Brands
McKinsey pro makes atomic leap into venture capital
MUMBAI: Manish Jain has joined Atomic Capital as partner, swapping spreadsheets for seed rounds after nearly a decade at McKinsey & Co. The former associate partner at the blue-chip consulting firm will now hunt for high-conviction investments across India’s burgeoning startup landscape.
At McKinsey Jain spent nearly four years as associate partner, following stints as engagement manager and associate. During his consultancy career, he advised leading conglomerates and high-growth businesses across logistics, e-commerce, industrials and technology sectors—experience that should prove valuable in his new venture capital role.
Before donning the consultant’s hat, Jain cut his teeth at ITC, where he gained operational experience as assistant manager at the company’s second-largest food factory. There, he led a team of five functional heads managing a workforce of over 1,200 employees—reportedly becoming the firm’s youngest plant head.
His relationship with ITC began during a summer internship in 2009, where he designed custom automation solutions that increased workforce productivity by 20 per cent at the company’s “ready-to-eat” food plant. The project impressed enough to secure him a pre-placement job offer.
At Atomic Capital, Jain joins a firm that prides itself on backing founders “not just with capital—but with conviction, clarity, and company-building muscle.”
Brands
Sting launches ‘Sound of Six’ cricket campaign
Pepsico energy drink ties signature sonic to every boundary hit with Yuvraj Singh and Ravi Shastri.
MUMBAI: Sting just turned every six into its own personal anthem because nothing says “energy” like a boundary that hits different notes. Pepsico India’s Sting energy drink has rolled out the latest chapter of its sonic branding with “Sound of Six”, a nationwide campaign syncing the brand’s signature “Sting” sound to the varying power of cricket sixes this season. The push positions Sting as the audio heartbeat of high-octane moments on the pitch, using its sonic identity to “qualify” shots from gentle lofted clears to monster maximums.
The launch film, featuring cricket legends Yuvraj Singh and Ravi Shastri, unfolds on a sunlit ground with playful banter that builds into a sequence of escalating hits. As Singh smashes the ball, he quips that the length and force of the shot should dial up the intensity of the Sting sound. Shastri’s commentary ramps up accordingly, riffing on the brand name with escalating flair to match each strike’s energy turning a simple boundary into an audible spectacle.
Pepsico India category head for energy portfolio Diksha Bajaj said, “Cricket is a major passion point in this country. Our campaign is rooted in the insight that no two sixes are the same. We set out to use the Sting sonic identity as a qualifier that redefines every hit.”
Yuvraj Singh added, “This campaign turns the feeling of hitting a six into something fans can hear. It is bold and matches the intensity of the game.”
Ravi Shastri chimed in, “Commentating on a six is an exhilarating part of the game. This campaign adds a new dimension by introducing a distinct sonic. The idea of owning the sound of every six is relatable for fans.”
Leo Burnett South Asia chief creative officer Vikram Pandey noted that pairing Singh’s power-hitting with Shastri’s iconic voice lets the brand relive cricket’s electric moments through a fresh, auditory lens.
The campaign will air across television, digital platforms, and social media, timed to catch the fever of the ongoing cricket season. For fans who live for the roar of the crowd and the crack of the bat, Sting’s betting that the next big six won’t just be seen, it’ll be heard loud and clear.
