iWorld
Facebook hires directors to support growing partnerships in India
NEW DELHI: Facebook has hired Francis Jose, Manohar Hotchandani and Paras Sharma in its growing partnership team in India. With extensive experience in technology, telecom, media and entertainment, these new additions will help lead strategic partnerships and initiatives to support Facebook’s continued growth in India, with an overall aim for driving better value for business partners.
Facebook India director and head of partnerships Manish Chopra said, “We are proud to expand our team with addition of Francis, Manohar and Paras – who are not only leading industry talents but also share Facebook’s passion to create unique experiences that drive business value for our partners and bring the world closer together.”
Paras Sharma will be the director for media partnerships and lead the charter across news, entertainment, sports and music verticals for both Facebook and Instagram. Sharma comes with 23 years of experience with leading global media organizations like Viacom CBS Asia, Fox International Channels and ESPN Star Sports. He has worked across various functions including media, creative, content production, acquisition & programming, OTT platforms, marketing and business management and has led teams in diverse regions including India, SEA, China & Japan, with a focus on expanding to newer markets, creating localized programming and new programs; to grow audiences and engagement across linear and digital platforms.
Francis Jose is the new director of mobile & connectivity partnerships for India and will drive engagements across the telecom, ISP & mobile devices industries in India. He joins Facebook from Samsung India Electronics and prior to that he has worked at Blackberry, Reliance Communications, Airtel, Aptech & BPL Mobile. Over the past 21 years, he has held responsibilities across a wide spectrum of roles including network engineering, business development, sales & distribution as well as strategic partner management; working with clients & principals to develop newer go to market strategies and expand their user bases.
Manohar Hotchandani joins as director, business development and will be working across multiple opportunities in India, with a keen focus on growing gaming, commerce, AR/VR. He joins Facebook from Amazon where he led the Alexa voice service (AVS) business post a long stint at Microsoft across multiple roles. Manohar has 25+ years of experience across business development, ecosystem creation and management & P&L management with MNC companies like Microsoft and Amazon.
All three of them will be reporting to Manish Chopra, director and head of partnerships at Facebook India.
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iWorld
Uber spotlights Rs 25 bike rides with music led IPL campaign
Uber uses 15 second music films with Divine and Roll Rida to push Rs 25 rides
MUMBAI: In a season where ads usually swing for sixes with celebrity spectacle, Uber has chosen to play a clever single sharp, fast, and straight to the point. Uber has rolled out a distinctly stripped-down IPL campaign, putting its product Uber Bike rides starting at Rs 25 for up to 3 km front and centre, rather than leaning on big-budget storytelling. The campaign features hip-hop artist Divine in Mumbai and Roll Rida in southern markets, using music as the primary vehicle for recall.
IPL advertising has long been dominated by high-production narratives packed with cricketers and film stars. Uber’s approach flips that playbook. Instead of elaborate storytelling, the brand opts for 15-second music-led films quick, rhythmic bursts designed to mirror the pace of urban mobility itself.
The message is deliberately simple, affordable, fast rides that cut through city traffic. No layered plots, no extended build-up just a functional promise delivered with cultural flair.
In the Mumbai-led film, Divine zips through traffic on an Uber Bike, turning the Rs 25 price point into a hook with his signature wordplay around “pachisi”. The campaign cleverly reframes affordability as a moment of delight, the kind that leaves commuters with a “32-teeth smile” after beating traffic at minimal cost.
Meanwhile, Roll Rida’s version leans into southern sensibilities, blending Telugu and Tamil influences with high-energy visuals. Set to the beat of tape drums, the film celebrates how low-cost rides can unlock a more connected and vibrant city experience. Together, the films reflect a conscious push towards regional authenticity, rather than a one-size-fits-all national narrative.
The campaign also signals Uber’s sharper focus on India’s growing bike taxi segment. While the company offers multi-modal services spanning cars, autos, metro integrations and intercity travel, this push zeroes in on two-wheelers as a key growth lever in dense urban markets.
By anchoring the campaign around a Rs 25 entry price for short distances, Uber is targeting everyday commuters, particularly younger users navigating congested cities where speed and cost matter more than comfort.
With IPL advertising clutter at its peak, even the most straightforward message risks getting lost. Uber’s answer is to embed the proposition within culture using music, regional nuance and repeat-friendly short formats to drive recall. The creative team has also layered subtle visual cues including multiple references to “25” within frames encouraging repeat viewing and reinforcing the core message without over-explaining it.
The campaign reflects a broader shift in advertising priorities. As attention spans shrink and media environments get noisier, brands are increasingly favouring clarity over complexity and speed over scale.
Uber’s IPL play may not shout the loudest, but it lands where it matters in the everyday commute. Because sometimes, in a marketplace full of grand narratives, a Rs 25 ride is story enough.
