MAM
India’s First do-gooder festival cum Drive-a-thon festival, Mahindra Open Drive is here
Mumbai: The Mahindra Group has just announced the debut of an exciting new cultural outreach initiative called ‘Mahindra Open Drive’. This 2-day destination festival includes a road trip beginning in early November from four Indian cities – Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru- culminating in a music and food festival on November 8-9 in Goa.
Destined to be a thrilling and inspiring journey festival to Goa where the camaraderie begins from the drive itself, Mahindra Open Drive festival aims to bringing together people from diverse cultural backgrounds to form a tribe of goodness and celebration whilst also being able to contribute to a good cause.
According to Jay Shah, Vice President, Cultural Outreach, Mahindra Group, “Mahindra Cultural Outreach offers an opportunity to celebrate life with its newest festival – the Mahindra Open Drive. This has been conceived for the city goer who needs to break away from the humdrum for a weekend filled with adventure, music and positive vibes. While the ”drive” refers to the suggested way to come to the festival it also refers to the positive emotion of being motivated to do good, to be driven”
With pitstops along the way (from each of the 5 cities of origin) that contain stimulating activities to the final culmination at the two-day culture fest in Goa, the event has a deep humanitarian spirit at its core. The festival centres around music, arts and culture to engage audiences and allow them to experience celebrate innate human goodness through story-telling and entertainment. It will also comprise of a souk – showcasing local artisan-crafted products, an exhibition of Goa’s culture, performances by international artists, installation artists, and a local and international cuisine feast.
The festival will feature a mix of international and local artists including headliners ‘Chico and The Gypsies’ who would accompany world and folk music sensations Raghu Dixit, Harouna Samake, Brooklyn Funk Essentials, and Nikhil Dsouza. This eclectic mix of artists will embody the soundscape of the festival and complement the culture and ethnicity of Goa as a community.
The festival will be preceded by fundraising initiatives through which festival-goers can pledge monetary aid to a cause they believe in and draw attention to NGOs and partner organizations actively involved in making a difference. This can be done by raising funds or donating to one of the 20 partner NGOs spread across various causes. Essentially, the fundraising is intended to support causes like Education, Healthcare, Safety, Livelihood, Environment and Rights & Inclusion.
Speaking about Mahindra Open Drive, Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group said “While the automotive industry is seeing changing ownership models for personal mobility, it is our belief that vehicles used to enjoy drives and the open outdoors will always be in demand. Families, groups of friends or individuals will always want to take a break from their hectic lives and head out into the countryside. It is this aspect of mobility we had in mind while conceptualizing Mahindra Open Drive”. The drive will be a thrilling and inspiring journey to Goa that embodies a sense of camaraderie, bringing together people from diverse cultural backgrounds and bonding them through stimulating local cuisine and enroute activities. With a fully equipped car service team available at regular pit stops and F&B amenities, Mahindra & Mahindra is offering a safeguarded experience to participants of the drive."
As for the entries, Mahindra Open Drive is one of a kind festival where you have to earn an invite. This can be achieved by buying donor passes – with the contributions going directly toward one of the partner NGOs chosen by the festival-goer.
Supporting Mahindra is their official philanthropy partner for this initiative- United Way Mumbai – an establishment whose fundamental objective is to bring together individuals, companies, NGOs and government agencies to enhance community conditions with deeds that go beyond short-term charity.
Speaking about associating with M&M Ltd. for the Mahindra Open Drive, Jayanti Shukla, CEO of United Way Mumbai said, “Mahindra Open Drive gives the socially conscious generation of today a platform to convene and support causes while they enjoy the process and celebrate the successes of our real heroes, the diverse NGOs who are partnering with us at the event. United Way Mumbai has been associated with numerous innovative community impact projects, and it is exciting for us to be a part of an event that is fun yet with a strong element of giving back to the less privileged”
AD Agencies
Publicis acquires AdgeAI to sharpen predictive measurement in advertising
Deal integrates AI-driven content intelligence with Publicis production platform
MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe is doubling down on data-led creativity with the acquisition of measurement and content intelligence firm AdgeAI, a move aimed at helping brands understand what truly works in their campaigns.
Announced on March 12 in Paris, the deal brings AdgeAI’s analytics technology into Publicis’ AI-driven production ecosystem, allowing brands to measure and predict creative performance in real time. The company said the integration will help marketers move beyond guesswork and focus on content that delivers measurable business outcomes.
AdgeAI’s platform analyses engagement and conversion data across video and digital campaigns to pinpoint which creative elements resonate most with audiences. By identifying patterns that drive results, the system provides insights that guide content strategy and improve returns on marketing investment.
The acquisition comes at a time when brands are producing more content than ever before. While the tools to create campaigns have become faster and cheaper, many marketers still struggle to determine which messages actually drive sales.
Publicis Groupe chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun, said brands today need clarity rather than just volume. “In the AI era, brands do not simply need more content. They need to know what works, and why, so they can scale their messaging across audiences, markets and platforms,” he said. He added that the acquisition turns creative measurement from a backward-looking report into a forward-looking capability that predicts outcomes.
Publicis production chief executive officer Deepti Velury, said embedding predictive intelligence into the production process will allow brands to create fewer but more effective assets. According to her, AdgeAI’s technology can analyse creative components at a granular level and identify patterns directly linked to campaign performance.
AdgeAI co-founder and CEO Eyal Ben Shalom, described the deal as a shift in how the industry approaches creative intelligence. By plugging its technology into Publicis’ broader platform, he said brands will be able to move at the speed of digital algorithms without losing the spark of strong creative ideas.
With the addition of AdgeAI, Publicis is positioning itself to close the gap between creativity and data, giving brands a clearer view of what clicks with audiences and what drives the bottom line.
