MAM
Meesho records 750% growth in users during festive sale event
MUMBAI: Internet commerce platform Meesho has recorded 750 per cent growth in users over last year during its flagship festive sale event, Maha Indian Shopping League. Nearly 60 per cent of the total demand was driven by Tier 4+ markets, including remote locations like Khawzhwal and Sopore, said the ecomm in a statement.
“Fuelling our efforts to digitise Bharat, Maha Indian Shopping League served as an entry point for millions of users to shop online with Meesho,” said Meesho founder & CEO Vidit Aatrey. “Our flagship festive sale event saw over 80 per cent orders coming from tier 2+ markets, a true reflection of our efforts to cut deep into India’s underserved regions.”
Through its industry-first zero per cent commission model launched early this year, sellers on Meesho saved over Rs 136 million during the festive sale event alone, the company stated. Recording over 10X growth in sales over last year, the company also saw seller participation rise by 314 per cent during the recent festive sale event.
Ahead of the sale event, Meesho onboarded over one lakh sellers with a bevy of new initiatives including – free ad credits and zero return shipping charges on the first 30 orders.
The company also shared that it witnessed significant traction in its fashion category with customers saving through discounts during the sale period on Meesho. While women’s apparel and accessories grew by 623 per cent, the men’s apparel segment witnessed 640 per cent more orders compared to the previous year.
MAM
Kate Rouch steps down as OpenAI Chief Marketing Officer
Marketing leader prioritises health after late-stage breast cancer diagnosis.
MUMBAI: When the toughest battle moves from the boardroom to the personal front, even the sharpest minds know it’s time to step back and focus on winning the most important fight of all. Kate Rouch, chief marketing officer at OpenAI, has announced she is stepping down from her role to focus on recovery following a diagnosis of late-stage breast cancer.
In a heartfelt LinkedIn post, Rouch revealed she was diagnosed around a year and a half ago, shortly after taking on the CMO position. Despite undergoing intensive treatment, she continued to lead the company’s marketing function through what she described as one of the most challenging periods of her career.
She explained that while she remained deeply committed to her role and team, she had reached a point where prioritising her health and recovery had become essential. Rouch called the decision difficult, noting it required acknowledging personal limits and shifting priorities. She reflected that the experience had reshaped her understanding of courage not always about pushing harder, but sometimes about stepping back to focus on long-term wellbeing, family and sustainability.
Rouch expressed gratitude to her team and colleagues for their support. She mentioned that Gary will step in to help lead the function and recruit a successor. She plans to support the transition and remains open to returning in a different capacity in the future, depending on her health.
Prior to joining OpenAI, Rouch served as the first chief marketing officer at Coinbase and spent over a decade at Meta, where she was vice president and global head of brand and product marketing.
She also thanked well-wishers for their messages and shared that stories from fellow survivors had a meaningful impact during her treatment journey.
In the high-stakes world of tech marketing, Kate Rouch has always been known for her strategic brilliance. Now, she is showing a different kind of strength, one that reminds us that even the most driven leaders sometimes need to pause, heal, and come back stronger when the time is right. Wishing her a full and steady recovery.
