Balaji is an integrated marketing communication professional with over 16 years of extensive experience in building brands for both global and Indian companies.
In his current role as Marketing Director, CEEMEA for Franklin Templeton, Balaji is responsible for marketing strategy and building brand SOV for the CEEMEA region. The region covers over 20 countries across Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa and focuses both on institutional and retail businesses.
Prior to this role, Balaji was Deputy Head – Marketing for Franklin Templeton India and was responsible for leading all key brand initiatives. Balaji has been one of the early adopters of leveraging gamification, video content and storytelling in the mutual fund industry to promote investor education in the online space. His deep understanding of consumer marketing and customer lifecycle journeys have won him multiple awards in India and globally across creativity, content, innovation and effectiveness. Very recently, he was conferred with the citation of “Marketing Influencer of the Year” by DMA Asia at the 2018 DMA Asia Echo Awards.
Marketing professional & Automobile Industry Expert with 11 years of successful track record in Brand Development, Product Marketing & Planning, Marketing Communication, Category Management, Marketing Operations, Strategy and Media Advertising. Outstanding performance in CFT leadership, Brand Communication, ATL/BTL, Product Development, Product Launches, Special Editions, Events & Sponsorship, Media Planning, Digital Content, Agency leadership, Celebrity management, Retail Marketing, Luxury & Sports Marketing, Business Planning & CRM. Currently heading Marketing & PR for Harley-Davidson India. Was associated with Nissan Motor India as Head – Marcom for Datsun brand. Prior was Sr. Group Product Marketing Lead & Country Chief Marketing Manager for Hatch, Sedan, Luxury SUV, Sports, Electric Vehicle & Connected Car(Intelligent Mobility) segments leading the product, pricing, Go To Market and project management strategy for Nissan India. Before Nissan, was Sr. Category Brand Head – Commuter motorcycles for World’s largest two wheeler manufacturer (Hero MotoCorp- formerly known as Hero Honda), taking care of brand development, marketing communication, strategy, digital content nationally for the 10-brands portfolio along with key corporate marketing and global business projects. Started career as Marketing Lead for North with focus on regional media, BTL activations, rural, sales support & CRM. Part of strategic projects as a CFT member/leader like CBU Business model, Intelligent Mobility, Scenario Planning, DMS, Dealer websites, Marketing Planning & Budgeting Software, QBR – Commonwealth Games, IPL, MTV Roadies, HIL, Hero World Challenge, FIFA, ICC, Employer Branding, National Dealer Conclaves, Auto shows, Factory Launches, International Marketing & CSR. An MBA in Marketing & Operations; Also a Mechanical Engineering Degree holder along with Executive programs in Digital Marketing & Leadership. Ad Awards Jury & Globally certified GT-R instructor as working with Hero MotoCorp
Qualifications – PGDM (Marketing) from FSM – Delhi, BE (Mechanical Engg.) from MSRIT – Bangalore, Digital certification from IIM-L, Executive Course in Leadership from Vanderbilt University – USA
Piali Dasgupta is currently Senior Vice President, Marketing, at Columbia Pacific Communities, India’s largest senior living community operator. Columbia Pacific Communities is part of the Seattle-based Columbia Pacific Management. which has presence across USA, Canada, China and India. Piali started her career in journalism with The Times of India, and crossed over to Marketing and Communication with playing key roles in creating impactful content marketing strategies for Myntra and later Amazon. She was responsible for creating Myntra’s very popular style makeover series along with celebrity style chat show series. In a career spanning 14 years, Piali has created a number of award winning marketing campaigns and served on juries. She is on Social Samosa’s Top 40 marketers under 40 list for the year 2019-2020 and has also been awarded the Content Mogul title by CMS Asia (Content Marketing Summit Asia) and has been named one of the top 10 Content Marketing Leaders in APAC in 2020 by CMS Asia. She has also been recognised as the Woman Marketer of The Year at MCube (Masters of Modern Marketing) Awards 2020. She was also part of Social Media Superwomen 2018, that recognised the top 50 women in
marketing in India. She has worked across print media, e-commerce (Myntra, Amazon), retail (Aditya Birla Fashion
Retail) and real estate and is currently building a compelling brand narrative around senior care inIndia.
