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Scaler onboards Rahul Karthikeyan as the CMO
MUMBAI: Edtech startup Scaler on Wednesday announced key leadership appointments in its marketing and creative verticals. Rahul Karthikeyan was appointed as the chief marketing officer. Karthikeyan moves from upGrad where he was the head of marketing.
Arnav Gupta has joined as product and strategy lead. Gupta is a serial entrepreneur and has worked with Zomato in the past. Anu Nair joins as creative head, and Ranjeet Kumar and Manmeet Singh Akali as co-heads of brand and content.
Scaler and InterviewBit co-founder Abhimanyu Saxena said, “As we prepare ourselves for the next phase of growth, industry knowledge and experience will be even more crucial across all aspects. I am, therefore, extremely delighted to have some of the brightest minds in the business join us as we journey to become a world-class virtual tech university. We are also looking to expand our presence beyond metros, and plan to hire over 100-150 people in the current fiscal across functions to support this expansion.”
The company, which offers software programming courses, had raised $20 million in Series A funding from Sequoia India, Tiger Global, and Global Founders Capital in January.
“We want to build a quality education platform that is constantly upgrading based on trends in the market, to ensure that our students are up to date. It is an exciting time for the brand, and I am happy to be part of this journey,” said Karthikeyan on his new role.
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Barista partners Ginny Weds Sunny 2 with mango campaign
Cafe chain blends cinema buzz with summer menu and 20 per cent offer.
MUMBAI: Love may brew slowly, but marketing clearly doesn’t especially when coffee meets cinema and mangoes steal the spotlight. Barista Coffee Company has partnered with the upcoming hindi film Ginny Weds Sunny 2 as its official beverage partner, in a move aimed at tapping into youth culture through entertainment-led engagement. The collaboration is not just a logo placement exercise. Instead, Barista is translating the film’s high-energy vibe into its cafés with a themed summer menu titled “Main Hoon Mango”, accompanied by a limited-period 20 per cent discount on combo offerings across outlets.
Actors Medha Shankr and Avinash Tiwary feature in the campaign, seen engaging with the mango-themed menu inside Barista cafés, a visual cue designed to blur the lines between reel and real-life consumption moments.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in how consumer brands are leveraging hindi film industry not just for visibility, but for immersive, on-ground engagement. By embedding the film’s narrative into its product experience, Barista is aiming to drive footfall, especially among younger audiences who increasingly seek experiential touchpoints over traditional advertising.
Barista Coffee Company CEO Rajat Agrawal described the partnership as both a branding and growth play, focused on expanding reach beyond the existing customer base and aligning with evolving consumer preferences.
The emphasis on a seasonal, flavour-led hook mango, one of India’s most culturally resonant ingredients adds a timely layer to the campaign, aligning with summer consumption trends while riding on the film’s promotional momentum.
For Barista, the move is part of a larger positioning shift. Rather than operating purely as a coffee retail chain, the brand is increasingly framing itself as a lifestyle destination, one that intersects with entertainment, conversation and shared experiences. By integrating cinema into its physical spaces, Barista is effectively turning cafés into micro-extensions of the film’s universe, where consumers do not just watch a story unfold but participate in it sip by sip.
The 20 per cent offer further nudges trial, lowering the barrier for consumers to engage with the themed menu while amplifying recall through a tangible incentive.
Brand-film collaborations are hardly new, but their execution is evolving. Where earlier partnerships relied on co-branded ads or product placements, the current playbook leans towards immersive storytelling and retail integration.
In that sense, Barista’s “Main Hoon Mango” push is less about promotion and more about participation inviting consumers to experience a slice of the film within a familiar, everyday setting. As the film industry continues to act as a cultural amplifier, such partnerships underline a growing truth, in today’s attention economy, it is not enough to be seen brands must be experienced.
And if that experience comes with a mango twist and a cinematic backdrop, all the better.
