MAM
Maruti Suzuki partners with the Indian Air Force
Mumbai: Maruti Suzuki India has partnered with the Indian Air Force and Uttarakhand War Memorial for the Vayu Veer Vijeta Rally, tagged as the “Himalayan Thunder” and “Wings of Glory.” The rally aims to honour fallen soldiers and inspire youth to join the Indian Armed Forces. It was ceremonially flagged off on 1 October 2024 by defence minister Rajnath Singh at the National War Memorial, with the formal flag-off on 8 October at one of the world’s highest air force stations.
The rally includes 52 participants, including air warriors, women officers, veterans, and War Memorial representatives, covering 7000 km from Ladakh’s THOISE Air Force Station to Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang Air Force Station. Three former Air Force chiefs will join in different segments, with 12 Maruti Suzuki Jimny SUVs tackling the challenging terrain. The rally, supported by PHDCCI, will stop at War Memorials and hold 16 halts and 20 youth interactions to raise awareness about the armed forces.
Maruti Suzuki’s senior executive officer of marketing & sales Partho Banerjee stated, “Maruti Suzuki is proud to associate with the Indian Air Force in the Vayu Veer Vijeta Rally, an initiative that honours our armed forces. This rally stands as a symbol of the enduring spirit of the heroes who have given everything in the line of duty. We have a long-standing association with the armed forces and the Jimny is building on that legacy with its legendary off-road capabilities. The Jimny perfectly aligns with the ethos of this mission, and we are proud to have our vehicles to be a part of this rally.”
The rally will pass through key regions like Leh, Kargil, Srinagar, Jammu, Chandigarh, and Tawang, paying tribute to the sacrifices of India’s heroes while promoting the legacy of courage and service.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
