MAM
Pratik Bane steers his way to Starcom India
MUMBAI: Pratik Bane has swapped his perch at FCB Kinnect for a director’s chair at Starcom India, where he’s now steering media planning and strategy for a clutch of heavyweight brands. The move came in September. Bane previously handled several accounts at FCB Kinnect including TVS, Van Heusen, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Canara Robeco Mutual Fund and Skechers as an account director media.
At FCB Kinnect, where he spent five years and nine months, Bane climbed from manager of media strategy to director of the data centre of excellence. In his final role, he drove data-driven strategies across the FCB Group in India, wielding tools like Mintel, GWI, SimilarWeb and Comscore to shape new business pitches and brand reviews.
The Mumbai-based strategist brings an arsenal of digital marketing skills honed across affiliate marketing, search engine advertising, display remarketing and paid social. His toolkit spans Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook Business Manager and Google Tag Manager. Before FCB Kinnect, he cut his teeth at Performics India managing affiliate and search marketing, and earlier still at Crisil Global Research & Analytics, where he ran sales and marketing for the Asia Pacific region.
Armed with an MBA in marketing and multiple certifications, Bane now faces the task of crafting campaigns that marry data with creativity. His passion, he says, is creating work that drives growth and value. With Starcom’s resources and his roster of blue-chip clients, he’ll get ample opportunity to prove it.
Brands
Axis Bank named Official Banking Partner of DP World PGTI
Partnership supports all tournaments this season to grow professional golf in India.
MUMBAI: Axis Bank just teed up a hole-in-one partnership because when a bank sponsors golf’s biggest swing in India, even the fairways feel more financially secure. Axis Bank has been appointed Official Banking Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (DP World PGTI), strengthening its commitment to sporting excellence and community engagement while backing the growth of professional golf across the country.
Under the partnership, Axis Bank will support all DP World PGTI tournaments this season, contributing to talent development, enhanced tournament experiences and wider fan engagement. The collaboration aligns the bank’s values of precision, discipline and trust with the Tour’s focus on performance and opportunity.
Axis Bank executive director Munish Sharda said, “We are pleased to partner with DP World PGTI as its Official Banking Partner. Golf embodies precision, discipline, and a pursuit of excellence qualities that strongly reflect who we are at Axis Bank. This association also strengthens our engagement with India’s growing premium customer segments, where the sport has a deep and enduring connect.”
Professional Golf Tour of India president Kapil Dev said, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Axis Bank as a Tour Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India. Partnerships of this stature play a vital role in strengthening the foundation of the Tour, enhancing opportunities for our players, and expanding the sport’s reach across the country.”
Professional Golf Tour of India CEO Amandeep Johl added, “Axis Bank’s strong legacy of excellence, innovation, and nationwide reach aligns perfectly with DP World PGTI’s goal to elevate professional golf in India and provide greater opportunities for our players.”
In a sport where every stroke counts and every partnership drives distance, Axis Bank isn’t just backing golfers, it’s investing in the fairway to future, turning India’s greens into a stage where precision meets passion and every drive has the power to inspire.
