MAM
Shisham Digital onboards Ankoor Dasguupta as their chief marketing officer
Mumbai: A marketing & communications practitioner, storyteller, an advocate of social impact and driven by kaizen, Ankoor believes in the power of Energy and energise while bringing to the table a pedigree of 23 years with a rare combination of experience across the spectrum of marketing, advertising & media – print, digital, mobile, event productions & successful pilot projects. Worked across functions – ad operations, business operations & strategy, content, brand strategy, sales, events, media planning & buying and spearheading P&L, Ankoor has been part of six Sigma projects and also worked in cross-functional roles with – MNCs, media conglomerates and start-ups. A member of the CMO Council, Ankoor is part of multiple reputed Jury and screening council members at national and international forums, an avid writer with more than 50 published works and an established speaker at events and B-Schools. Ankoor is trained by Dale Carnegie in Mentoring to Develop Talent and is also on the Advisory Board of the Marketing Department, at ISBR Business School.
“Ankoor is joining Shisham Digital at a pivotal moment where our vision and solutions are at a stage to build deeper connections with our international audience with his expertise in marketing, strategy and processes. Shisham has been solving nuanced aspects of performance marketing with its audience intelligence technology and its exclusive owned and operated channels.” – said Shashi Bhushan Singh, the founder & CEO. Shashi added – we are now stepping into our next stage of growth and I am extremely happy to have Ankoor join us with his immense experience.
“I am excited to create more visibility for Shisham, primarily in the international market with a more cohesive approach, by creating experiences for our customers to bring our solutions in all relevant moments while being the brand architect for Shisham, strengthening our positioning in the international market and to scale. We are building the next level growth story keeping in mind our customers as our centripetal force. For me, demonstrating values, and purpose, and inspiring people to understand the depth of what inspires them, everything tying up to positive impact by joining functional and emotional aspects of marketing has always been at the core. My ‘why’ has always been Kaizen, said Dasguupta.” To add, Ankoor said – “During my multiple discussions with Shashi, what struck the chord is his distinctive vision that I deeply resonate with and his passion which I found both intense, deep, challenging and exciting.”
Brands
Hocco crosses Rs 530cr revenue in two years
Sauce.vc-led Rs 100cr raise values ice cream brand at Rs 2,500cr pre-money as quick commerce hits 20 per cent of sales.
MUMBAI: Hocco has just scooped a seriously sweet milestone crossing the Rs 530 crore revenue mark in just two full years of operations. The fast-growing Indian ice cream and indulgence brand announced it has raised Rs 100 crore in fresh capital led by Sauce.vc. The round values the company at Rs 2,500 crore pre-money and underscores investor confidence in its rapid scale and distinctive India-first approach.
Founder Ankit Chona said the brand’s success stems from solving real Indian challenges extreme summer heat, fragmented cold chains and culturally rooted tastes. “In India, product development doesn’t end in the lab. It only ends when it survives the street,” he noted. This philosophy has produced viral hits such as Aamchi mango ice cream, BIX cake-sponge sandwiches, the Oh cone and culturally relevant collaborations like Haldiram’s Barfi and festive Modak specials.
Hocco currently operates manufacturing facilities in Ahmedabad and Panipat with a production capacity of approximately 3 lakh litres per day, running near full capacity in peak season. The fresh capital will help expand this to around 4.5 lakh litres per day.
Quick commerce has emerged as a major growth engine, now contributing ~20 per cent of overall business and growing nearly 2x year-on-year. The channel has boosted product discovery, increased consumption frequency and helped extend ice cream beyond its traditional seasonal limits.
Sauce.vc founder Manu Chandra said, “At Sauce, we believe that when you chance upon an outlier business, you double down with stronger conviction. We see Hocco as just that.”
With a strong innovation pipeline, deeper distribution and continued focus on cultural relevance, Hocco is entering its third year aiming to capture even more mind space and market share. In a category long dominated by legacy players, this young brand is proving that the coolest way to win is to build for India’s realities, one scoop, one street and one satisfied craving at a time.
