MAM
Zomato’s Gaurav Verma is new PharmEasy CMO
NEW DELHI: PharmEasy has brought in former Zomato CMO Gaurav Verma to lead its marketing operations.
"Delighted to announce that I am joining the excellent team at PharmEasy! They have built a phenomenal quirky brand and am super excited to see what new heights we can take it to," said Verma in a post on his LinkedIn profile.
Verma joined Zomato in 2019. Soon, he was elevated to global growth head of dining out for a brief period of six months. Soon, he was given the mantle for marketing in April this year.
He led the brand marketing activities for Zomato throughout the pandemic and spearheaded several interesting campaigns. He exited the food delivery platform in November 2020.
Verma has 15 years of experience in the industry and has worked at leading companies like Pepsico, ITC, Lenovo, and Tata Tea. His longest stint was at Pepsico where he operated in different categories such as Tropicana, Lays, Kurkure, and others.
Brands
Kingfisher signs three-year IPL partnership
Packaged water brand signs on as ‘good times partner’ for 2026–28 cycle
MUMBAI: Kingfisher Premium Packaged Drinking Water is betting big on cricket’s biggest stage, sealing a three-year partnership with the Board of Control for Cricket in India to sharpen fan engagement at the TATA Indian Premier League.
The brand, owned by United Breweries, will serve as the official “good times partner” for the men’s IPL from 2026 to 2028, extending a relationship that began with the Women’s Premier League. The move signals a broader push to embed itself deeper into live sport, with a focus on immersive, consumer-led experiences rather than conventional sponsorship visibility.
At the heart of the tie-up is a suite of fan-first activations spanning broadcast, stadiums and digital channels. These include the “Kingfisher Bird Cam”, offering a branded spider-cam perspective during live matches, and the “Good Times Zone”, an in-stadium entertainment hub during play-offs aimed at amplifying match-day buzz. The brand will also back IPL fan parks, elevate public screening experiences and run digital contests tied to key moments through the season.
Vikram Bahl, chief marketing officer, United Breweries, said cricket in India “is more than a sport, it is a shared cultural moment”, adding that the IPL brings that energy alive at scale. “For Kingfisher Premium Packaged Drinking Water, being present at the heart of these moments, in partnership with the BCCI, is a natural extension of what we stand for. Through this association, we aim to enrich how fans experience the game… making every match more immersive, social and memorable,” Bahl said.
Devajit Saikia, honorary secretary, BCCI, said the IPL “has always been at the forefront of redefining sports entertainment and fan engagement”. He added that the collaboration would fuse cricket fandom with “innovative fan experiences that extend beyond the stadium”, helping create memorable moments for audiences nationwide.
For United Breweries, part of the HEINEKEN group, the play is clear: move from passive branding to active participation in the fan journey—on screens, in stands and across social spaces. With millions tuning in and turning up each season, the IPL remains the country’s most potent marketing theatre. The question now is whether “good times” can translate into lasting brand recall in a market where visibility is easy, but engagement is hard-won.
