February 2025 – Page 29

Torrent Group acquires majority stake in IPL team Gujarat Titans

The acquisition of Gujarat Titans aligns with Torrent Group's broader strategy of venturing into the growing sports industry in India.

CVC Capital Partners, which currently owns the Gujarat Titans through its subsidiary Irelia Company, will offload the majority of its stake through this transaction.

ITC in talks to acquire MTR Foods and Eastern Condiments for $1.4 billion

MTR Foods was founded in 1950 by Bengaluru’s Maiya family and later acquired by Orkla in 2007.

Orkla, which owns both brands, had previously explored the option of taking its Indian business public by considering an IPO as recently as September 2024.

Ranveer Allahbadia, Samay Raina controversy: Time for brands to shift ad budgets away from influencers?

While controversies like these may spark discussions, they won’t derail the momentum of influencer marketing, experts feel.

The controversy has intensified discussions around influencers’ accountability and responsibility. Industry experts believe it won’t significantly slow down influencer marketing but it will invite greater scrutiny of influencers/creators, deal values and ROI.

TRAI tightens rules against spam; introduces provision of stricter penalties

Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) is a feature that will display the names of the callers.

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has amended the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), 2018 to introduce stricter penalties, enhanced spam reporting, and consumer-friendly measures to curb unsolicited commercial communication.

Should CEOs, founders trademark their names? The case for protecting business leaders’ personal brands

Speaking of celebrities, seeking protection against misuse of their names has usually been the domain of the well-known faces in the media and entertainment industry, like actors Amitabh Bachchan, Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor. In the business world, it is normally companies that take recourse to the law to prevent misbranding or knock-offs, as highlighted on corporate law firm Parker & Parker’s website. (From top left: Ashneer Grover, Bhavish Aggarwal, Aman Gupta, Deepinder Goyal, Anupam Mittal, Ghazal Alagh and Vineeta Singh)

As CEOs and founders become the face of their companies and personal brands, the push to trademark identities and protect personalities is gaining momentum.

Industry stakeholders seek govt action against illegal betting apps

Industry stakeholders have also voiced concerns. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) previously wrote to Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Piyush Goyal, calling for a nationwide ban on opinion trading apps.

A representation letter will also be sent to Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Ministry of Finance, SEBI and ASCI on the need to prohibit opinion trading platforms in India.

Interpublic Group falls short of fourth-quarter estimates as ad spending slows

The company’s revenue from the U.S. and the U.K. fell by more than 3%, while Europe saw a 3% drop. In Asia Pacific, the decline was steeper, reaching nearly 8%.

Costa Coffee’s Sreejit Nair joins 4700BC as CEO

Sreejit Nair started his career with P&G where during hus stint, he headed the modern trade division and was part of the team which integrated the Wella and Gillette businesses to the mainline P&G business. He moved to Henkel in Dubai as the trade marketing manager for a short stint before relocating to India.

Previously, Sreejit Nair led Costa Coffee (Devyani International’s master franchisee) as its CEO.

Campa Cola secures co-presenting sponsorship for IPL 2025: Report

The move positions Campa Cola in one of the most high-profile sponsorship spots in the tournament.