MAM
Vdopia realigns its top management
MUMBAI: In order to strengthen the business and its product offerings, Vdopia has made changes in the top management.
To meet the distinct demands and challenges of the ad tech industry, it has appointed Saurabh Bhatia, who co-founded Vdopia in 2007 and has served since as its chief business officer (CBO), as its chief executive officer (CEO), succeeding Srikanth Kakani (also a co-founder) who becomes the company’s chief technology officer (CTO), a new position. Chhavi Upadhyay, another co-founder, who has served as chief operating officer (COO), becomes Vdopia’s president, also a new position.
Bhatia believes that under Srikanth’s direction, Vdopia served video ads to 63 of the top 100 ad age advertisers and expanded globally opening up offices in nine countries. He says: “Building on the momentum set by him, we aim to innovate with greater speed, efficiency and capability in a fast-changing world. We are in the most exciting phase of our growth, as the mobile video ad market is expected to grow by more than 300 per cent in the next four years. As an organisation, we will build a stronger, growing business portfolio by further solidifying our core technology offerings. This structural reorganisation is indispensable for Vdopia to respond with agility to the changing business environment.”
As Vdopia’s CEO, Bhatia will have global responsibilities for driving the company’s growth and vision, leading the company’s strategy, defining the product road map and be in charge of overall revenue growth.
With over 10 years of sales and business development experience, prior to co-founding Vdopia, he held executive positions at Maxcellence, Peak Performance Solutions and Insways Software. Bhatia holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
As Vdopia’s first CTO, Kakani will oversee the development, implementation and growth of Vdopia’s technology vision. This includes but is not limited to strengthening the core technology of VDO, Vdopia’s proprietary ad format, launching and building a mobile video marketplace, development of big data targeting engines and Vdopia’s approach to native advertising.
Upadhyay, as the company’s president, will provide leadership and direction to human resources, legal, accounting and finance in addition to her current responsibilities of global operations and business development.
“With these management changes we will focus on making internal and external processes at Vdopia more productive, efficient, simple and scalable,” adds Bhatia. “We will continue to focus our energies and efforts on building great products and providing value for our customers, stakeholders and the advertising industry.”
MAM
Ameya Velankar steps down as Uber’s head of marketing for India & South Asia
Veteran marketer exits after more than seven years with the ride-hailing giant.
MUMBAI: After more than seven years of steering Uber through the bumpy roads of India’s mobility market, Ameya Velankar has decided to change lanes. Ameya Velankar has stepped down as Head of Marketing for India and South Asia, marking the end of a significant chapter at the ride-hailing company. He had been with Uber since 2019, taking on multiple roles in product and category marketing before rising to lead the marketing function for the region in 2021.
During his tenure, Velankar played a key role in strengthening Uber’s positioning in one of its most competitive and dynamic markets. He helped drive localised marketing strategies and scale adoption across key offerings such as Auto, Moto, Rentals and Intercity, tailoring global platforms to Indian consumer needs.
Prior to joining Uber, Velankar built his marketing expertise at leading consumer companies including SC Johnson and Marico, where he handled category and product leadership roles. His career began at RPG Enterprises.
Details of his next professional move have not been disclosed.
In a fast-evolving mobility landscape where brands constantly battle for attention, Ameya Velankar helped Uber stay relevant and resonant with millions of Indian users. As he moves on from the driver’s seat of marketing, the company will now look for fresh ideas to keep its wheels turning smoothly.
