MAM
Isobar India ropes in Chandrashekhar Mhaskar as VP
MUMBAI: Isobar India has appointed Chandrashekhar Mhaskar as Vice President to drive the digital creative and services division nationally. Additionally, he will also handle the responsibilities for the West India region.
A computer engineer by qualification and having followed his heart, Mhaskar has been part of the digital advertising industry for more than two decades including international exposure in London and Singapore. He has had varied experience in heading Digital SBUs at renowned agencies such as Ogilvy One, Cheil Worldwide, and Maxus. He was also a successful entrepreneur before taking up the mandate at Isobar. His industry experience spans Television, Film, Internet, eCommerce, Mobile, Social, Online Media and New Technology; across industry verticals like FMCG, IT, Entertainment, BFSI, Education, and Telecommunications.
Big clients under his belt included Nokia, Cisco, British Airways, Perfetti, American Express, and Samsun. He brings with him a rich experience of integrating agency and client teams to collaboratively conceptualize award-winning digital advertising solutions and execute them to successfully tackle business challenges and drive ROI.
Mhaskar will also join Isobar India’s Leadership team, which includes Gopa Kumar, Vice-President; Anish Varghese, National Creative Director and Rahul Vengalil, Business Head (South), alongside Shamsuddin Jasani, Managing Director for Isobar India. Isobar India has emerged as a leader amongst the digital agencies in India, winning multiple awards including Campaign Asia’s Agency of the Year, and this appointment will further strengthen it.
Shamsuddin Jasani, Isobar India Managing Director, says: “We are happy to welcome Chandrashekhar on board with our amazing team. Over the last two years, we have clearly emerged as one the leading full service digital agencies in India of media buying and over 100 creative and technology professionals. Chandrashekhar brings a vast experience across all aspects of digital, especially creative services, which he will be heading nationally. We already have a very strong Creative services and Technology business, and with Chandrashekhar leading the way, we are looking at reaching even greater heights.”
Commenting on his appointment, Chandrashekhar Mhaskar, Vice-President, Isobar India, said: “I am immensely excited to join Isobar and be part of a team that is brimming with stupendous energy. Isobar is already in the fray of creating some cutting-edge creative and tech solutions which have garnered media attention. I am really looking forward to working with Shamsuddin and the senior management team to take Isobar to greater heights in India.”
Brands
33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