Her core expertise lies in content marketing, storytelling, building brand narratives and strengthening
brand positioning through storytelling. According to her, good content is one that is purposeful, uplifting and has the ability to startconversations and believes that we are long past the age of “vanity content” or content for the sake of content. Outside of work, she enjoys travelling, is a voracious reader, spends time sketching and is also a
strong mental health advocate, doing her bit to remove long standing stigmas around mental illness.
Nikhil Bharadwaj is the Head of Corporate Communications at Bajaj Allianz General Insurance for close to 6 years now. Apart from handling media relations for the company, he is responsible for aligning the communication strategy (both internal and external) with the business objective. He acts as a communications advisor for senior management and all the departments to devise a long term strategy that effectively communicates the brand story. His aim is to ensure positive brand visibility across all stakeholders by not just producing the right content, but also by adopting an agile approach in line with the changing communications environment. Nikhil started his career with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance as a Management Trainee in 2006 and since then has worked across various profiles. With more than 16 years in the General Insurance industry, Nikhil is a seasoned professional with extensive sales experience in Bancassurance and was the Head of Online Sales as well, prior to joining the Corporate Communications Team of the company. Nikhil has done PGDM in Marketing & ERP from IMDR Pune, MDP in Digital & Social Media Marketing from IIM Bangalore and is also a Licentiate in General Insurance. He has authored various thought pieces on corporate communications in renowned publications and has been often called to interact with young students by various academic institution
Shrishail is a marketing professional with over 18 years of experience across categories of consumer products, financial services and pharma. Currently, he heads the consumer marketing function at Cipla and is instrumental in spearheading the company’s largest consumer awareness initiative.In his previous stint, he was heading the marketing function for the stationery business at Pidilite. Earlier in his career, he has worked with Berger paints, ICICI Prudential, MetLife, and Kotak Life. Shrishail is a foodie and a self-proclaimed movie critic. He loves to drive and play cricket with his son during his free time.
Sudeep is passionate about storytelling, building brands & categories and perfecting human connections. He has spent the last 17 years in various sales and marketing roles in Cadbury/ Mondelez and Pidilite, both being companies with incredible brand-building capabilities. This combination also makes him a rare marketer to have built brands in B2C as well as B2B space. He is passionate about everything that’s related to marketing and people. He is also a Marketing educator who conducts a crash course titled “Science behind the art of advertising” at GrowthSchool where he unpacks frameworks to create effective & measurable brand campaigns. His course has added value to around 2000+ industry professionals, marketing enthusiasts and students thus far. He also hosts a marketing podcast titled “CoBB -Conversations over Business of Brands” with his ex-colleague from Mondelez where they try to dispel myths & misinformation related to marketing
Rohit brings under two decades of diverse Sales , Marketing, Strategy and Commercial Leadership Experience ( P&L responsibilities ) in the Healthcare industry ( Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices ) working across therapy areas like Orthopaedics , Ophthalmology , Infusion Therapy & Endoscopy across India and Subcontinent . He is currently the Director Marketing – India & South Asia for Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision in India . He is part of the Vision Care India LT & Regional Marketing Council.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE : Marketing Excellence ♦ Technology Innovation ♦ Operations Excellence ♦ P&L Management ♦ Market Share Growth ♦ Customer Experience ♦ Strategic Partnerships ♦ Performing Teams ♦Strategic Thinking: Radical, Innovative, Transformational, Progressive, Result-oriented, Risk-optimized, Value-driven, Emotionally balanced ♦ Gamification & Digital Enthusiast ♦
. Amiya Swarup Heads Marketing Advisory and is Partner for Ernst & Young. He has nearly two decades of experience in fostering collaboration within the intricate web of marketers, media agencies, martech partners, and media houses, building a better working world
An energetic result oriented Brand, Media and Marketing Strategy enthusiast with over 15 years of experience in leading media organisations. Enjoy conceptualizing & executing innovative integration concepts via a creative, dynamic, & challenging mix of media platforms.
Worked extensively with advertising and media agencies on multimedia marketing approach and consumer and trade centric brand connect advertising solutions.
