MAM
Noise adds rhythm to Holi groove with artist Idris
Mumbai: Noise, India’s leading connected lifestyle brand, is all set to add rhythm to the Holi groove this year in its latest Noise of India campaign. The brand has collaborated with renowned artist Idris Ahmed to make the essence of the festival come alive by bringing vibrant artwork to its smartwatches through exclusive, downloadable watch faces.
Under the resounding banner of ‘Noise of India’ the brand celebrates every heartbeat that echoes the pulse of the nation. It’s not just about marking occasions; it’s about honouring the moments that unite India as a diverse tapestry of cultures, traditions, and emotions. From the exhilarating burst of colours during Holi to the rhythmic beats of dhol resonating through the streets, every celebration becomes a symphony of joyous Noise that reverberates across the land.
Idris Ahmed’s distinctive style and unmatched credibility as a photographer made him the natural choice for Noise to partner for the campaign, where his ability to capture the essence of cultural vibrancy and rhythmic energy aligns seamlessly with the brand’s synergy.
On the heels of one of India’s most joyous festivals, Noise is encouraging users to immerse themselves in the spirit of the festival through the lens of Idris, capturing the essence of Holi’s vibrancy and joy in stunning watch faces. Users can download the exclusive Idris-designed Holi watch faces for Noise Smartwatches via the NoiseFit app and complete the Holi look. These vibrant and festive watch faces not only add a touch of flair to one’s wrist but also serve as a perfect complement to their Holi attire, completing the look with a burst of colour and style.
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Abhay Duggal joins JioStar as director of Hindi GEC ad sales
The streaming giant brings in a seasoned revenue hand as the battle for Hindi television advertising heats up
MUMBAI: Abhay Duggal has a new desk, and JioStar has a new weapon. The media and entertainment veteran has joined JioStar as director of entertainment ad sales for Hindi general entertainment channels, adding 17 years of hard-won revenue experience to one of India’s most powerful broadcasting operations.
Duggal is no stranger to big portfolios or bruising markets. Before joining JioStar, he spent a brief stint at Republic World as deputy general manager and north regional head for ad sales. Before that, he put in three years at Enterr10 Television, where he ran the north region for Dangal TV and Dangal 2, two of India’s leading free-to-air Hindi channels. The north alone accounted for more than 50 per cent of total channel revenue on his watch, a number that tends to get attention in any sales meeting.
His longest stint was at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, where he spent over six years rising to associate director of sales. There he commanded the Hindi movies cluster across seven channels, owned more than half of north India’s revenue across flagship properties including Zee TV and &TV, and closed marquee sponsorships across the Indian Premier League, Zee Rishtey Awards and Dance India Dance. He also handled monetisation for the English movies and entertainment cluster and the global news channel WION, a portfolio that would stretch most sales teams twice his size.
Earlier in his career Duggal closed what was then a Rs 3 crore single deal at Reliance Broadcast Network, one of the largest in Indian radio at the time, before that he helped launch and monetise JAINHITS, India’s first HITS-based cable and satellite platform.
His edge, by his own account, lies in marrying data and instinct: translating audience trends, inventory signals and client demands into long-term partnerships built on cost-per-rating-point discipline rather than short-term deal chasing. In a media landscape being reshaped by streaming, fragmented attention and AI-driven advertising, that kind of rigour is increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.
JioStar, which blends the scale of Reliance’s Jio platform with the content firepower of Star, is doubling down on its advertising business at precisely the moment the Hindi GEC market is getting more competitive. Bringing in someone who has spent nearly two decades doing exactly this, across some of India’s most watched channels, is a pointed statement of intent. Duggal has spent his career turning audiences into revenue. JioStar is clearly betting he can do it again, and bigger.
