MAM
Karishma Initiative appoints Amita Karwal as EVP
MUMBAI: Lintas Groups‘ recently launched media service agency Karishma Initiative (KI) has appointed Amita Karwal as its executive vice president.
She will be heading the Delhi unit and will report to Lintas Media Group Mumbai president and COO and KI CEO NP Sathyamurthy.
KI has already bagged Rs 5 billion worth of business, including the UAE-based Etisalat DB account, and is targeting a similar amount within the next two quarters in Delhi and Mumbai. “I am looking forward to being back in the buzz and excitement of a new media agency on the prowl, and am of the belief that the combination of our worldwide network and tools and indigenous relationships will help us bring in early success,” says Karwal. Lintas Media Group chairman and CEO Lynn de Souza says, “Karishma Initiative has been launched primarily to expand our offering to clients who work with a global template. The agency is headquartered at Mumbai, and has set up an office in Gurgaon. As of now, there are no plans to expand beyond these two centres in the first year.” Prior to this, Karwal worked with Initiative Media, Ogilvy, Zenith Optimedia, Reckitts, Spatial Access and R3.
MAM
BLS International launches #VisaReady campaign to guide applicants
Initiative targets visa myths, delays and rejections with practical guidance
MUMBAI: Visa woes may soon meet their match because paperwork, it seems, is finally getting a user manual. BLS International has rolled out a new awareness drive, #VisaReadyWithBLSInternational, aimed at simplifying the often confusing visa application process and reducing delays caused by misinformation and incomplete documentation. The campaign, led across social media platforms, zeroes in on a long-standing pain point for travellers: lack of clarity around procedures, timelines and requirements. By offering step-by-step guidance, documentation checklists and clear Dos and Don’ts, the initiative attempts to turn what is typically a stressful process into a more predictable one.
At its core, the campaign also seeks to bust common myths that frequently derail applications issues that often lead to avoidable rejections or last-minute complications. The idea is to equip applicants with practical, actionable insights so they can plan better and submit stronger applications within expected timelines.
The push will not remain limited to digital channels. BLS International plans to extend the initiative across its Visa Application Centres globally, reinforcing awareness at key touchpoints where applicants engage with the process.
BLS International joint managing director Shikhar Aggarwal framed the campaign as more than a communication exercise, emphasising the company’s attempt to embed guidance and preparedness into every stage of the applicant journey.
Operating in over 70 countries and working with more than 46 client governments including embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions, the company has built a sizeable footprint in visa and consular services. With this campaign, it is now leaning into education as much as execution, signalling that in the world of visas, clarity might just be the new currency.
