eNews
NBA India’s “Nets for Change” wins Gold at Cannes Lions for photography
Mumbai: Earlier this year, the NBA partnered with the Publicis Groupe, MEA (Dubai), in India to bring to life “Nets for Change”, an initiative to repurpose discarded underwater fishing nets at basketball courts in India. Discarded underwater fishing nets pose a significant environmental threat, and through this initiative, the NBA and Publicis are giving these nets a new purpose, so that aspiring players have higher-quality courts where they can come together to play the game. The pilot project was launched successfully in Mumbai at The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Colaba and in community courts in EuroSchool, Thane and Vikhroli, with plans to expand to other markets.
As an extension of this campaign, the Publicis team created a series of posters to encourage more youth to play basketball. Featuring street-style photography, these posters recreated some of the most iconic dunks by NBA stars, capturing them through the lens of everyday life in India. Displayed across courts during the filming of the campaign, the posters invited young ballers to be India’s next ’23 in a billion’, ‘8 in a billion’, and ‘6 in a billion’, referencing the iconic jersey numbers of NBA superstars. The posters featuring these iconic dunks were submitted to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity by Publicis Groupe Dubai, winning Gold for Photography and Silver as an Outdoor Campaign in Industry Craft.
The NBA is committed to using the power of basketball to inspire fans and partners to minimize environmental impacts and help drive broader industry and societal progress. The “Nets for Change” campaign video highlights the extent of the ecological damage caused by discarded fishing nets and how this initiative is helping combat it, one hoop at a time.
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.
