MAM
Pavan Vaish appointed Uber’s head of central operations
MUMBAI: Ride-sharing company Uber has announced the appointment of Pavan Vaish as its new head of central operations. Pavan joins Uber with over 25 years of experience in building and leading global technology businesses.
In his earlier experience, Vaish has been the co-founder and CEO of Daksh e-services, the geographical footprint of which has been expanded across Latam, Europe, and Asia. The company is popular as recognised as one of the most successful service's acquisitions in IBM’s history. Vaish spearheaded its integration with IBM.
Vaish was also amongst the co-founders of Quadrant Infotech, an offshore data capturing business focused on the US market. A visionary among BPO industry leaders, he has been guiding the industry toward achieving competitive advantages beyond labour arbitrage long before the onset of commoditsation of BPO services.
He had also been the global chief operating officer at UnitedLex, where he was responsible for overseeing daily business operations and managing its business objectives across various geographies. He was also responsible for the transformation of IBM Global Process Services from an emerging enterprise into one of the largest and most respected companies in the Global BPO industry.
An alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, he holds a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. He is also a Graduate of the Advanced Management Program of the Harvard Business School.
MAM
Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
