunner ruling the F&B space in all things breakfast, any time of day. Introducing international brands in the Indian market has been one of our expertise and to be able to be a part of IHOP’s expansion is a fascinating experience for us.”
Bedrock Foods Company director Manpreet Gulri said, “Bedrock Food’s stint in North India has been stellar with reputed International brands, we found similar passion and innovation at id8 media solutions. They have a successful track record spanning 20 years, and we are confident that they will manage our brand well and also bring their expertise and innovation to our marketing efforts with their solid and dynamic team of professionals. We look forward to IHOP receiving a warm welcome and spreading happiness in Mumbai!”
AD Agencies
Abhay Duggal joins JioStar as director of Hindi GEC ad sales
The streaming giant brings in a seasoned revenue hand as the battle for Hindi television advertising heats up
MUMBAI: Abhay Duggal has a new desk, and JioStar has a new weapon. The media and entertainment veteran has joined JioStar as director of entertainment ad sales for Hindi general entertainment channels, adding 17 years of hard-won revenue experience to one of India’s most powerful broadcasting operations.
Duggal is no stranger to big portfolios or bruising markets. Before joining JioStar, he spent a brief stint at Republic World as deputy general manager and north regional head for ad sales. Before that, he put in three years at Enterr10 Television, where he ran the north region for Dangal TV and Dangal 2, two of India’s leading free-to-air Hindi channels. The north alone accounted for more than 50 per cent of total channel revenue on his watch, a number that tends to get attention in any sales meeting.
His longest stint was at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, where he spent over six years rising to associate director of sales. There he commanded the Hindi movies cluster across seven channels, owned more than half of north India’s revenue across flagship properties including Zee TV and &TV, and closed marquee sponsorships across the Indian Premier League, Zee Rishtey Awards and Dance India Dance. He also handled monetisation for the English movies and entertainment cluster and the global news channel WION, a portfolio that would stretch most sales teams twice his size.
Earlier in his career Duggal closed what was then a Rs 3 crore single deal at Reliance Broadcast Network, one of the largest in Indian radio at the time, before that he helped launch and monetise JAINHITS, India’s first HITS-based cable and satellite platform.
His edge, by his own account, lies in marrying data and instinct: translating audience trends, inventory signals and client demands into long-term partnerships built on cost-per-rating-point discipline rather than short-term deal chasing. In a media landscape being reshaped by streaming, fragmented attention and AI-driven advertising, that kind of rigour is increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.
JioStar, which blends the scale of Reliance’s Jio platform with the content firepower of Star, is doubling down on its advertising business at precisely the moment the Hindi GEC market is getting more competitive. Bringing in someone who has spent nearly two decades doing exactly this, across some of India’s most watched channels, is a pointed statement of intent. Duggal has spent his career turning audiences into revenue. JioStar is clearly betting he can do it again, and bigger.
