MAM
Mindshare appoints Sudipto Roy as managing director, team Unilever for AAR
MUMBAI: Mindshare has appointed Sudipto Roy as its new managing director, Team Unilever for AAR (APAC, Africa, Middle East,Turkey, and Russia). Roy’s mandate is to bring the collective power of WPP to Unilever and help create a horizontal offering for one of the agency’s most important global accounts.
Roy first started at Mindshare heading strategy for the Mindshare Unilever team in Mumbai back in 2007. He relocated to Singapore in 2011 to lead the Unilever relationship out of the Singaporehub and went on to play a wider role as Chief Client Officer for Mindshare APAC in 2014. He later joined Tenth Avenue (WPP’s connected experiences company) as CEO of developing markets in2015.
Roy will be based out of Singapore and will wear two hats in his new role. In his first role, he will assume leadership of the Mindshare central and market teams in AAR and ensure they remainahead of the curve on new products and services. His other role will see him proactively work with various WPP agencies to create compelling offerings across digital, data, research, consultingservices, content, shopper, and e-commerce.
Sudipto Roy says, “I am very excited to be back with WPP at such an interesting point in the development of this industry. We are perfectly poised to build on the advances of the last few years and create the nextiteration of the marketing services model powered by data, technology, content & commerce. What we do now sets the tone for the next decade.”
WPP global team Unilever head Peter Dart says, “Roy joins us at a time when we are beginning a significant business transformation task as we bring many of our units together to create a more impactful service for one of our largest global clients. His deep knowledge of our markets, our network, and of the Unilever marketing teams willserve as a great enabler to drive this change.”
Mindshare South East Asia chief executive officer Himanshu Shekhar adds, “It is great to have Roy back into the extended Mindshare & WPP family. He is a unique talent whose product and business orientation helps us create impact at speed. We look forward to exciting innings from him.”
Sudipto’s role is effective immediately.
Brands
HP launches Smart Champs learning game show with JioStar for students
Sanya Malhotra hosts quiz series blending fun, learning and prizes
NEW DELHI: HP India has teamed up with JioStar to launch HP Smart Champs, a new learning-based game show designed to make education engaging for school students across the country.
Hosted by Sanya Malhotra, the 10-episode series brings together students from Grades 5 to 9, who compete in teams through quiz and puzzle-based challenges that test knowledge, logic and teamwork. The show will begin streaming on JioHotstar from April 11 and will premiere on Nick on April 18, with weekend episodes airing at 7 PM.
Powered by HP Smart Tank printers, the format integrates print-based learning into the gameplay, using worksheets, clues and visual problem-solving tools to encourage hands-on participation. The idea is to move students beyond rote memorisation and towards more applied, curiosity-led learning.
The competition promises high stakes, with winners set to receive a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, while runners-up will take home Rs 5 lakh. Additional rewards include HP AI laptops, Smart Tank printers and accessories, while the winning school will be awarded an HP Smart Tech Lab.
Speaking about the initiative, HP India managing director Ipsita Dasgupta said, “At HP, we believe nurturing India’s youth is key to the country’s progress, and technology plays a foundational role in enabling this. With HP Smart Champs, we wanted to create something beyond traditional learning, a fun-filled platform where curiosity, creativity and critical thinking take centre stage.”
On the show’s reach, JioStar head entertainment sales Mahesh Shetty said, “HP Smart Champs reflects how children today learn through exploration and experience. With Nick and JioHotstar, we are creating a multi-screen approach that is both engaging and meaningful.”
Highlighting the role of print, HP India senior director print Satish Kumar said, “The show brings print-based learning to life in an engaging format, helping students develop deeper understanding through hands-on experiences.”
The journey to the finale began with participation from over 1,000 schools across 26 cities, narrowing down to 34 finalists who will compete in a studio showdown in Mumbai.
With its blend of entertainment, education and technology, HP Smart Champs is positioning itself as more than just a quiz show. It is a nationwide push to make learning interactive, accessible and, above all, a lot more fun.