Specialties:
Corporate Communication, Brand Strategy, Product Marketing, Media strategy, Media Planning/Buying, 360 degree marketing campaign, Pricing, Innovation, Account Planning, Agency Handling, Sales Planning, Research, Customer Insights, Data Analysis, Product Marketing, Negotiations & associations, Team management and development
Leverage 4Cs (Category, Competition, Customer & Consumer) insights and analysis to drive better effectiveness and efficiency
Madhumita Phukan is a Marketing, PR and Corporate Communications professional with over 19 years of experience in various industry verticals. Madhumita is currently working with Tech Mahindra as the Global Marketing Head for AI Businesses. Prior to Tech Mahindra, she worked with Concentrix as Associate Director, Marketing and with IBM as a Brand & Communications Leader – India/South Asia for Global Technology Services Client Innovation Centres, Labs, Social Media, CSR, Crisis Management.
She is an alumnus of MICA, IIT Delhi Management School, Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania, USA), Amity School of Communications and Guwahati University. Besides, she is also an independent Blogger. She loves to write about her personal experiences, short stories, different social issues, opinion articles and review various products and services. Many of Madhumita’s blogs, poems, articles and stories have been published in different portals and publications e.g, Women’s Era, Business World, Assam Tribune, The Sentinel, StoryMirror, BeyondClassrooms etc.
Madhumita won many pan India Blogging Awards, and she was among the TOP 5 Bloggers in India in WIN 2015 and also, she won National Award in All India Cartoon Contest, 2003.
A Core Business leader with a Deep understanding of the products, marketing, Sales & consumer.. He is called as the “Go Getter” who deals in hardcore numbers and assure that every Penny spends attributes to a Business goal & a value for consumer. A Highly Agile Marketer with great ability to adapt with the changing trends of Digital Marketing.
He started his carrier at the age of 22 and assured that he has a deep hands on experience across Business lifecycle & he acquired a great experience in across domains like:
> Product development & Management, Brand Building, Digital Marketing, Establishing Ecommerce & D2C Businesses, Content & Influencer Marketing, Consumer Acquisition & Retention, Leadership Skills with Team Management. A complete Entrepreneur stints.
In this passionate 18yrs of professional journey, he has been rewarded with multiple excellence awards in every organization worked in;
One97 (paytm) : Best Sales person of the year
Times of India: Chairman Excellence award
Cheil/Samung: Most innovative idea person, recognized globally.,
And have recently received the prestigious award of Business world marketer 40under40.
An extra ordinary individual with a blended experience of working in a Startup , Leading Media Houses , Aggressive & Innovative Media Agencies , leading Brand Side of a highly competitive market of smartphones, he has gained & adapted an diversified approach, growth Path & organization cultures.
With such a great Mix of Sales, products & marketing he has worked with over 70 Brands & 500+ successful marketing campaigns.
He is now in working with vivo India Pvt Limited as General Manager, Head of Digital Marketing , which is a market Leader is the Smartphone Industry. Assuring that the brand is scaling to New heights in the Era of Digital Marketing wherein the consumer is the king & brand Se
Neelima Burra is the Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at Luminous Power Technologies. At Luminous, she is steering the company onto strategic innovation and business transformation pathway for propelling the organisation to greater market dominance in the energy space. In a career spanning over 20 years, Neelima has emerged as the leading voice in Indian business landscape. She has been recognized as a top influential women leader in India by Femina as well as amongst the 100 Most Influential Marketing Leaders by the World Marketing Congress.
Neelima has consistently driven organisations towards business excellence in diverse sectors, including Hospitality, FMCG, IT & Consumer Electronics, OTC, and Consumer Durables. Her extensive experience encompasses both the Indian market and specific markets across Asia. Before joining Luminous, she was at the Oberoi Group, as EVP and Chief Commercial Officer, successfully leading its business revival amidst Covid-19 challenges. She was also the Co-founder of Ganymede Business Ventures, spearheading the world’s largest ‘Food on Street’ service chain. Her previous experiences include managing leadership positions and key roles in HP, Cargill, Usha International, Whirlpool Corp and Britannia.
With her profound understanding of strategy, marketing, sales, and operations within the consumer goods space and services industry, Neelima is playing a pivotal role in transforming the brand while driving growth and profitability. With sustainability being a subject close to her heart, she is known driving organizational restructuring and for implementing ROI-driven conscious business strategies.
