MAM
Prashant Tekwani appointed Havas CX India EVP, business head
NEW DELHI – Havas Group India has announced the appointment of Prashant Tekwani as EVP & and business head of Havas CX India, the newly formed customer experience network, with immediate effect. He will be based out of Mumbai which is one of the key cities across the globe for the network’s growth.
Havas Creative recently launched Havas CX – a new, international network dedicated to delivering meaningful brand experiences across the entire customer journey. It brings together more than 1,500 people from 20 of Havas Creative’s global agency groups and local agencies, plus additional CX specialists from across the Havas network, under a common structure, governance, methodology and mission.
In his new role, Tekwani will work towards accelerating Havas CX journey of transformation in India along with the core leadership team in the group. He will be working with Ekino, Think Design and Langoor Havas teams to leverage both Indian and global opportunities. Prashant will report into Rana Barua, CEO, Havas Group India, and work closely with Yann Doussot, Global COO, Havas CX Network, to help build and integrate the entire offering.
His decade-long experience not just straddles advertising, but also saw him in entrepreneurship and marketing roles in the past. Prior to this, he was senior vice president – north & east for Indigo Consulting, a Publicis Groupe company, where he was mandated to drive growth and integrated solutions for the brands.
His other stints include the time he spent as SVP at Monk Media Network and at iContract as AVP among others. In his career, Tekwani has worked on a multitude of leading brands such as Google, YouTube, HSBC, Citibank, Shopper Stop, UTI Mutual Funds, HotStar, Carrier, Bharti Axa, McDonalds, Asian Paints, Star Sports among others.
Havas CX Network global COO Yann Doussot said “Havas CX spans 18 major Havas Villages around the world, with key hubs in London, Paris, New York and Mumbai. It brings together global agency groups including Ekino (digital transformation), BETC FullSix (customer experience), Havas helia (customer engagement) and award-winning leaders in their markets including Plastic Havas, Langoor, Boondoggle, Gate One, Think Design, Project House and Intellignos. Prashant’s appointment is a key milestone for the group’s ongoing effort to deliver meaningful brand experiences across the entire network for this customer journey.”
Havas Group India group CEO Rana Barua said “I am delighted to have Prashant join us at a crucial inflection point for our group in India. He comes on board at an interesting time as we continue to expand on our amazing acquisitions of Think Design and Langoor and also establish our Havas CX credentials. I am confident his understanding of the entire gamut of the consumer experience journey will make him the perfect fit to drive the next phase of growth in India and also across the network.”
“Havas CX’s competitive advantage lies in its ability to combine this deep-rooted, newly coordinated CX expertise with Havas’ rich insights into modern consumers (via its proprietary Meaningful Brands study of 350,000 consumers), its ground-breaking Prosumer studies of ‘leading edge’ consumers, and its X Index – a new barometer for measuring and managing customer experience) and its unique, integrated Village model – establishing the ability to look at customer experience from a more holistic, comprehensive and less siloed perspective. I am truly excited to be joining Havas Group and CX network, India,” added Tekwani.
Brands
Hyundai launches updated Ioniq 5 with 84 kWh battery, 690 km range
Priced at Rs 55.7 lakh, adds design, tech and safety upgrades.
MUMBAI: Charge it up, stretch it out, Hyundai’s latest electric upgrade is going the distance, quite literally. Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has introduced an updated version of its Ioniq 5, packing in a larger 84.0 kWh battery that delivers a claimed range of up to 690 km (ARAI-certified), marking a significant leap in everyday usability for its flagship electric SUV.
Built on Hyundai’s Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), the refreshed IONIQ 5 aims to balance performance with practicality, reducing range anxiety while making long-distance electric travel more viable. The upgrade builds on a model that has already secured global recognition, including the World Car of the Year title.
The changes aren’t just under the skin. On the outside, the SUV gets a sharper, more futuristic look with redesigned front and rear bumpers, new skid plates, sporty alloy wheels, a revised rear spoiler and updated V-garnish lighting, all while retaining its signature Parametric Pixel design.
Inside, Hyundai has focused on making the experience more intuitive. The cabin now features a redesigned three-spoke steering wheel with illuminated pixel elements, dual 12.3-inch displays, and a reworked wireless charging pad integrated with physical controls for seat functions small tweaks that aim to improve day-to-day usability.
On the tech front, the IONIQ 5 gets Hyundai’s Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC), Controller Over-the-Air (C-OTA) updates, and now supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. New additions such as Active Sound Design and in-car payment integration for EV charging reflect a push towards a more seamless, connected ownership experience. Remote immobilisation via Bluelink has also been introduced as an added security layer.
Safety sees incremental upgrades too, with features like Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist (Rear) and side parking distance warnings enhancing manoeuvrability in tight urban spaces.
The updated IONIQ 5 is available in four colour options Gravity Gold Matte, Midnight Black Pearl, Titan Grey and Optic White with an Obsidian Black interior theme.
Priced at Rs 55.7 lakh (ex-showroom), the new IONIQ 5 positions itself as a more rounded offering, less about futuristic promise, and more about making electric mobility fit seamlessly into everyday life.
