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”
MAM
Barista partners Ginny Weds Sunny 2 with mango campaign
Cafe chain blends cinema buzz with summer menu and 20 per cent offer.
MUMBAI: Love may brew slowly, but marketing clearly doesn’t especially when coffee meets cinema and mangoes steal the spotlight. Barista Coffee Company has partnered with the upcoming hindi film Ginny Weds Sunny 2 as its official beverage partner, in a move aimed at tapping into youth culture through entertainment-led engagement. The collaboration is not just a logo placement exercise. Instead, Barista is translating the film’s high-energy vibe into its cafés with a themed summer menu titled “Main Hoon Mango”, accompanied by a limited-period 20 per cent discount on combo offerings across outlets.
Actors Medha Shankr and Avinash Tiwary feature in the campaign, seen engaging with the mango-themed menu inside Barista cafés, a visual cue designed to blur the lines between reel and real-life consumption moments.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in how consumer brands are leveraging hindi film industry not just for visibility, but for immersive, on-ground engagement. By embedding the film’s narrative into its product experience, Barista is aiming to drive footfall, especially among younger audiences who increasingly seek experiential touchpoints over traditional advertising.
Barista Coffee Company CEO Rajat Agrawal described the partnership as both a branding and growth play, focused on expanding reach beyond the existing customer base and aligning with evolving consumer preferences.
The emphasis on a seasonal, flavour-led hook mango, one of India’s most culturally resonant ingredients adds a timely layer to the campaign, aligning with summer consumption trends while riding on the film’s promotional momentum.
For Barista, the move is part of a larger positioning shift. Rather than operating purely as a coffee retail chain, the brand is increasingly framing itself as a lifestyle destination, one that intersects with entertainment, conversation and shared experiences. By integrating cinema into its physical spaces, Barista is effectively turning cafés into micro-extensions of the film’s universe, where consumers do not just watch a story unfold but participate in it sip by sip.
The 20 per cent offer further nudges trial, lowering the barrier for consumers to engage with the themed menu while amplifying recall through a tangible incentive.
Brand-film collaborations are hardly new, but their execution is evolving. Where earlier partnerships relied on co-branded ads or product placements, the current playbook leans towards immersive storytelling and retail integration.
In that sense, Barista’s “Main Hoon Mango” push is less about promotion and more about participation inviting consumers to experience a slice of the film within a familiar, everyday setting. As the film industry continues to act as a cultural amplifier, such partnerships underline a growing truth, in today’s attention economy, it is not enough to be seen brands must be experienced.
And if that experience comes with a mango twist and a cinematic backdrop, all the better.
