MAM
On Purpose wins Central Square Foundation brief to school India in smarter education storytelling
MUMBAI: India’s education sector just got a lesson in sharp storytelling-and On Purpose is holding the chalk. The creative consultancy, known for its mission-driven approach, has been appointed as the agency on record for the Central Square Foundation (CSF), following a competitive multi-agency pitch.
The result? To crank up the volume on education reform conversations that matter-and to make sure foundational literacy isn’t just a policy footnote.
This partnership puts On Purpose in charge of strategic communications for CSF, a non-profit that’s been knee-deep in fixing India’s systemic schooling challenges for over five years. From building early learning muscle to turbocharging school governance, CSF has tackled the hard stuff. And now, with On Purpose riding shotgun, they’re planning to say it louder—and smarter.
“This marks our second collaboration with CSF, reaffirming our shared commitment to shaping conversations and driving systemic change in India’s education sector. We’re thrilled to partner with them again, an inspiring, mission-driven organization leading the charge to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive,” said On Purpose founder & CEO Girish Balachandran.
So what’s on the blackboard? On Purpose will drive CSF’s messaging around four critical pillars:
. Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), so kids stop falling through academic cracks
. Edtech access for all, because Youtube alone can’t fix learning gaps
. Early childhood education to prep the tiny humans for the big leagues
. School governance reform, where the real long-term magic happens
The consultancy’s mandate includes building urgency and salience around FLN and governance—two oft-ignored but absolutely mission-critical parts of India’s education puzzle.
“Finding a partner who understands the urgency of systemic reform and the transformative power of early learning was essential. On Purpose brings the right expertise, experience, and a deep understanding of our mission and landscape, making them the ideal collaborator to drive these critical conversations. We look forward to co-creating strategies that deliver lasting impact and improve learning outcomes for every child in India,” said Central Square Foundation director, policy & communications, Romonika D Sharan.
And they’ve got data to back the ambition.
CSF, a key player in the government’s Nipun Bharat Mission, has been rolling up its sleeves across 14 states—11 of them laser-focused on FLN. With partnerships across ministries, state governments, and education stakeholders, CSF is driving system-level shifts. But even the best reforms need the right spotlight—and that’s where On Purpose comes in.
Expect bold narratives, hard-hitting content, and a touch of creative sass as they tackle the biggest classroom India has: the public.
AD Agencies
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.
