MAM
Partha Sinha bids adieu to Times Group, gears up for global innings
MUMBAI: Partha Sinha—engineer, brand whisperer, and boardroom charmer—has called time on his high-profile stint at Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. (aka The Times of India Group). Word on the street (and confirmed by Sinha himself) is that he’s moving on to a global giant in an advisory role. But true to form, he’s zipped his lips on the details.
“I will announce where I am headed in the next fortnight or so when my on-boarding process is completed,” Sinha told indiantelevision.com.
Sinha’s departure closes a defining chapter in BCCL’s brand and revenue playbook. Since joining in 2020 as president, response (that’s the revenue engine, in TOI-speak), he led the post-COVID business bounce-back with flair—sharpening monetisation levers, dialling up audience-centricity, and reimagining legacy brands for a digital-first world.
In July 2024, he took on the dual hat of president and chief brand officer, overseeing consumer-facing powerhouses like The Times of India, Economic Times, Femina, and Mirror. His brand play? Bold, contextual, and never shy of a pivot.
A rare crossover of nuclear engineering, Citibank cubicles, and Madison Avenue swagger, Sinha’s career reads like a greatest hits compilation of Indian marketing. An IIT Kharagpur and IIM Ahmedabad alum, he kicked off in nuclear design (yes, really) before finding his groove in the brand world via Citibank. What followed was a series of heavyweight gigs at Ogilvy & Mather, Publicis, BBH, and McCann Worldgroup India—where he wore the vice chairman and MD mantle with style.
At Ogilvy, he helped birth strategic planning as a serious discipline in Indian advertising. BBH and McCann only deepened his rep as a master of merging business metrics with cultural mojo.
So what’s next for the brand sage? For now, he’s staying tight-lipped. But if history’s any clue, it’ll be clever, culture-shifting, and possibly global in scale. An ardent Arsenal fan who loves listening to Hindustani classical music, Partha’s jovial self will be missed at the Old Lady of Boribunder.
Stay tuned. The next episode of the Partha Sinha show promises to be unmissable. Where once again, he will set the corridors alive.
Brands
Pocket FM elevates Lalit Gangwar to COO to drive global growth
Founding member to lead operations, monetisation and expansion across markets
MUMBAI: Pocket FM has elevated Lalit Gangwar to chief operating officer, tasking the founding team member with leading global business operations as the company sharpens its international growth strategy.
In his new role, Gangwar will oversee end-to-end operations across markets, including growth, monetisation and execution for the company’s audio business. The appointment comes as Pocket FM looks to strengthen its operating foundation and build a more predictable, scalable global business.
Gangwar has been closely involved in shaping the company’s trajectory from its early days. He played a key role in building the growth and marketing playbook in India, helping the platform scale to over 150 million users within its first year and establish a strong foothold in the audio storytelling category.
He later led Pocket FM’s expansion into the United States, where he set up teams, defined market strategy and drove scale, contributing significantly to the company’s international ambitions.
Pocket FM co-founder and CEO Rohan Nayak said, “Lalit has been central to Pocket FM’s journey from the very beginning. He has built our growth engine and scaled our business across markets.” He added that the company’s focus on nurturing internal talent makes Gangwar a natural choice to lead the next phase.
Gangwar said, “Pocket FM has always been driven by a simple belief that powerful stories can travel across borders and create meaningful impact.” He noted that the company will continue to focus on scaling markets, investing in AI-led storytelling and strengthening monetisation.
As COO, Gangwar is expected to bring greater operating discipline while building systems, talent and processes to support long-term growth.
With leadership continuity and a clear global focus, Pocket FM appears to be turning the page to its next chapter, one that aims to take its storytelling playbook well beyond home turf.
