MAM
Jetsynthesys’ Real Sports bolsters talent roster with Malvika Bansod
Mumbai: Dedicated to nurturing and providing comprehensive support to young and blossomingIndian sports talent, JetSynthesys has welcomed Indian badminton prodigy Malvika Bansod to its talent management company, Real Sports.
This latest addition to an already stellar roster, which includes Saina Nehwal, cricketer Veda Krishnamurthy, among others, reinforces Real Sports’ commitment to empowering outstanding athletes.
At 23, Malvika has cemented her place as one of Indian badminton’s brightest stars. Ranked World No. 34 by the Badminton World Federation (BWF), she made history this year as the first Indian to reach the Hylo Open finals and joined the elite ranks of PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal by advancing to the quarter-finals of the Super 1000 China Open. With five international titles under her belt, Malvika represents the new generation of Indian sporting excellence.
Speaking about her partnership with Real Sports, Bansod said,“I am truly excited to join the Real Sports family at this pivotal stage of my career. With their expertise and vision, I am confident we can explore new opportunities that align with our shared goals and values. I look forward to a dynamic partnership and the chance to create impactful collaborations in the future.”
Speaking about the association, JetSynthesys founder & CEO Rajan Navani said,“At JetSynthesys, we are committed to creating meaningful opportunities for athletes who inspire the nation. Malvika’s journey is a story of talent, grit and perseverance, which is what Real Sports also stands for, in our mission to support and nurture world-class athletes from India. Our partnerships with athletes from multiple sports have demonstrated how our integrated approach can unlock new opportunities for stars, both on and off the field.”
Real Sports chief business officer Tarish Bhatt added,”Malvika Bansod represents the next wave of Indian badminton talent, and we are honoured to welcome her to Real Sports. Our goal is to empower athletes by providing them with opportunities that go beyond traditional partnerships, helping them create a lasting impact on the sports ecosystem. With Malvika, we see immense potential to drive meaningful engagement for both, her and her growing fan base.”
MAM
VML India lands two finalist spots at Cairns Hatchlings 2026
The Mumbai agency is back in Australia with two teams, a UN brief and 24 hours to impress
MUMBAI: VML India is heading to Australia again. The Mumbai-based creative agency has secured two finalist spots at the Cairns Hatchlings 2026 competition, one in the Audio category and one in Design, making it the only Indian agency to have reached the finals in both editions of the contest since its launch in 2025.
Four people will make the trip. Senior copywriter Shilpi Dey and senior art director Raj Thakkar will compete in Audio. Art directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi will go head-to-head with the world’s best in Design. The finals take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 13th May, culminating in an awards ceremony on 15th May.
The work that got them there is worth examining. For the Audio category, Dey and Thakkar tackled a brief for LIVE LIKE MMAD with a campaign called Inner Voice, Interrupted. Using spatial audio techniques, the campaign recreates the overwhelming self-doubt that descends after a long workday, physically panning negative thoughts left and right before cutting the noise entirely to reveal a confident inner voice. Strategically targeted at commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours, the campaign reframes the hours after work as an opportunity for personal growth and charitable action.
For the Design category, Shabbir and Negi worked on a brief for Canteen’s Bandanna Day, a campaign highlighting how cancer pushes teenagers out of their own defining moments. Using a pixelated design language to create stark contrast between a blurred world of isolation and a focused world of connection, the campaign, titled The Flipside of Cancer, shows teenagers fading into the background of birthdays, skateparks and school proms. As a Canteen bandanna appears, the blur flips and the teenager snaps back into sharp focus.
Kalpesh Patankar, group chief creative officer of VML India, made no attempt to disguise his satisfaction. “We are immensely proud to see our teams consistently excel on the Cairns Hatchlings platform since its inception,” he said. “They have masterfully tackled challenging briefs across diverse categories, demonstrating both layered storytelling and a unique creative approach. This exceptional teamwork is truly inspiring.”
Dey and Thakkar, returning to the finals after last year’s run, were candid about the demands of the audio medium. “It’s one of the most demanding mediums, where we only have a few seconds to capture a listener’s world with sound alone, so absolute clarity is essential,” they said. “The true measure of creative work is its ability to create positive change, and our audio submission was made to help those who need it most while encouraging people to silence the inner voices that hold them back.”
Shabbir and Negi, competing in Design for the first time, described the experience as “a completely different beast.” “We see it as an opportunity to showcase our expertise, raise the bar, and challenge ourselves in new ways, while also learning from creative minds from across the globe,” they said.
In Australia, the four finalists will face a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations before presenting in a live pitch session. Twenty-four hours, one brief, one shot. VML India has been here before. It knows exactly what is at stake.