Beyond her professional achievements, Neelima nurtures a deep passion for gardening and embarks on solo travel adventures. Her love for food, particularly street food, inspired her to launch her own food tech startup. As a mother to a daughter and proud owner of two delightful pet dogs named Bruno and Kiro, she finds immense joy and fulfilment in nurturing her loved ones.
Prasad stands for Pragmatic, ROI driven, Analytical, Segmentation & Automation focused Digital way of doing business. He is a firm believer in the process of ideation – experimentation – learning fast – succeeding faster & scaling up cheap. A Chemical Engineer from UDCT & MBA from JBIMS, Prasad has 16+ years of experience in brand & product management, customer acquisition, customer life cycle management, strategy, business planning and research across insurance, telecom, banking and engineering sectors. Prior to HDFC Life, Prasad has worked in Tata Docomo, Vodafone, ICICI Bank & Kotak Mahindra Bank.
An MBA in Marketing from PSG Institute of Management. Also holds M.A & M.Phil in Sociology. Sharmila joined Saint-Gobain -Gyproc in 2021 as the Head of Marketing.
Sharmila has 18yrs of Brand and Marketing experience across various industries. Prior to Saint-Gobain, Sharmila led marketing and product management at ICICI Bank, Bisleri, Pidilite, Hatsun Agro, Radio Mirchi & Future group retail. Sharmila has vivid interest and acquired skills in numerous handicrafts, conducts workshops and loves being a swimming coach. She unwinds by watching movies and social networking.
An avid marketer with great passion for brand-building and doing disruptive marketing.
20+ years of robust marketing and communication
experience across diversified industries including FMCG, telecom, automotive,
semi-durables and advertising with top-notch brands like HUL, Idea,
Mahindra, Nerolac Paints, Hettich etc. A healthy mix of P&L driven marketing as well as pure
play Brand roles with experience in both B2C and B2B marketing.
Proven track record in launching, restaging brands and developing integrated
brand communication. A great passion for learning, looking at the larger
picture, an inquisitive & analytical mindset, result orientation and
leading by example have been the cornerstone of his professional career.
Recognized as one of the ‘Top 10 Best Marketing Heads of Asia 2023’ by CEO Insights Magazine and one of the ‘Most Admired Marketing Leaders’ by National Awards for Excellence forum. Has been part of the jury panel for many prestigious award forums.
Vaibhav is the Head of Marketing, Foods at Marico and has a rich & diverse experience spanning 15+ years across FMCG & Technology sector. He has held leadership roles in Marketing & Sales leading large scale portfolio of brands Including Saffola, Parachute & TATA TEA. He is a technology enthusiast and a firm believer of leveraging technology in marketing to unlock great brand experiences for consumers.
Shobha Vasudevan is an industry stalwart with an extensive experience of over 23 years. She currently heads the communication strategy for Dell Technologies India’s Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) – one of the largest portfolios of the company in the market. Previously, Shobha has also successfully spearheaded communications strategy for several IT and consumer giants such as Microsoft and Canon.
Following EMC’s merger with Dell in 2015, Shobha has successfully shaped and driven integrated enterprise marketing communications campaigns for Dell Technologies in India as a front runner in using new age communication tools to create a better impact for the brand. Under her guidance and encouragement, Dell Technologies has been able to break the barriers of technical B2B tech communication to emerge as a disruptor in meaningful conversations around the industry wherein Dell Technologies’ spokespeople have been established as thought leaders in India.
Additionally, Shobha is a graduate in Bachelor of Arts from Delhi University with a Business English Communication level 2 certificate from Cambridge University.
Bimalendu Tarafdar is a seasoned marketing strategist with over two decades of experience across FMCG, fashion retail, automotive, and hospitality industries. His expertise encompasses consumer insights, strategy, innovation and brand management. At Weikfield Foods, as the Vice President of Marketing & Ecommerce, he leads the brand’s rejuvenation, focusing on enhancing market presence through integrated marketing communications and e-commerce strategies. He is passionate about creating substantial value for the customers and the company through his strategic marketing leadership.
