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Wavemaker India appoints Deepa Jatkar as chief growth officer
Mumbai: Wavemaker India has announced the appointment of Deepa Jatkar as its chief growth officer. Deepa comes with rich experience of more than 20 years in media and consumer technology. She joins Wavemaker from Meta India, where she was a part of the global sales and marketing team and a key member of the India sales leadership team.
In her new role at Wavemaker, Deepa will report to South Asia CEO Ajay Gupte and will be based out of the agency’s Mumbai office.
Speaking on the appointment, Wavemaker South Asia CEO Ajay Gupte said, “We are delighted to welcome Deepa as part of the leadership team at Wavemaker. Deepa is a seasoned media professional with an exceptional understanding of the industry. As Chief Growth officer, she will help us fast track growth by driving new business and creating avenues for growth amongst our wide spectrum of clients.”
A media veteran, Deepa has worked with India’s largest media agency eco-system to build strategic growth programs, lead the revenue function, deploy business plans to enhance operational excellence and build capabilities at scale across the partner eco-system. Deepa has been an active voice at industry forums to champion the diversity and inclusion agenda for women leaders, and was part of the core team that hosted Meta India’s ‘Agency Women Leadership day’.
Commenting on her new role, Deepa said, “Wavemaker is a forward-looking agency. It is building a digital transformation approach across all their businesses and is producing some of the finest data driven work across its key clients. I have really been impressed by their vision and conviction of bringing in positive provocation to the media industry and I am super excited to work alongside the Wavemaker leadership to take this mandate to new heights.”
A national level basketball player, Deepa coaches kids and teens to hone their basketball skills. Deepa also volunteers at a local non-profit organisation that drives basketball excellence programs for kids from diverse/ less privileged communities.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
