MAM
Uninor makes leadership changes in telecom circles
NEW DELHI: Uninor has made leadership changes in its three circles – east, west and south. Additionally, the telecom company has also appointed a circle business head (CBH) for Assam.
Uttar Pradesh (West) CBH KC Narendran will take over as UP (East) CBH, whereas Satish Kumar Kannan will move to UP (West) as its CBH.
Shrinath Kotian, the current sales and distribution head of Maharashtra and Goa circles, will replace Kannan as the circle business head of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Uninor has also appointed Anil Kumar as the Assam CBH, where its service will be commercially launched later this year.
All changes are effective 1 June this year.
“The current organisational changes are example of how Uninor believes in growing and developing its own people to take newer challenges. I am confident that they will do their best to further grow our business in their respective circles. I wish all of them a great success and request all of us to provide necessary support in making Uninor successful,” said Telewings Communications Services (Uninor) CEO Vivek Sood.
Narendran joined Uninor in 2008, and has served as CMO and head of sales & distribution in UP (W) before taking the helm. He has 23 years of experience in the telecom industry and will be now responsible for UP (East), the largest circle for Uninor. Kannan will take over UP (West) from Narendran.
Kannan, the current CBH for Andhra Pradesh, has been responsible for growing Uninor business to over 5.5 million subscribers in the circle. He had earlier served as the head of marketing AP. He joined Uninor in 2009 from Vodafone India.
The new Assam CBH Anil Kumar has over 18 years of experience in handling distribution, retail channels and cluster strategy. Before being elevated as Assam circle head, Kumar was the sales and distribution head of Maharashtra and Goa circle.
Kotian joined Uninor in 2009. He moved to M&G as sales head in October 2014 from Gujarat where he was the marketing head of circle.
MAM
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.
