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Times of India & Healthians celebrate National Health Check-up Day with free health check-ups on
MUMBAI: To celebrate India’s first National Health Check-up Day, instituted by the Times of India in association with Healthians, people across seven major Indian cities got free health check-ups to educate them about the importance of periodic check-ups.
As a part of the observations, TOI and Healthians instated a total of 11 checkup camps across seven major locations – Delhi, Gurgaon, Pune, Bangalore, Mumbai, Thane, and Noida. The activity looked to impact and enable more than 500 families to consider preventive healthcare measures.
As of now, only 9.6 per cent of the overall healthcare expenditure goes towards preventive healthcare. The National Health Check-up Day is a constituent of the Healthy India Fit India (HiFi) movement organised, a joint undertaking by TOI and Healthians, that aims to encourage people to adopt preventive healthcare as a lifestyle choice to help them avoid significant repercussions to their health and wallets.
Speaking on the initiative, Healthians founder and CEO Deepak Sahni said, "The idea of dedicating a day for health stemmed from the behavior of millennials, both men and women in the age group of 29-40 years. They are so busy in their careers and improving the quality of their lives, that health is often ignored. It’s only when they cross a certain life stage, or when someone close suffers a health problem they realise what they have lost in terms of health. We want people to realise that before it’s too late, their health needs their attention to be able to avoid illnesses.”
The HiFi initiative was commenced with a pilot campaign that saw over 3 lakh people from across the country pledging to undertake health check-ups on 1 December, signifying its impact on raising awareness about healthcare.
Multiple celebrities including famous Indian boxers Mary Kom and Vijender Singh, cricketer Sushma Verma, Table Tennis player Manika Batra, Bollywood actresses Sameera Reddy, Chavvi Mittal, and Nisha Rawal had also pledged to undertake health check-ups to celebrate the National Health Checkup Day.
Times Internet COO Puneet Gupt said, “We firmly believe in supporting causes with initiatives that truly matter. Observing an annual National Health Day is a part of our mission to help India grow stronger by enabling every Indian to pledge for a healthier version of themselves through preventive health checkups. We are excited to partner with Healthians to be a part of this journey to call for a healthier and happier India.”
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Abhinav Rastogi named global marketing director for YouTube Shopping
Google veteran to scale creator commerce and expand shopping across global markets
SINGAPORE: Abhinav Rastogi has stepped into a new role as global marketing director for YouTube Shopping, marking the latest chapter in a more than decade-long career at Google.
Rastogi, who took on the position in February and is based in Singapore, will lead global marketing for YouTube Shopping, a platform designed to connect creators, viewers and merchants in a single ecosystem. His remit includes expanding the service into new markets and strengthening its positioning as a growth channel for both creators and brands.
In a reflective note on the transition, Rastogi pointed to a simple but powerful idea driving the role. For years, creators have quietly built trust with audiences through consistent and authentic content, and that trust often shapes purchasing decisions. What is changing now, he said, is the infrastructure around that behaviour. YouTube Shopping aims to make it easier for viewers to discover and buy products recommended by creators they already follow.
The scale is already significant. More than half a million creators have joined the programme, with recent expansion into Japan through a partnership with Rakuten signalling further global ambitions.
Rastogi believes the future of shopping on YouTube will be driven by a blend of creators, content and communities. In his view, it is the human voice behind the screen, not just the product, that ultimately builds trust and drives discovery.
Prior to this role, he served as director of marketing, YouTube Asia Pacific, where he led regional marketing across creator engagement, brand building and reputation. During that time, he played a key role in launching and scaling YouTube Shopping across eight markets in the region.
Earlier stints at Google include group product marketing manager, consumer apps, overseeing growth for products such as Search, Maps and Assistant across India and Southeast Asia, and product marketing manager roles spanning consumer apps and YouTube, where he contributed to launches including YouTube Music, YouTube Originals and YouTube Shorts.
Rastogi began his career in consulting with Boston Consulting Group and A.T. Kearney, before moving into the technology sector. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Alongside his corporate role, he is also an active angel investor, backing early-stage startups in consumer technology and electric mobility across India and Southeast Asia.
As he settles into the new role, Rastogi is betting on a future where every video can double up as a storefront, and where commerce feels less like a transaction and more like a recommendation from a trusted voice.
