Digital
Modi Illva & Mindshare India launch season 2 of The Rockford Circle
MUMBAI: Alco-bev maker Modi Illva, in partnership with Mindshare India, has announced the launch of the second season of The Rockford Circle, a talk show dedicated to celebrating entrepreneurial journeys and fostering inspiration. Following the success of its debut season, which garnered over 95 million views and 500 million impressions, Season 2 promises fresh insights from visionary founders transforming India’s consumer landscape.
Hosted by actor Chitrangada Singh, the first season featured candid conversations with industry leaders including Yashish Dahiya (PolicyBazaar), Rohit Bansal (Snapdeal), and Shantanu Deshpande (Bombay Shaving Company). Season 2 builds on this legacy, offering a more intimate and relatable exploration of entrepreneurship with an exciting lineup of guests:
* Nitin Saluja, Co-founder of Chaayos
* Ankur Jain, Founder of Bira
* Samrath Bedi, Co-founder of Forest Essentials
* Viraj Bahl, Founder of Veeba
* Samarth and Rashi Narang, Founders of Heads Up For Tails
* Bhuman Dani, Founder of WickedGud
The show delves into the entrepreneurial journeys of these trailblazers, spotlighting their creativity, resilience, and industry disruptions. Interactive elements, including live Q&A sessions and dynamic social media content, are designed to create a more engaging experience for viewers.
Part of the Umesh Modi group which spans pharmaceuticals (Betadine), cosmetics (Revlon), and distilleries, Modi Illva is its 50:50 joint venture with Illva Saronno. Modi Illva is known for the premium whisky brand the House of Rockford with Rockford Reserve and Rockford Classic being the two barley broos which have made their mark with connoisseurs.
Modi Illva MD Abhishek Modi said: “The overwhelming response to Season 1 reaffirmed the value of authentic entrepreneurial stories. Season 2 celebrates the ingenuity of new-age entrepreneurs shaping industries and redefining aspirations.”
Mindshare South Asia CEO Amin Lakhani added: “Our continued partnership with Modi Illva highlights the success of The Rockford Circle in celebrating India’s entrepreneurial spirit. Season 2 takes storytelling to new heights, featuring founders of emerging consumer brands transforming industries.”
GroupM head of branded content & creative services Ajay Mehta noted: “Season 2 focuses on new-age consumer brands resonating with young, aspirational audiences. It’s more dynamic, relatable, and inspiring than ever before.”
The promo for The Rockford Circle Season 2 is now live, with full episodes premiering on YouTube from 31 January 2025.
Digital
OpenAI’s Stargate lead Peter Hoeschele exits with two senior leaders
Trio behind compute push set to join new startup amid leadership reshuffle
SAN FRANCISCO: Peter Hoeschele, a key figure behind OpenAI’s early Stargate data centre initiative, has exited the company, according to a report by The Information.
The departure is part of a broader leadership shift, with two other senior executives, Shamez Hemani and Anuj Saharan, also set to leave in the coming days. All three are expected to join the same new startup, although details about the venture remain under wraps.
The trio played a central role in OpenAI’s Stargate effort, an initiative aimed at building large-scale data centre capacity in-house to reduce reliance on external infrastructure providers. Their exits mark a notable moment for the company’s compute strategy as it continues to scale rapidly.
OpenAI spokesperson said in a statement to The Information, “We’re grateful for the contributions Peter, Shamez, and Anuj have made to OpenAI and wish them the very best in what comes next.” The company also pointed to the recent appointment of Sachin Katti to lead its industrial compute organisation, signalling continuity in its infrastructure roadmap.
OpenAI has indicated that it does not plan to directly replace Hoeschele’s role, suggesting a possible restructuring of responsibilities within the team.
As competition intensifies in the race to build next-generation AI systems, leadership changes in core infrastructure teams are likely to draw close attention. For now, the spotlight shifts to what this departing trio builds next, and how OpenAI adapts as it scales its ambitions.
