Brands
India packs a punch at Smarties APAC 2025
MUMBAI: India did not just show up at the MMA Smarties APAC 2025 Awards. It showed off. In a year when creative firepower met tech muscle, Indian marketers turned the regional stage into their own victory ring, sweeping four major industry titles and pocketing an impressive spread of gold, silver and bronze wins.
Announced globally by the Marketing and Media Alliance, this year’s results underline India’s growing clout in consumer insight, digital innovation and business impact across the Asia Pacific region. The performance signals a market that is not only confident but shaping the future of marketing in the region.
Leading the charge were four coveted industry honours. Wavemaker India was named media agency of the year, Amazon Ads took home enabling technology company of the Year, Ethinos claimed independent agency of the Year and Colgate Palmolive’s Oral Health Movement secured the best in show title. Together, these wins place India at the forefront of strategic and creative excellence.
MMA CEO APAC and global head Smarties Worldwide Rohit Dadwal said India remains one of the most influential markets in the programme. He noted that Indian work stands out for combining creativity, technology and cultural intelligence while still driving business outcomes at scale. He added that this year’s industry wins reflect the country’s leadership across media, technology and independent agency craft.
India also delivered one of its strongest metal runs yet. Gold winners included campaigns from Hindustan Unilever’s Knorr with Mindshare India, UltraTech Cement, Hyundai Motor India with Havas Play, Mondelez India’s Oreo and Celebrations with Wavemaker India, Bajaj Auto’s Chetak with Amazon Ads and Colgate Palmolive with Wavemaker India.
Silver metals were awarded to Dove, Cadbury Oreo, Maybelline New York, JioCinema and the Oral Health Movement. Bronze honours went to Dove and a cluster of work from Rin, Wheel and Surf.
MMA Global India country head and board member Moneka Khurana said the results reflect the depth and evolution of India’s marketing landscape. She highlighted how work across CPG, auto, beauty and entertainment shows what future ready marketing looks like and praised the consistency and conviction of Indian agencies and brands.
Across the region, Smarties APAC recognised 107 winning entries including 25 gold, 36 silver, 32 bronze and 14 industry awards. India’s standout performance reinforces its status as a trailblazer shaping consumer behaviour and digital innovation in the Asia Pacific market.
Brands
Kotak Mahindra Prime names Suraj Rajappan as managing director and chief executive
The car-finance arm of Kotak Mahindra Bank lines up a new chief and raises its borrowing limit
MUMBAI: Suraj Rajappan is getting the keys. Kotak Mahindra Prime Limited (KMPL), India’s veteran car-finance outfit, has named him managing director and chief executive, effective June 1st, 2026—the same day his predecessor drives off into retirement.
The board approved the appointment at its meeting on March 18th. Rajappan, currently a whole-time director at the company, has spent his entire 24-year career at KMPL, working across functions before rising to the top job. The three-year term remains subject to shareholder approval, and the company confirmed he faces no bar from SEBI or any other authority from holding the post.
He takes over from Shahrukh Todiwala, who superannuates on May 31st after more than three decades with the Kotak Group. Ashok Vaswani, managing director and chief executive of parent Kotak Mahindra Bank, was generous in his send-off. Todiwala, he said, “leaves behind a legacy marked by prudent growth, strong risk discipline, and a focus on customer-centricity.” Of his successor, Vaswani was equally bullish: Rajappan’s “deep industry experience and execution capabilities position KMPL well for its next phase of growth.”
The board also loosened the purse strings, raising the company’s overall outstanding debt limit from Rs 43,000 crore to Rs 48,000 crore. The expanded ceiling covers bank loans, debentures, commercial paper, treasury operations, credit facilities and external commercial borrowings.
KMPL has operated as a car-finance company since 1996, branching into two-wheeler loans in 2018 and loans against property in 2021. With fresh leadership, a bigger borrowing arsenal and an ambitious lender for a parent, Rajappan’s first task is clear: step on the accelerator.
