Brands
Mondelez moves veteran to crack Asia’s snack market
INGAPORE: Mondelez International has handed the keys to its south-east Asian kingdom to Abhiroop Chuckarbutty, a battle-hardened consumer goods veteran who spent more than two decades navigating the treacherous waters of emerging markets from Mumbai’s bustling bazaars to Dubai’s gleaming malls.
The 22-year industry stalwart, who orchestrated the messy separation of a $500m tea business from Unilever’s sprawling empire in 2024, will now steer the American snacking giant’s charge across a region where Oreos compete with local delicacies and Cadbury chocolate battles tropical heat.
Chuckarbutty’s appointment as president comes after a year running Mondelez’s African operations from Johannesburg, where he cut his teeth on the company’s complex multi-market dynamics. Before that corporate musical chairs routine, he spent two turbulent years as president of ekaterra’s Africa, Middle East and Turkey tea business, shepherding the venture through its acrimonious divorce from Unilever in 2022.
The executive’s résumé reads like a corporate fire-fighting courseware. At Unilever, where he spent 16 years climbing the ranks, Chuckarbutty wrestled with everything from sluggish west Asian markets to the herculean task of digitising India’s advertising landscape. He juggled profit-and-loss responsibility for a bewildering array of brands—from Lifebuoy soap bars to Kissan ketchup—across markets as diverse as Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates.
His new perch in Singapore puts him at the epicentre of Asia’s snacking revolution, where rising incomes and urbanisation are fuelling an insatiable appetite for packaged treats. The region’s young, mobile-savvy consumers present both opportunity and headache for western brands trying to crack local tastes whilst fending off nimble domestic rivals.
Chuckarbutty’s knack for “business turnarounds and accelerating scale businesses”—as his corporate biography modestly puts it—will be tested against south-east Asia’s fragmented markets, where regulatory tangles and supply-chain snarls can derail even the slickest marketing campaigns.
The appointment signals Mondelez’s intent to double down on a region that represents one of the fastest-growing snacking markets globally, even as trade tensions and economic uncertainty cloud the broader Asian outlook
Brands
Lotus Herbals unveils HydroActivated sunscreen with high-impact campaign
Harnaaz Sandhu fronts digital push spotlighting breakthrough sun care tech
MUMBAI: Lotus Herbals has rolled out a high-decibel marketing campaign to introduce what it calls India’s first hydro-activated sunscreen, aiming to reshape how consumers think about sun protection.
At the centre of the launch is the Safe Sun HydroActivated Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA+++, a formulation built on a patent-pending Hydrosome Technology that activates on contact with moisture. Unlike conventional sunscreens that can weaken with sweat, this product is designed to do the opposite, boosting protection when the skin is exposed to water or perspiration.
The campaign is led by Harnaaz Sandhu and is being amplified across OTT platforms, social media and outdoor locations in key metro cities. The brand film takes a light, relatable approach to everyday sunscreen struggles such as uneven application and fading protection, while positioning the new product as a reliable, high-performance alternative for active lifestyles.
Beyond its core technology, the sunscreen features next-generation UV filters and Edelweiss Flower Extract, offering hydration alongside protection. The formula claims up to 10 hours of water resistance and even, all-round defence against sun exposure and tanning, targeting consumers who want both skincare and performance in one product.
Speaking about the launch, Lotus Herbals chairman and managing director Nitin Passi said, “We are excited to launch India’s first sunscreen with hydroactivated technology which is our most innovative product launch. This isn’t just a sunscreen; it’s a technological breakthrough that utilises a novel manufacturing process. We’ve created a product that stays invisible on the skin yet becomes a performance powerhouse when the user is most active.”
Sharing her experience, Lotus Herbals brand ambassador Harnaaz Sandhu said, “I am thrilled to be associated with Lotus Herbals Safe Sun for their new sun protection campaign. In my world, there is no room for shortcuts, and I need functional and reliable products that work as hard as I do. The hydroactivated sunscreen is a game-changer because it blends with my skin and protects me better when I’m pushing my limits.”
The campaign is being distributed across platforms including JioStar connected TV integrations and ZEE5, along with television placements such as Sa Re Ga Ma Pa in West Bengal. A large influencer push involving over a thousand creators, along with in-store branding and retail activations, is also part of the rollout.
With a blend of science-led positioning and mass-market storytelling, Lotus Herbals is betting on innovation to stand out in the crowded sun care segment, hoping its moisture-powered promise strikes the right chord with today’s always-on consumers.
