eNews
Flipkart bets big on its commerce advertising platform for retail and non-retail brands
MUMBAI: Flipkart, which claims to be India’s largest e-commerce firm, today went live with its Brand Story Ads on the mobile app with over 50 leading brands on board.
Brands including Yes Bank, L’Oréal, Micromax, Intel, Gillette, Datsun and Sony have already signed up on the platform to launch their ad campaigns.
Flipkart SVP Ravi Garikipati said that with Brand Story Ads, FlipKart is “offering a platform where the brands can target and engage with largest qualified commerce audience in the country at the right time for the right intent. Thus, the propensity to click on the advertisement is only higher and stronger. The magnitude of consumer traffic and intelligent data insights on online shopping behaviour gives Flipkart the edge to provide larger reach, impact and measurability.”
Brand Story Ads is a native, interactive story format with content images and product guides that enables brands to tell their stories in a crisp and impactful manner. In the initial phase, the campaigns will focus on awareness creation with brand story and category pages. This will later be extended to product listings, checkouts and other areas.
Along with the brands that retail on Flipkart (first party brands), this service will also be available to other non-retailing brands (third party brands) in sectors like real estate, FMCG, BFSI, auto, and telecom etc.
With the launch of Brand Story Ads, Flipkart has introduced a new form of advertising that it calls ‘Commerce Advertising’, delivering a holistic view of consumer’s purchase journey post ad interactions and highlights effectiveness of the advertising campaigns. Flipkart promises a universal solution to brands that is based on superior data and buying intent of 50 million+ consumers.
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
