MAM
iProspect India strengthens leadership with key appointments
MUMBAI: iProspect India, the digital performance agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has appointed Venkat Shankarnarayan and Nihal Nambiar as AVPs for paid media.
Shankarnarayan comes with a rich experience of 12 years in the industry. Having worked with leading agencies at pivotal positions, he has been instrumental in ensuring that his clients consistently deliver on their business objectives. Shankarnarayan has worked with leading organisations like GroupM, VML, DirectI & Possible Worldwide in the past decade. His last stint was at Mindshare where he was appointed as senior director.
Shankarnarayan says, “With the advent of Martech in India, leading brands across verticals are constantly exploring newer, meaningful and more efficient methods of reaching out to the right set of audiences. In the last 20 years, iProspect has been one of the key enablers for their success in this department. I am excited to be a part of the iProspect family and glad about being able work alongside some of the best minds in the industry.”
Having worked across both India and international markets (Offshoring/COE and AOR model) for over nine years, Nambiar brings a global perspective to performance marketing. One of his key strengths lies in the fact that he is very comfortable going deep with data and new technologies. Prior to this, Nambiar as Associate Director at Performics.Convonix, a Publicis Media Company.
“iProspect is one of the top digital agencies in the market and its spirit resonates with my values and ambition. One thing which I find truly amazing is that the leadership team is quick to understand & embrace new initiatives that come with the fast pace of the industry, a trait few agencies can brag about. I look forward to learn from and contribute to the amazing journey that is iProspect,” mentions Nambiar.
Commenting on their appointment, iProspect India CEO Rubeena Singh, “We are delighted to have Nihal and Venkat on board as the agency embarks on its next phase of growth. Their diverse experience will help iProspect extend its lead as India’s premier digital agency driving business performance for its clients.”
Brands
Hocco crosses Rs 530cr revenue in two years
Sauce.vc-led Rs 100cr raise values ice cream brand at Rs 2,500cr pre-money as quick commerce hits 20 per cent of sales.
MUMBAI: Hocco has just scooped a seriously sweet milestone crossing the Rs 530 crore revenue mark in just two full years of operations. The fast-growing Indian ice cream and indulgence brand announced it has raised Rs 100 crore in fresh capital led by Sauce.vc. The round values the company at Rs 2,500 crore pre-money and underscores investor confidence in its rapid scale and distinctive India-first approach.
Founder Ankit Chona said the brand’s success stems from solving real Indian challenges extreme summer heat, fragmented cold chains and culturally rooted tastes. “In India, product development doesn’t end in the lab. It only ends when it survives the street,” he noted. This philosophy has produced viral hits such as Aamchi mango ice cream, BIX cake-sponge sandwiches, the Oh cone and culturally relevant collaborations like Haldiram’s Barfi and festive Modak specials.
Hocco currently operates manufacturing facilities in Ahmedabad and Panipat with a production capacity of approximately 3 lakh litres per day, running near full capacity in peak season. The fresh capital will help expand this to around 4.5 lakh litres per day.
Quick commerce has emerged as a major growth engine, now contributing ~20 per cent of overall business and growing nearly 2x year-on-year. The channel has boosted product discovery, increased consumption frequency and helped extend ice cream beyond its traditional seasonal limits.
Sauce.vc founder Manu Chandra said, “At Sauce, we believe that when you chance upon an outlier business, you double down with stronger conviction. We see Hocco as just that.”
With a strong innovation pipeline, deeper distribution and continued focus on cultural relevance, Hocco is entering its third year aiming to capture even more mind space and market share. In a category long dominated by legacy players, this young brand is proving that the coolest way to win is to build for India’s realities, one scoop, one street and one satisfied craving at a time.
