MAM
Majid Yazdani appointed as VP of Byju’s Lab
Mumbai: Ed-tech major Byju’s has announced the appointment of Majid Yazdani as vice president of Byju’s Lab to propel and further shape the future of education at the company. Based in the UK, he will lead a team of researcher scientists to help him innovate powerful learning experiences for students.
“Working on personalisation and other AI applications to the education sector, Yazdani will be responsible for incubating new ideas and delivering breakthrough solutions across Byju’s ecosystem of learning products at Byju’s Lab,” the company shared in a statement on Monday.
“We are excited about having Majid on board and scaling up Byju’s Lab by harnessing the global pool of highly skilled technical talent,” Byju’s chief innovation and learning officer Dev Roy said on the appointment. “At Byju’s, we are entirely student-centric at our core. By assembling a robust team of high-caliber specialists, Byju’s aspires to make technology accessible and approachable. This will allow us to push limits, create value, and create more impactful learning programmes for students globally.”
Yazdani has over 15 years of experience in technology and AI, having graduated from Sharif University of Technology in 2008 with a BSc in computer engineering. He previously worked as a staff scientist at Linkedin and at the Idiap Research Institute in Switzerland. He joined Facebook AI (Meta AI) in 2018. He also holds three patents and has 24 research papers in the fields of natural language processing and artificial intelligence.
“Technology in education is not just about automation, but also about harnessing it in the best way possible to empower students into becoming lifelong learners,” remarked Majid Yazdani. “Education has the power to change the world, and I’m pleased to be joining the Byju’s family and embarking on an exciting new path to delivering tech-driven learning to make quality education accessible, equitable, and contextual for every student.”
Byju’s Lab was launched in 2021 with the aim to be an incubator of new ideas, provide cutting-edge technologies and deliver breakthrough solutions across Byju’s ecosystem of learning products. As a global company, the company is attempting to tap further into the global talent pool by actively recruiting a wide range of applicants in the United Kingdom, the United States, and India, said the statement.
MAM
Barista partners Ginny Weds Sunny 2 with mango campaign
Cafe chain blends cinema buzz with summer menu and 20 per cent offer.
MUMBAI: Love may brew slowly, but marketing clearly doesn’t especially when coffee meets cinema and mangoes steal the spotlight. Barista Coffee Company has partnered with the upcoming hindi film Ginny Weds Sunny 2 as its official beverage partner, in a move aimed at tapping into youth culture through entertainment-led engagement. The collaboration is not just a logo placement exercise. Instead, Barista is translating the film’s high-energy vibe into its cafés with a themed summer menu titled “Main Hoon Mango”, accompanied by a limited-period 20 per cent discount on combo offerings across outlets.
Actors Medha Shankr and Avinash Tiwary feature in the campaign, seen engaging with the mango-themed menu inside Barista cafés, a visual cue designed to blur the lines between reel and real-life consumption moments.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in how consumer brands are leveraging hindi film industry not just for visibility, but for immersive, on-ground engagement. By embedding the film’s narrative into its product experience, Barista is aiming to drive footfall, especially among younger audiences who increasingly seek experiential touchpoints over traditional advertising.
Barista Coffee Company CEO Rajat Agrawal described the partnership as both a branding and growth play, focused on expanding reach beyond the existing customer base and aligning with evolving consumer preferences.
The emphasis on a seasonal, flavour-led hook mango, one of India’s most culturally resonant ingredients adds a timely layer to the campaign, aligning with summer consumption trends while riding on the film’s promotional momentum.
For Barista, the move is part of a larger positioning shift. Rather than operating purely as a coffee retail chain, the brand is increasingly framing itself as a lifestyle destination, one that intersects with entertainment, conversation and shared experiences. By integrating cinema into its physical spaces, Barista is effectively turning cafés into micro-extensions of the film’s universe, where consumers do not just watch a story unfold but participate in it sip by sip.
The 20 per cent offer further nudges trial, lowering the barrier for consumers to engage with the themed menu while amplifying recall through a tangible incentive.
Brand-film collaborations are hardly new, but their execution is evolving. Where earlier partnerships relied on co-branded ads or product placements, the current playbook leans towards immersive storytelling and retail integration.
In that sense, Barista’s “Main Hoon Mango” push is less about promotion and more about participation inviting consumers to experience a slice of the film within a familiar, everyday setting. As the film industry continues to act as a cultural amplifier, such partnerships underline a growing truth, in today’s attention economy, it is not enough to be seen brands must be experienced.
And if that experience comes with a mango twist and a cinematic backdrop, all the better.
