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Poorva Bhatikar elevated to industry head for auto at Google India
HYDERABAD: Google India has appointed Poorva Bhatikar as its new industry head for auto, sharpening its focus on an AI-driven vehicle buying journey as India’s auto market accelerates its digital shift.
Announcing the move, Bhatikar said the car purchase funnel is evolving “rapidly, fuelled by AI”, adding that she looks forward to partnering with Google’s premier auto clients in 2026 to “bring them the best of Google”.
Bhatikar steps into the role after six years at Google, most recently serving as industry manager from February 2020 to January 2026. The new assignment, effective January 2026, is based in the Mumbai metropolitan region.
In a note marking the transition, Bhatikar thanked Preeti Lobana and Siddharth Shekhar for placing their trust in her, and Roma Datta Chobey for what she described as “unwavering sponsorship”.
Before joining Google, Bhatikar was senior marketing manager at Hotstar from October 2018 to February 2020, where she led acquisition and retention for a niche but affluent consumer base across the US, UK and Canada, while also planning launches in new markets. Her remit spanned marketing strategy, consumer segmentation, media planning, and online and offline branding, acquisition and measurement.
Earlier, at Mattel Toys (India), she served as category head – marketing between June 2017 and September 2018, leading strategic brand marketing for iconic franchises such as Barbie, Hot Wheels and UNO. Her responsibilities included annual brand P&L delivery, product and pricing strategy, margin management and large-scale brand initiatives. During her tenure, Bhatikar drove the localisation of Barbie in India through the ‘You Can Be Anything’ campaign and delivered double-digit growth, making Hot Wheels the fastest-growing and most profitable brand in the portfolio through pricing interventions, portfolio optimisation, consumer and customer activations, parent advocacy and influencer marketing.
Her earlier roles at Mattel included brand manager, boys category from August 2013 to July 2015, overseeing Hot Wheels, Scrabble, Pictionary, UNO, WWE and Disney Pixar Cars and Planes, and assistant manager, consumer products from August 2010 to July 2013, focused on brand licensing across hardline and softline categories.
Bhatikar began her career at Reliance Broadcast Network as key account manager – Big Connect between 2009 and 2010, where she drove revenue through radio inventory sales and customised, multi-platform solutions for key clients.
With a career spanning toys, streaming and technology, and a new mandate at the intersection of mobility and machine intelligence, Bhatikar now takes charge at a moment when car buying is increasingly shaped not on showroom floors, but on screens, searches and smart systems.
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
