MAM
Leo Burnett Elevates Prajato Guha Thakurta, Sachin Kamble and Vikram Pandey to National Creative Directors
MUMBAI: Leo Burnett India has announced the promotion of Prajato Guha Thakurta (Projo), Sachin Kamble and Vikram Pandey (Spiky) to National Creative Directors. They will report to Rajdeepak Das, Managing Director – India and Chief Creative Officer, South Asia, and Dheeraj Sinha, Managing Director – India and Chief Strategy Officer, South Asia. Prior to their promotions, the trio has been Executive Creative Directors in Leo Burnett’s Mumbai office.
Speaking about the elevation, Rajdeepak Das said, “Sachin, Projo and Spiky have been the engines driving the creative culture at Leo Burnett. They have been leading the Fight Club (the creative brain trust of the agency) to produce and incubate new-age work done for some of our biggest brands – ‘The Nation’s Bike’ and ‘Invincible Indians’ for Bajaj V, ‘Salaam Loans’ for Tata Capital – among so much more for Google, HDFC Life and others. They have been responsible for winning multiple Cannes Lions, One Show and D&AD awards for our clients. Most importantly, they have been the true flag-bearers of the Humankind philosophy and the open-collaboration culture of the agency. It is this spirit that has helped name Leo Burnett India as the Agency of the Year 2018 among our 86-office network.”
Projo, Sachin and Spiky’s new mandate is to help deliver Humankind work on their clients from the Mumbai operations and several others from the national roster. They will continue to spearhead national new business initiatives and nurture creative talent across geographies. Additionally, they will play a key role in the Fight Club – Leo Burnett India’s creative crucible that takes place every quarter.
Speaking about the promotions, Dheeraj Sinha said, “The greatest thing about Leo Burnett is the ‘boundarylessness’ of our talent. Our best talent is available for our clients irrespective of their geography. Projo, Sachin and Spiky have done a spectacular job of the creative product which has won accolades at Cannes Lions, Spikes Asia and consistently gotten a 7+ on the Leo Burnett GPC scale. They have contributed hugely to the new business wins of the agency and have added value to clients across offices. These promotions are a formalisation of the roles that they are already playing. These elevations are timely as we enter 2019 on the back of great momentum of 2018, both, in terms of business growth and global recognition.”
Speaking about his new role, Projo said, “I am equal parts excited and humbled by the opportunity to spearhead Leo Burnett India’s creative culture. As part of this new role, our priority will be to carry forward the creative legacy of this agency by creating new-age, integrated work for our clients, with a focus on innovation and technology.”
“I am very excited about this new role and I’m looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that come with a mandate like this. Of course, work that works for our clients will continue to be a priority, and my aim is to do it using a mix of design, technology and storytelling,” said Sachin about his new mandate.
Spikey added, “In my 12 years at Leo Burnett, I have seen the agency evolve through various stages. I am absolutely delighted at the opportunity to lead the next phase, from the front. As the business transforms rapidly and we evolve with it, I believe storytelling is going to be our tool for the future. We are uniquely positioned to leverage creative data and new media to craft brand stories that are relevant yet meaningful.”
MAM
Deepanshu Manchanda named IIMSAM Goodwill Ambassador
Zappfresh founder to advocate for Zero Hunger and nutrition goals.
MUMBAI: Deepanshu Manchanda just got a United Nations side quest because when you’re already fighting hunger from farm to fork, the next level is global goodwill. Deepanshu Manchanda, founder and managing director of DSM Fresh Foods Ltd. (Zappfresh), has been appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by the Intergovernmental Institution for the Use of Micro-Algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition (IIMSAM), an observer to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
The honorary, non-remunerative role recognises his work in building inclusive, transparent food systems, strengthening smallholder farmer livelihoods especially women producers and advancing nutrition and food security.
Since founding Zappfresh in 2015, Manchanda has focused on traceability, farmer inclusion and public health. A notable collaboration with Shared Wealth Ventures LLC (a Heifer Project International subsidiary) established a backyard poultry sourcing model across Odisha, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, linking women-led households directly to organised markets while promoting biosecurity and premium procurement practices.
As Goodwill Ambassador, he will support initiatives aligned with:
- SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) – advocating sustainable nutrition solutions
- SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) – raising awareness of malnutrition interventions
- SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) – fostering collaboration across institutions and communities
Manchanda said, “I’m honoured by IIMSAM’s recognition. It reflects the journey we began at Zappfresh to build transparent food systems that support smallholder farmers and improve nutrition outcomes. I’m eager to support collaborative progress toward Zero Hunger, better nutrition, and strong partnerships on a global scale.”
In a world where hunger and opportunity often sit at the same table, Manchanda isn’t just serving fresh food, he’s serving fresh hope, one traceable chicken and empowered farmer at a time.
