Brands
Vidya Kailasam Hangal steps up to director, category planning and activation at Mondelēz International
CHICAGO: Mondelēz International has elevated Vidya Kailasam Hangal to director, category planning and activation (head, customer marketing), handing her a wider mandate at a time when the FMCG major is doubling down on data-led growth and sharper in-market execution.
With close to two decades of experience across Mondelēz, Britannia and Coca-Cola, Hangal brings a rare blend of large P&L leadership, brand-building muscle and digital transformation expertise. She has managed businesses exceeding $350m, built enduring equity for marquee brands such as Milk Bikis, Brand Coke, Diet Coke, Choclairs and Halls, and led frontline sales teams of more than 100 people.
In her expanded role, Hangal will steer customer and shopper marketing across channels, including general trade, modern trade, e-commerce and away-from-home, overseeing channel programme design, trade architecture, trade spend management and demand planning. She also retains independent responsibility for revenue delivery across the away-from-home and government channels.
Previously, she led Mondelēz India’s organised trade and e-commerce business. Before that, she drove the company’s consumer data and digital transformation agenda, building owned media platforms, first-party data capabilities and martech stacks at scale.
The message from Mondelēz is clear. As consumption fragments and channels collide, execution at the shelf and on the screen matters more than ever. With Hangal at the helm of customer marketing, the company is betting on precision, pace and performance.
Brands
Ather Energy doubles service network to 500 centres nationwide
EV maker scales support alongside growth to keep riders on the road
MUMBAI: Ather Energy is quietly building more than just scooters. It is building the backbone to keep them running.
The electric two-wheeler maker has expanded its service network to 500 authorised centres across India, nearly doubling its footprint in a year from 277. The move mirrors its growing retail presence and signals a clear focus on one often overlooked part of EV ownership, what happens after the purchase.
From the outset, Ather has prioritised service support in every city it enters, aiming to make ownership as smooth as the ride itself. Its Gold Service Centres bring in upgraded customer lounges, modern equipment and processes designed to make servicing more transparent and reliable.
Speed, too, is part of the pitch. Through its ExpressCare initiative, riders can get periodic maintenance done in about an hour, now available across 82 centres, turning what used to be a chore into a quick pit stop.
Ather Energy chief business officer Ravneet Singh Phokela said, “Crossing 500 service centres is an important milestone as we scale across the country. Reliable after-sales support is central to the ownership experience, and our focus remains on consistent service quality and accessibility.”
The expansion comes as demand grows for models like the Ather 450 and the Rizta, which have helped the company reach a broader set of riders across metros and emerging cities alike.
Alongside servicing, Ather continues to power up infrastructure through the Ather Grid, now one of the largest fast-charging networks for two-wheelers, with over 4,300 charging points.
With plans to scale further and deepen its presence, Ather’s approach is clear. Selling the scooter may start the journey, but keeping it running smoothly is what sustains it.
