MAM
OMG appoints Bharat Khatri as chief digital officer, APAC
Mumbai: Omnicom Media Group (OMG) has brought on board Bharat Khatri as chief digital officer for its operations across APAC. Khatri will be based in India and report to OMG APAC, chief investment officer, Paul Shepherd.
In his new role, Khatri will oversee leading digital marketing operations, productisation, commercials, and governance efforts for the network in the region. He will partner with OMG leaders in APAC to accelerate the adoption of integrated digital strategy, with a focus on leveraging technology to drive efficiency and creativity at scale across digital channels, said the company in a statement.
“Bharat has a stellar track record and his astute business acumen in identifying and converting digital marketing opportunities into unique creative solutions will help unlock value for our clients in this region,” said Shepherd. “Combined with his experience in driving actionable, measurable, and revenue-generating business outcomes, I couldn’t be more excited having him on the team.”
A strategic digital marketer with more than a decade of experience across digital and sales domains, Khatri was previously with Xaxis India as country head, where he oversaw the agency’s programmatic desk and collaborated with over 150 active advertisers across multiple industries.
“I am incredibly thrilled & honoured to join Omnicom Media Group at this pivotal time while our industry goes through a massive shift to a more fragmented, privacy-first & precision second eco-system,” said Khatri. “OMG’s strong roots in analytics and a big appetite for innovation are key assets for the next phase of digital transformation, and I feel privileged to be part of this growth and transformation journey in the region.”
Brands
CEAT signs Yashasvi Jaiswal as brand ambassador in multi-year deal
The tyre giant is backing one of Indian cricket’s brightest young stars, deepening a sporting association that goes to the heart of its brand strategy
MUMBAI: CEAT Limited has signed a multi-year partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal, one of Indian cricket’s most electrifying young batters, effective 1st April 2026. The deal adds fresh muscle to the Mumbai-based tyre maker’s long-running bet on cricket as its primary marketing canvas.
Jaiswal’s rapid rise in international cricket made him a coveted name in the sponsorship market. His composure under pressure, consistency across formats and an almost unnerving adaptability at the crease are precisely the qualities CEAT wants consumers to associate with its tyres. The brand has historically aligned itself with cricketers who embody control and dependability, and Jaiswal fits that template with little coaxing.
Anant Goenka, vice-chairman of RPG Group, framed the signing in the language of shared values. “Cricket has always been an integral part of CEAT’s brand journey, and we are delighted to welcome Yashasvi Jaiswal to the CEAT family,” he said. “He is one of the most exciting young talents in Indian cricket today, and the qualities he brings to the game — control, dependability and adaptability — align strongly with the values we stand for as a brand. We believe Yashasvi has the potential to lead across tournaments and formats in the years ahead.”
Jaiswal, for his part, was equally enthusiastic. “I am excited to begin this association with CEAT, a brand that has such a strong legacy in cricket and has been associated with several respected names in the game over the years,” he said. “It is always special to partner with a brand that shares your passion for cricket.”
CEAT, founded in Italy in 1924 and now the flagship company of the US$5.2 billion RPG Group, produces more than 41 million tyres a year and sells across 110 countries. It is the first tyre brand to receive both the Deming Grand Prize from the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers and the World Economic Forum’s Lighthouse Designation for its use of fourth industrial revolution technologies — credentials that suggest a company comfortable playing the long game.
And that, perhaps, is why Jaiswal makes such sense. He is 23, already a Test opener for India, and almost certainly just getting started. For CEAT, signing him now is less a sponsorship and more an investment — in a career, and in a cricket-obsessed market, that has plenty of overs left to play.
