MAM
Narayan Devanathan is Dentsu Marcom national planning head
MUMBAI: Dentsu India Group has appointed Narayan Devanathan as national planning head, Dentsu Marcom.
Based out of the Group‘s India headquarters in Gurgaon, Devanathan will be a key member of the new leadership team at Dentsu India Group.
His primary responsibilities will involve leading strategic planning for current and prospective clients across Dentsu Marcom offices in India.
Devanathan joins from Euro RSCG where he was chief strategy officer. Over his 19 years in the business, he has worked across capacities in planning and copy with leading advertising agencies in India and the United States.
Prior to Euro, Devanathan was senior planning director at Ogilvy & Mather India. He has also worked with US based Cramer-Krasselt and Admerasia, New York.
Devanathan‘s diverse category experience includes FMCG, automobiles, banking and financial services, beverages, fast food retail, technology, healthcare, real estate, personal care, pharmaceuticals, crafts and apparel.
Dentsu India Group executive chairman Rohit Ohri said, “It‘s an exciting time for us at Dentsu India Group. We‘ve triggered a transformation, a new beginning and a reinvigoration of our India presence. Narayan will partner Titus Upputuru and Hiroshi Omata to lead Dentsu Marcom to its next phase of growth. The width of Narayan‘s experience and passion for the creative work will be invaluable for Dentsu India.”
On joining Dentsu Marcom, Devanathan said, “Over the years, I‘ve figured the 3 principles that I work best by are honesty, simplicity and collaboration. In the new scheme of things at Dentsu India, that‘s what I‘m looking to harness as the head of strategic planning – to help create a fantastic future for brands, together with my agency, Dentsu Marcom and client partners. After some terrific stints at American and Indian agencies, I guess I‘m hoping to find love in Tokyo too.”
Devanathan has worked on brands such as Reckitt Benckiser portfolio (Dettol, Strepsils, Lysol, Mortein, Airwick, Harpic, Easy Off Bang, Veet, Vanish, among others), Fair & Lovely (digital for Unilever), Sprite, KFC, American Express, GE Healthcare, Mitsubishi Motors, Baskin Robbins, IBM, Motorola, Cisco and Teacher‘s .
Brands
KKR sixes to power EV charger rollout under VIDA campaign
Cricket meets clean mobility as big hits spark India’s charging growth
NEW DELHI: VIDA, the electric mobility arm of Hero MotoCorp, has teamed up with Kolkata Knight Riders to launch a campaign that turns cricketing flair into real-world impact.
Titled ‘6 for 6’, the initiative promises to install a 6kW fast EV charger for every six hit by KKR during the ongoing Indian Premier League season. The idea is simple but powerful, as each big hit on the field contributes directly to expanding India’s fast-charging infrastructure.
The campaign builds on VIDA’s growing network, which already spans over 5,300 fast-charging points across more than 430 cities. With EV adoption gaining pace, the brand is using cricket’s mass appeal to accelerate both awareness and infrastructure growth.
Explaining the thinking behind the move, Hero MotoCorp emerging mobility business unit chief business officer Kausalya Nandakumar said, “Cricket has an incredible ability to unite and inspire millions across the country. With the ‘6 for 6’ campaign, we are turning every big hit on the field into a step towards a cleaner and a more accessible mobility future.”
She added that VIDA’s expanding fast-charging network and removable battery technology are designed to make EV ownership more convenient and practical for everyday users.
From the franchise’s side, the campaign is also about giving on-field moments a larger purpose. Kolkata Knight Riders chief executive officer Venky Mysore said, “The ‘6 for 6’ campaign exemplifies the potential of sport as a platform for meaningful, real-world impact. By linking every six to the expansion of EV charging infrastructure, this partnership transforms fan excitement into tangible progress.”
As part of the rollout, VIDA has introduced co-branded charging stations in KKR’s signature colours, with a flagship installation unveiled alongside team players. The chargers are designed for quick top-ups, powering VIDA scooters from zero to 80 percent in about an hour, while also being positioned along key highways to support longer journeys.
The initiative also taps into VIDA’s removable battery system, which allows users to charge using standard household plug points, adding flexibility to the charging ecosystem.
By blending the thrill of cricket with the urgency of clean mobility, VIDA and KKR have found a neat way to make every six count twice, once on the scoreboard and again on India’s road to an electric future.
