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IndusInd Bank roots for Indian Blind WC T20 team
MUMBAI: IndusInd Bank, in association with Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI), has launched ‘TheOtherMeninBlue’ campaign for the IndusInd Bank Indian Blind Cricket Team under the World Champions Programme – Cricket for the Blind. Advocating the cause, IndusInd Bank aims to garner support for, and generate passion and visibility for the defending champions in the ongoing T20 World Cup Cricket for the Blind, which commenced in Delhi on 19 January, 2017.
The campaign intends to showcase the fact that cricket as a religion needs to be all encompassing. While the nation focusses and cheers for mainstream cricket, that visually-challenged cricketers also make the country as proud, both on and off the field, and that they too require support and cheering, while they represent their country at the highest level.
Through this campaign, IndusInd Bank strives to mobilize that support for the unsung heroes. IndusInd Bank has developed a dedicated microsite to encourage people to root for ‘TheOtherMeninBlue’. To make it more participative, the Bank has developed a unique game, with 3D sound technology, that provides users with a firsthand experience as to how the visually-challenged cricketers play the game. Users can click on the Play, Cheer and Share the Score options, which they can put up on Facebook to show solidarity with the team.
A two-week long campaign on social and digital platform aims to garner goodwill and cheer for the Champions – the main highlights being a massive influencer campaign via social media, player profiles, thought provoking / did you know content, interactive contests and games which will make the overall experience highly participative and engaging.
The campaign aims to put the spotlight on the team’s dedication, rigorous training and successful achievements on both the national and international stage. The campaign brings to the fore IndusInd Bank’s continuing endeavor to work with diverse communities to bring about positive change and improve lives.
One of the major highlights of the campaign is the anthem ‘Shor Machayega Sara Mohalla’ as a part of cause marketing campaign – launched by Cricket Association for the blind in India (CABI) in association with IndusInd Bank – is an inspiring sixty second anthem to excite the nation to support the “#TheOtherMenInBlue”. It opens with the lines “Dikhayi nahin deta, Par dikha toh saktey hain, Dikhayi nahin deta, Par sun toh saktey hain. Aao… shor machao, Humaari himmat badhao, Aao… shor machao.” In English, it means, “We can’t see, but we can show you, we can’t see, but we can hear you! Come and cheer us, come boost our spirits, come and cheer us!”
IndusInd Bank Head – Marketing & Communication, and Head – Retail Unsecured Assets Anil Ramachandran said, “The T20 World Cup is the ideal platform to acknowledge the many achievements of ‘TheOtherMenInBlue’ and cheer them as they play hard to defend their title. The campaign is a part of our continuing endeavours and belief that IndusInd Bank as a part of society ,can reach out to diverse communities and work for their support and betterment.”
IndusInd Bank Country Head – Commercial Banking and in-charge of Sports Vertical Sanjeev Anand noted, “Through our unique campaigns, we are providing the much-needed impetus to compete and excel in sports, and encourage visually challenged sportspersons to come forward and play for personal and national glory.”
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Aman Gupta’s OFF/BEAT secures Rs 100 crore seed funding round
Bessemer backs new venture betting on AI and India’s digital shift
MUMBAI: Aman Gupta has raised Rs 100 crore in seed funding for his new venture OFF/BEAT, with Bessemer Venture Partners leading the round as it bets on a new wave of AI-led, consumer-first businesses in India.
The funding marks an early but significant push for OFF/BEAT, which is positioned to tap into a rapidly evolving market shaped by a digitally native generation and advances in artificial intelligence. The venture aims to build at the intersection of culture and technology, where brand identity and innovation increasingly go hand in hand.
Gupta, best known for co-founding boAt and scaling it into a Rs 3,000 crore-plus business, is now looking to apply those learnings to a new playbook. His focus this time is not just on building a consumer brand, but on leveraging AI and global networks to accelerate growth.
OFF/BEAT founder Aman Gupta said, “Having built from scratch before, I know what capital can do and what it cannot. This time, I was looking for partners with a global perspective who can help me leverage technology and AI, because that is where the future lies. Bessemer’s track record with companies like Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn says it all.”
The choice of investor reflects that ambition. Bessemer Venture Partners has backed global technology players such as Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn, bringing not just capital but strategic support and global reach.
Bessemer Venture Partners partner Anant Vidur Puri said, “We back founders who see around corners. Aman saw how a new India would come to think about aspiration, identity and quality, and built boAt as proof. He is now applying that same instinct to a market being reshaped by AI and by a generation with entirely new expectations.”
The investment comes at a time when India’s startup ecosystem is being reshaped by both consumer behaviour and technological disruption. Founders are increasingly expected to understand not just products, but the cultural shifts that drive adoption.
For OFF/BEAT, the journey is just beginning, but the signal is clear. In a market where attention is fleeting and expectations are rising, building something truly distinctive may be the only way to stay on beat.
