Brands
Micromax joins hands with Sony Music to create cricket anthem
MUMBAI: In India, one’s language changes every hundred kilometers, but one of the few things which brings our diverse cultures together, is our love for ‘cricket’ and ‘music’.
Encouraging the fans across the country to come together and cheer for the Indian cricket team as they fight to retain their world cup title, Micromax Informatics has unveiled the ‘Micromax Unite Cricket Anthem’.
Recreating the cult Hindi song, ‘Chale Chalo’, the anthem brings together nine artistes, singing in nine languages set to a new age rock beat.
Launched in association with Sony Music Entertainment India, the Micromax Unite Cricket anthem has been rewritten and re-mastered in Hindi, Punjabi Tamil, Bengali, Gujrati, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada and Assamese. The track has been produced by Gaurav Gokhindi and performed by Benny Dayal, Raghu Dixit, Shalmali Kholgade, Akriti Kakar, Karthik, Zubeen Garg, Shakthisree Gopalan, Kavita Seth and Hari and Sukhmani.
Taking the concept of Micromax Unite series forward, they are setting out to recreate the success of last year’s Roobaroo Unite Anthem, which celebrated the pride of speaking in your mother-tongue.
Micromax chief marketing officer Shubhajit Sen said, “In India, cricket is a passion, which cuts across any cultural divide to unite all of us in support of our team. Micromax Unite Cricket Anthem reflects this thought and tries to bring alive the spirit of belonging in the versatility of our country. We would like to thank all the nine artistes and Sony Music who extended their support for this magnificent initiative.”
“This is our second project with Micromax and an even more exciting one where we are showcasing one of our A R Rahman classics ‘Chale Chalo’ with nine talented artistes singing the song in nine different languages all dedicated to the Indian cricket team. The concept is unique and will connect with the passion that we all have for cricket,” said Sony Music national head – brand partnerships Kiran D’Cruz.
Benny Dayal added, “The Micromax Unite Cricket Anthem features several amazing artistes who are both young and edgy and I am just really glad to be a part of it. ‘Chale Chalo’ is one of the best songs about team-work, and it was a great feeling to be working on this.”
Hari & Sukhmani said, “We had an absolute party recording and shooting for the song. Great bunch of people from the music producer to the artistes to the video team to the production team. What fun!”
“The Micromax Unite Cricket Anthem is a wonderful platform to create that blissful feeling of togetherness by way of music and cricket – the two forces that invariably help bind people together,” added Shalmali Kholgade.
Brands
Rohini Laya Venkateswaran named executive director at Gillette India
P&G veteran with two decades of experience steps into leadership role
NEW DELHI: Rohini Laya Venkateswaran has been appointed executive director at Gillette India Pvt. Ltd., bringing with her more than two decades of experience across sales, strategy and brand leadership within the consumer goods sector. In her new role, she will help steer the company’s strategic direction and growth while strengthening its footprint in the grooming and personal care category.
Venkateswaran joins the board after a long career at Procter & Gamble, where she spent nearly 21 years shaping sales strategy, building brands and driving market expansion across India and international markets.
Most recently, she served as chief sales officer for India at P&G. Prior to that, she was vice president and country manager for east gulf markets, overseeing operations in Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar while also guiding sales strategy across the Gulf region, including the UAE.
Earlier in her career, she led sales strategy and planning for India while serving as marketing leader for brands such as Olay and Old Spice. During this stint, she focused on reshaping go-to-market channels and building awareness through digital, social and influencer-led campaigns to drive growth.
Her journey at P&G also included roles such as director sales strategy and planning leader India, associate director modern retail and ecommerce, regional manager for Delhi and Rajasthan, and several key account and trade marketing roles across the country. She also spent time in the United States working on the P&G Walmart international team, collaborating on global retail initiatives.
Venkateswaran holds an MBA in marketing from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from RV College of Engineering.
With her mix of sales acumen, brand-building experience and global exposure, Venkateswaran’s appointment signals a sharpened focus on growth and market leadership for Gillette India.
