MAM
Mandira moves in as Howden eyes a high-stakes M&A power play
MUMBAI: Howden’s latest appointment is anything but business as usual, it’s business with intent. The global insurance and reinsurance broking giant has announced Mandira Gupta as its new managing director & head of M&A, IMEA, placing a seasoned dealmaker at the helm of its transactional risk and private equity solutions playbook.
Based out of Mumbai, Mandira joins at a time when India’s mergers and acquisitions landscape is on a blistering upswing. According to Grant Thornton Bharat, the first quarter of 2025 saw deals worth 5.3 billion dollars marking a 204 per cent jump in value and a 25 per cent rise in volume over Q1 last year. It’s a deal party, and Howden just handed the aux to one of the sharpest minds in the room.
Mandira’s reputation precedes her. She’s credited with building India’s Transaction Risk (TR) insurance practice from the ground up, and has over 20 years of experience across insurance broking and investment banking. Prior to this, she held senior leadership at Marsh India, where she steered the PEMA practice in India and led the TR vertical across India, the Middle East, and Africa.
From headline-grabbing mega deals to needle-threading cross-border transactions, Mandira’s portfolio is stacked with complexity, scale, and innovation making her a natural fit to drive Howden’s ambitions across the IMEA region.
IMEA managing director & head of M&A Mandira Gupta said, “I am delighted to join Howden, and look forward to contributing to its growth and business objectives. My main emphasis will be on creating customized solutions for high-profile transactions, leveraging my long-standing relationships within the industry.”
Howden India CEO & MD Amit Agarwal added, “We are proud to welcome Mandira to our team. Her appointment strengthens Howden India’s dynamic growth and firm dedication to enhancing its expertise in the PE and M&A sectors, as we continue to expand our capabilities and deliver exceptional value to our clients.”
With India fast becoming one of the most dynamic M&A markets in the world, and deal tables growing longer by the day, Howden’s latest hire isn’t just timely, it’s tactical. And with Mandira Gupta leading the charge, the message is clear: big deals need bigger vision and even sharper minds.
MAM
Media Expo Mumbai 2026 to spotlight booming digital signage sector
57th edition at BEC expects 140 plus exhibitors and 350 plus products from 9 to 11 April.
MUMBAI: India’s outdoor advertising just lit the fuse on a billion-dollar glow-up because when billboards go digital, even the walls start selling dreams. The 57th Media Expo Mumbai will take place from 9–11 April 2026 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, bringing together the fast-evolving world of digital signage, LED systems, POP/POSM solutions and sustainable visual communication technologies.
Organised by Messe Frankfurt, the three-day event will cover 15,000 sqm and feature over 140 exhibitors representing more than 250 brands, including major players such as HP, Epson India, Colorjet, Mimaki, Garware and Pidilite. International participation from China, Italy and South Korea will add global flavour to the showcase of 350 plus cutting-edge products.
Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd, executive director Raj Manek said, “The industry has decisively embraced digital transformation. We are at a pivotal juncture where signage is no longer just a nameplate, but a versatile ecosystem spanning interior décor and massive OOH media.”
The expo arrives as India’s outdoor advertising market is projected to nearly double from $576.3 million in 2025 to $1,075.5 million by 2033, growing at a compound annual rate of 8.2 plus, according to Grand View Research. Rising commercial construction, retail expansion and demand for immersive, eco-conscious displays are fuelling the surge.
Small and medium enterprises remain the backbone of the sector, supplying innovative solutions for everything from high-tech films to adhesives. The event provides a key platform for these players to connect with global technology and showcase products that power India’s visual communication landscape.
From flashing LEDs that turn shopfronts into storytellers to sustainable materials that keep the planet breathing, Media Expo Mumbai 2026 isn’t just a trade show, it’s where the future of how brands shout, whisper and seduce gets its annual dress rehearsal.
