Brands
Samsung and Publica fast-forward their FAST alliance
MUMBAI: Now that’s what you call prime-time chemistry. Samsung Ads and Publica by IAS have renewed their multi-year global partnership, promising to make connected TV (CTV) ad breaks as smooth as the shows themselves.
Announced in New Delhi on 1 October, the deal sees Samsung Ads lean on Publica’s award-winning ad server and unified auction tech to boost revenue while keeping viewers glued to seamless, TV-like ad experiences.
Samsung TV Plus, the company’s free ad-supported streaming service, already beams out more than 3,500 channels worldwide, more than any other major FAST (Free Ad-Supported TV) platform, and reaches a staggering 88 million monthly users. With Publica’s technology under the hood, Samsung Ads aims to give brands precision targeting and advertisers first dibs on prime ad slots, without compromising on the viewer experience.
“Publica’s platform has helped us become the industry’s leading FAST service,” said Samsung Ads head of channel sales Joe Melaragno. “This next phase deepens our ability to deliver more high-quality content while maximising value for advertisers.”
Publica CRO Cameron Miille added, “Our solutions ensure Samsung Ads can curate exceptional CTV ad breaks as their audience continues to grow.”
From pod exclusivity to smarter auctions, the partnership is designed to make ads feel less like interruptions and more like part of the show, a win for both brands and binge-watchers.
Brands
Dabur buys minority stake in Ras Beauty for Rs 60 crore
Dabur Ventures deal backs fast-growing luxury skincare brand
MUMBAI: Dabur India Limited has dipped into the world of luxury skincare, signing a definitive agreement to acquire a minority stake in Ras Beauty Private Limited for Rs 60 crore. The investment marks the first bet from Dabur Ventures, the FMCG major’s Rs 500 crore platform set up in October 2025 to back high-potential, new-age direct-to-consumer brands.
Founded in Raipur by Shubhika Jain, her sister Suramya Jain and their mother Sangeeta Jain, Ras Beauty has grown from a family-led passion project into a fast-scaling “Farm-to-Face” skincare label. Its range of face elixirs, serums and moisturisers blends essential oils with nature-derived actives, striking a balance between botanical purity and laboratory precision.
The numbers tell their own story. Ras has clocked a three-year Cagr of around 75 per cent and an annual run rate of approximately Rs 100 crore, all while maintaining strong gross margins. That growth has been fuelled by a digital-first approach, in-house R&D and manufacturing, and a sharp focus on clean, sustainable sourcing.
Dabur India executive director and group head corporate strategy Abhinav Dhall, said the company was drawn to Ras’s distinct positioning at the intersection of nature, science and luxury. He added that the premium beauty segment is poised for robust expansion over the coming decade, and that Ras is well placed to capture that opportunity.
For Ras, the partnership is as much about scale as it is about shared philosophy. Co-founder and CEO Shubhika Jain said Dabur’s 141-year legacy of building trusted, purpose-led brands makes it a natural ally. The capital infusion, she noted, will help accelerate the brand’s omnichannel footprint, deepen research capabilities and invest in team and brand building, with an eye on establishing Ras as a leading Indian luxury skincare name both domestically and overseas.
With this move, Dabur is not just investing in a skincare label. It is placing an early wager on India’s growing appetite for premium, conscious beauty, and signalling that heritage FMCG players are ready to play in the new-age D2C arena.
