MAM
Mohapatra quits Starcom for Modi
MUMBAI: Associate Media Director, in charge of broadcast, Madan Mohan Mohapatra has put in his papers at Starcom Worldwide. The agency simultaneously announced the appointment of Gautam Rajgopal, with immediate effect, as the Manager-Broadcast Investment.
According to Publicis Groupe owned Starcom MediaVest Group’s releases, after three successful years in the company’s Mumbai office, Mohapatra decided to call it quits. Mohapatra is expected to join Modi Online Lottery as Marketing Manager, effective from 8 September 2003, says the release. Meanwhile Rajgopal who was earlier in charge of media negotiations at Carat Media Services, Mumbai, joined the agency early last week.
Madan Mohan Mohapatra, during the three year stint with the agency, had gained many full service and media-only, says the release
Speaking about Mohapatra’s resignation Starcom Worldwide, India-West & South managing director Ravi Kiran said: “Madan was part of the early years of Starcom in India and has been a great support system to us. The agency gained immensely from his passion, enthusiasm and great relationship with media owners. As he moves on to explore a different kind of career in a marketing organization, we wish him nothing but the best for future. I am looking forward to Gautam stepping into Madan’s shoes; and I am confident that he will grow into it under Manish Porwal’s guidance.”
According to Starcom Worldwide general manager-Investment & New Initiatives Manish Porwal, ” It is difficult to be dealing with day today negotiations, satisfying the needs of ever demanding planners and still keeping an eye on the strategic view-point of all investments for the clients. Having known Madan as a business associate and then as a colleague, I am quite enamoured with his ability to deliver in every endeavour he takes up. In the few months that Madan and I worked together, he helped me free my mind from up keeping and improving our standards on broadcast investment and concentrate better on Starcom’s new initiatives. I am not sure if I should be more happy for him as he finds his way to his new assignment or sad for ourselves, as we would miss his Midas touch. I am sure Gautam will take on from where Madan leaves and help reach the high standards we have set for ourselves.
Rajgoplan has been associated with the advertising and media buying seven years. Prior to joining Starcom, he held a position of buying supervisor at Carat Media Services, handling businesses worth Rs 3 billion.
He has previously worked with Hindustan Thompson Associates as Sr. Media Buyer, Madison Communications, Contract Advertising, and Living Media. During his career, he handled brands such as Cadbury, Asian Paints, Philips, Mattel Toys, Parle, Virgin Records, General Mills, United Distillers and Vintners, Hindustan Pencils, Beiersdorf India Ltd, S Kumars, Sahara, Bajaj Auto, Indian Naval Services, Procter and Gamble, Coca Cola, Godrej, Bharat Petroleum, Warner Lambert, Heinz I Ltd, Geoffrey Manners and Associated Cement Companies.
Brands
Hiili names Sanjay Hemady as country manager India
Media veteran to drive digital decarbonisation push
MUMBAI: Climate tech firm Hiili has announced its entry into India, appointing industry veteran Sanjay Hemady as India country manager to steer its growth in one of the world’s fastest-expanding digital markets.
Hemady, a familiar name across India’s media and consulting circles, will lead Hiili’s India operations from Mumbai. His mandate is clear: help Indian companies measure, manage and reduce the carbon emissions generated by their digital services.
Hiili offers a scientifically validated platform, certified by the UC3M-Santander Big Data Institute, that enables businesses to improve the efficiency of their digital infrastructure while cutting emissions. As organisations race to meet ESG targets, the company positions itself as a practical bridge between climate pledges and measurable action.
“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as country manager, India at Hiili,” Hemady said in a LinkedIn post, adding that the company aims to move beyond broad sustainability promises towards precise, science-based decarbonisation.
Hemady brings more than three decades of experience spanning print, television, radio and digital media. He has previously served as chief executive officer at HIT 95 FM, assistant general manager at CNBC TV18, and held leadership roles at MTV India and The Indian Express, among others. Most recently, he worked as an independent business consultant advising firms across media and technology.
With India’s digital economy expanding at pace, the environmental cost of data, streaming and online services is climbing quietly in the background. Hiili’s bet is that carbon efficiency will soon sit alongside cost efficiency in boardroom conversations.
For Hemady, the move marks a shift from selling airtime and ad inventory to championing climate accountability. If successful, Hiili’s India play could make digital growth not just faster, but cleaner too.
