MAM
Reliance-Meta AI JV names Parminder Singh as CEO
REIL, backed 70 per cent by Reliance and 30 per cent by Meta, targets enterprise AI scale.
MUMBAI: India’s AI ambitions just found their chief navigator and the roadmap looks anything but small. Reliance Enterprise Intelligence Limited (REIL), the enterprise AI joint venture between Reliance Industries Limited (70 per cent) and Meta Platforms (30 per cent), has appointed Parminder Singh as its founding Chief Executive Officer, signalling a serious push to scale artificial intelligence adoption across Indian businesses.
The mandate is ambitious: fuse Meta’s AI capabilities with Reliance’s enterprise reach, AI compute infrastructure, and the nationwide connectivity of Jio to build a full-stack enterprise AI ecosystem. In simpler terms, REIL is positioning itself as both the engine and the highway for India’s AI journey.
Singh brings a heavyweight résumé to the role, with leadership stints across Google, Apple, Twitter, and IBM. His experience spans large-scale digital transformations across Asia-Pacific, most notably at Mediacorp, where he led an AI-driven overhaul as Chief Commercial and Digital Officer.
More recently, he co-founded Clayboxai, an advisory firm focused on building AI fluency within organisations, and Wekamp, an AI-powered community platform currently in pilot both signalling his continued focus on practical, enterprise-led AI adoption.
The appointment comes at a moment when India’s AI narrative is shifting from experimentation to execution. Akash Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm, described enterprise AI as a “generational opportunity”, noting that Singh’s mix of global expertise and regional understanding makes him central to REIL’s next phase.
For Singh, the decision appears equally deliberate. A conversation with Ambani during a trip to New Zealand, he said, framed the opportunity as one that could shape the future of enterprise AI in India, a proposition difficult to ignore.
At its core, REIL is betting on a gap in the market, enterprises need not just cutting-edge technology, but a partner that understands local business realities. With Reliance’s scale and Meta’s AI backbone, the venture is positioning itself as that bridge.
If execution matches ambition, this is less about launching another tech venture and more about laying the groundwork for how Indian enterprises think, build, and scale with AI in the years ahead.
Brands
Beardo unveils new film for Godfather fragrance
Danish Pandor leads cinematic campaign spotlighting power and comeback narrative.
MUMBAI: Power doesn’t always shout sometimes, it just walks back in and takes its seat. Beardo has rolled out a new campaign film for its flagship Godfather fragrance, bringing a cinematic lens to one of its most recognisable products. The film stars Danish Pandor, fresh off his portrayal of Uzair Baloch, and leans into a narrative built on quiet authority, tension, and a long-anticipated return.
Set in an abandoned den with an unclaimed throne, the film unfolds through whispers and restrained drama, culminating in a reveal that favours presence over proclamation. The storytelling mirrors the positioning of the Godfather fragrance itself, an enduring bestseller in the men’s grooming category, known for its bold, woody-spicy profile and appeal across age groups.
Rather than opting for a traditional feature-led approach, the brand leans into mood and mythology. Pandor’s performance anchors the film’s central idea of an anti-hero reclaiming control, aligning with the fragrance’s identity as a symbol of dominance and self-assured masculinity.
Conceptualised by Beardo’s in-house team, the campaign has been released across Instagram and Youtube, reflecting a broader shift towards content that blurs the line between advertising and entertainment particularly for digital-first audiences.
The fragrance itself blends mint, lemon, geranium, vetiver, and musk, designed to be long-lasting and versatile. But the campaign makes it clear: this isn’t just about scent notes, it’s about signalling presence.
In a category crowded with claims, Beardo’s latest play doesn’t try to be louder. It simply leans into the idea that the real ‘OG’ doesn’t announce itself, it’s felt.
