MAM
India’s monuments get a colourful glow-up with Birla Opus campaign
MUMBAI: What do you get when a curious little boy meets an unclickable monument? A splash of imagination, a burst of colour and a nation reminded of its timeless beauty. Birla Opus Paints, under Grasim Industries of the Aditya Birla Group, has launched the next chapter of its “Duniya Ko Rang Do” story with a stunning new campaign titled Celebrating Colours of India.
This time, the animated Opus Boy returns to brighten not just walls but history itself, beginning with the Gateway of India. In the film, a disheartened street photographer struggles to draw attention to the monument. That’s when our pint-sized hero steps in with a colourful transformation giving the colonial arch a vibrant makeover that captivates onlookers and rekindles national pride.
The campaign showcases the power of paint to transform not only spaces but also perspectives. It builds on the emotional tone and animation style of the earlier brand launch, but dials it up to a national scale turning iconic monuments into canvases of creativity.
“The film reinforces the influence of colours and our commitment to beautify spaces while contributing to the national spirit and pride,” said Birla Opus Paints CEO Rakshit Hargave.
Taking the message a step further, Birla Opus Paints head of marketing Inderpreet Singh added, “By showcasing the potential of our paints with places of heritage and deep cultural significance, we aim to create a powerful story of hope reminding every Indian of the beauty around them.”
Crafted by Leo India and brought to visual life by Brazil’s Zombie Studios, the film uses rich 3D animation to set an immersive mood. “The grandeur and timelessness of the Gateway make it a perfect canvas,” said Leo India chief creative officer Sachin Kamble. “It’s about inspiring viewers to see the familiar through a transformative lens.”
The campaign is now live across TV, digital, print, radio, and OOH. And yes, the Gateway of India may be made of stone, but Opus shows us how it can still make hearts bloom.
Brands
Flipkart completes reverse flip to India ahead of IPO
Walmart-owned e-commerce giant shifts domicile from Singapore to Bengaluru
MUMBAI: Flipkart has completed its restructuring to move its parent company from Singapore back to India, marking a key milestone as the Walmart-owned marketplace prepares for a potential initial public offering on Indian stock exchanges, ET reported, citing people aware of the matter.
The move, often referred to as a “reverse flip”, relocates the company’s legal home to India and aligns its corporate structure more closely with its largest market. It also clears an important regulatory step for Flipkart as it explores listing plans.
As part of the restructuring, several Singapore-based entities have been merged into Flipkart Internet Private Limited, which will now serve as the main holding company for the entire group.
The consolidation brings a number of major businesses directly under the Indian parent company. These include fashion platform Myntra, logistics arm Ekart, travel booking platform Cleartrip, healthcare marketplace Flipkart Health, and fintech venture Super.money.
Under the new structure, global investors including Walmart, Microsoft, SoftBank, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board will hold their stakes directly in the Indian entity rather than through an overseas holding company.
The redomiciliation required approval from the Indian government because Chinese technology company Tencent owns around a 5 to 6 per cent stake in Flipkart. Under Press Note 3, investments from countries sharing a land border with India require prior government clearance.
Flipkart had already secured approval from the National Company Law Tribunal in December. With the latest clearance from the central government, the company has now obtained all the regulatory approvals needed to complete the relocation, ET reported earlier.
Flipkart had originally shifted its holding structure to Singapore in 2011 to tap global capital more easily. However, as India’s capital markets have matured, several start-ups have begun returning their domiciles to the country ahead of public listings. Companies such as Razorpay, Groww, and Meesho have taken similar steps.
The company is now expected to move ahead with its IPO preparations and has begun early discussions with merchant bankers. According to people familiar with the matter, Flipkart could file its draft prospectus later this year, setting the stage for what may become one of the most closely watched listings in India’s e-commerce sector.
Flipkart has been majority-owned by Walmart since 2018, when the US retail giant acquired a 77 per cent stake in the company for $16 billion in one of the largest e-commerce deals globally.
