MAM
Rajesh Ghatge is new Indigo CEO
MUMBAI: Rajesh Ghatge has joined as the chief executive officer of the digital agency Indigo Consulting of the Leo Burnett Group to lead the 300-plus employees across Indigo Consulting and Indigo iStrat. Based out of the Mumbai office, he will report to Leo Burnett south Asia CEO South Asia Saurabh Verma.
Verma said: “We wanted a leader who can create a new curve; Rajesh brings with him the energy, the passion and the drive to create a new destiny for Indigo Consulting. My brief to him is to make us the most respected digital agency in the country, bar none.”
Ghatge said, “Driving effective consumer engagement on omnipresent digital touch-points is a function of technology, content, analytics and the ability to execute flawlessly in an ‘always on’ mode. Using data and platforms to create impactful and relevant experiences has been my ongoing work. Indigo Consulting, built on a deep foundation of technology has emerged as a leading digital agency.”
Having begun his career in marketing and sales in the FMCG and Pharma sectors in 1997, Ghatge co-promoted Bates CHI & Sercon (erstwhile Sercon). Under his leadership, the company leveraged technology and digital for activation marketing and demand generation and grew to become a top-ranked agency in India and Singapore. Bates CHI & Sercon also gathered prestigious laurels such as the ‘Best Brand Promotion Agency’ (ET), the B2B Marketing Award (London) and DMA (Asia and India).
Ghatge has extensive knowledge and experience in brand activation, digital and retail marketing, web and app-enabled products and services and the training domain. He led award-winning campaigns for large brands like P&G, Colgate, Oracle, Nokia, Dell and Castrol. An alumnus of the Institute of Rural Management in Anand, he has an MBA degree.
Brands
Nestlé weighs trimming ice cream footprint and Froneri stak
Swiss giant reviews options including stake cut in €15bn JV as it eyes higher-margin focus post-Unilever split.
MUMBAI: Nestlé is melting down its ice cream ambitions or at least scooping back a few spoonfuls amid a strategic review that could see it slim its stake in blockbuster joint venture Froneri. According to a Bloomberg report published 18 February 2026, the Swiss food and beverage powerhouse is mulling a reduced presence in the global ice cream segment. Options on the table include trimming its holding in Froneri, the joint venture with private equity firm PAI Partners that houses crowd-pleasers like Häagen-Dazs, Mövenpick, and Rowntree’s or even shifting some of Nestlé’s remaining wholly owned ice cream operations into the JV.
Discussions remain fluid, with no final decisions locked in and no guarantee of any transaction materialising. One scenario has PAI Partners boosting its ownership if Nestlé pulls back, while another could see the Swiss group offloading a portion of its stake to an existing investor like the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).
Froneri itself got a hefty valuation boost in October (likely 2025), when Goldman Sachs and ADIA poured in fresh capital, pegging the business at around €15 billion (about $17.69 billion). The move turned heads in the sector, especially as Unilever spun off its ice cream arm last year into the now-independent Magnum Ice Cream Company freeing both giants to chase sunnier, higher-margin pastures.
Nestlé’s rethink, reportedly overseen by new CEO Philipp Navratil as he sifts through the company’s vast portfolio, mirrors broader industry trends: consumer giants are sharpening focus on core strengths amid shifting tastes and profitability pressures. Ice cream might be delicious, but it’s not always the creamiest part of the balance sheet.
Whether this ends in a stake sale, JV expansion, or just more pondering, the frozen dessert world could soon see another ownership shake-up. For now, Nestlé isn’t screaming “last orders” but it’s definitely checking the freezer temperature.
