MAM
MullenLowe Group elevates S Subramanyeswar as APAC chief strategy officer
MUMBAI: MullenLowe Group announced the elevation of S Subramanyeswar to chief strategy officer for the Asia-Pacific region. He will continue to lead strategy for brands at MullenLowe Lintas Group (India) as its group chief strategy officer.
Subramanyeswar, better known as Subbu, joined Lowe Lintas in 2011 as national planning director, and has since led strategic initiatives for multiple brands across the clients that the group works on in India. He has spent two decades plus in advertising and marketing, having worked at Wipro, Publicis, Rediffusion Y&R, and Saatchi & Saatchi in the markets of India, US and UK. He joined Lowe Lintas in 2011.
Subbu has been awarded ‘South Asia Planner of the Year’ for two consecutive years – 2014 and 2015 by the world-renowned Campaign magazine. He has authored and won 130+ Effectiveness awards at India Effies, APAC Effies, Tambuli, Asian Marketing Effectiveness, WARC and the globally distinguished Jay Chiat by 4A’s. He has also been on the jury of Jay Chiat, APAC Effies, AME, WARC, Tambuli and India Effies.
Subbu is a passionate believer and practitioner of purpose-inspired brand building. His breakthrough ‘Brands to Stands’ thinking, methodology and frameworks have been adopted by many of the brands that MullenLowe Lintas Group steers in India.
Subbu will be based in Mumbai, India, as he takes up the Asia-Pacific charge with immediate effect.
Brands
From mega bills to spontaneous dates: Swiggy Dineout Valentine’s report
From mega bills to last-minute plans, India celebrated love with flair
MUMBAI: Valentine’s Day 2026 was a feast for the senses and wallets alike, according to Swiggy Dineout. India’s on-demand dining platform revealed how the nation celebrated romance with big gestures, lively nights out, and plenty of spontaneous bookings.
Metropolitan hubs continued to rule the roost with Bengaluru, Delhi, and Hyderabad seeing the most reservations. Emerging cities aren’t far behind, with Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and Chandigarh joining the party. Growth was particularly striking in Surat (up 180 per cent), Vadodara (155 per cent) and Bhubaneswar (145.5 per cent) compared with the previous Saturday.
Mumbai stole the headlines with a single customer splashing out Rs 130,155 – the highest bill in the country. The city also hosted the largest single group booking, with 30 diners coming together to celebrate in style. Most Valentine’s transactions took place between 10pm and 11pm, proving love, and hunger, strike late.
Mumbai stole the spotlight with a mega-spender whose bill made everyone else blush, while savvy diners were cashing in on discounts, including a Pune customer saving 60% and another in Bengaluru saving 50 per cent. Fine dining was on fire, with bookings up 121 per cent year-on-year, though pubs, bars, and lounges remained the crowd favourites, accounting for 30.6 per cent of all reservations. Last-minute romance was the order of the day, with 66 per cent of diners booking within two hours of heading out. Together, India saved over Rs 6 crore, proving that love can be grand, yet thrifty.
Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi led the premium dining rush, showing a growing appetite for curated, high-end experiences. Meanwhile, spontaneous bookings reinforced modern lifestyles, where convenience and instant gratification rule the day.
Whether it was big spends, huge groups, or a last-minute romantic dash, Valentine’s Day 2026 proved love and dining go hand in hand – and sometimes, they go all out.
