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upGrad India onboards Abdul Wajid Shaikh as head of performance marketing
Mumbai: Edtech major upGrad on Friday announced the appointment of Abdul Wajid Shaikh as head of performance marketing for India.
In his new role, Shaikh will be driving end-to-end performance marketing across digital platforms. He will also work towards streamlining and automation of the entire performance marketing processes to facilitate profitability, said the company in a statement.
Welcoming Shaikh on board, upGrad CEO-India, Arjun Mohan said, “We are thrilled to have yet another LifeLong learner, Abdul who joins the upGrad family. Aligned with our vision, he brings with him deep domain expertise, given his decade-long experience with other digital brands. I am confident that Abdul joining our dynamic performance marketing vertical will help us scale newer heights while staying true to our vision and core beliefs.”
Shaikh comes with more than a decade of experience in the digital marketing industry. He has had stints with brands like WhiteHat Jr, Flipkart, Viu OTT, InMobi, Mobiclicks.
Talking about his new role, Shaikh shared, “Being part of upGrad is going to be an exciting new phase for me. The edtech space is booming with potential and prospects waiting to be explored. And upGrad is at the cusp of new possibilities and opportunities. I resonate with upGrad as a brand and its philosophy of Lifelong Learning. While I am enthused to bring all my experience and expertise to bolster upGrad’s presence, I am also excited about picking up new skills along this journey.”
MAM
Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
