Month: April 2025

Croma appoints Shibashish Roy as CEO & MD

The appointment is effective from April 1, 2025.

Roy, a Tata Group veteran with over two decades of experience, was appointed CEO in November 2024 and worked closely with outgoing MD Avijit Mitra during a structured transition period that concluded in March 2025.

Google to pay $100 million to settle 14-year-old ad lawsuit

While Google says working from home wasn’t the main reason behind its recent job cuts, company co-founder Sergey Brin has been vocal about preferring people in the office.

The lawsuit alleges Google misled advertisers about the geographic locations of ads and failed to honour its “Smart Pricing” promise. The proposed settlement still requires court approval.

Post NCLAT ruling, startups demand government action against “dominant digital gatekeepers”

More than 70% of the companies leverage generative AI as an opportunity (Image source: Moneycontrol)

The NCLAT upheld key findings of the Competition Commission of India (CCI)’s antitrust order, confirming Google’s unfair imposition of its Play Billing System (GPBS) on app developers. However, the tribunal reduced Google’s penalty from ₹936.44 crore to ₹216.69 crore.  

OpenAI seeks $40 Billion in new funding to drive AI expansion

CEO Sam Altman has privately been seeking feedback on the idea, though OpenAI has not officially commented on the report.

SoftBank is expected to contribute 75% of the funding, while the remaining investment will come from Microsoft, Coatue Management, Altimeter Capital, and Thrive Capital, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Diageo’s Hina Nagarajan stresses on diversity even as global corporates downplay

"While many companies worldwide are scaling back their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, diversity and inclusion remain deeply ingrained in Diageo’s strategy, regardless of external pressures," Nagarajan said.

Since 2017, Diageo India’s workforce diversity has grown from 7.5 percent to nearly 30 percent, with over half of its executive committee now composed of diverse representation.

SEBI targets misleading finfluencers, AMFI’s role under the microscope

Pandey also addressed the role of AMFI in regulating mutual fund distributors (MFDs). "AMFI is supposed to regulate mutual fund distributors (MFDs). If it falls short, our surveillance systems will take care of it," he stated. (Representative Image: Anastase Maragos via Unsplash)

The SEBI chairman also voiced concern about the lack of registered investment advisers in India, and the need for more people to enter that profession.

PepsiCo’s CEO says ‘consumer maverick’ mindset drives success amid Cola Wars

Jagrut Kotecha as CEO for PepsiCo India at Storyboard18 Global Pioneers Summit.

During the recently held Storyboard18 Global Pioneers Summit, PepsiCo CEO Jagrut Kotecha said that the company’s ‘consumer maverick’ approach has helped it retain a challenger mindset amid cola brand wars.

WPP drops DEI language amid U.S. scrutiny, while Ogilvy global CEO champions representation and purpose

Speaking at Storyboard18’s Global Pioneers Summit on March 28 in Mumbai, Devika Bulchandani, Global CEO, Ogilvy said,"The most important thing for me is 'Fearless Girl' is always going to be there across the New York Stock Exchange as a symbol that women have a right to be in the economic boardrooms of the world as much as any men do."

WPP has removed DEI language from its annual report amid U.S. political scrutiny, while WPP-owned Ogilvy’s CEO Devika Bulchandani continues to champion representation and purpose-driven storytelling. She highlights the ‘Fearless Girl’ on NYC’s Wall Street as a lasting symbol of female empowerment.

CCI crackdown on major media agencies may spur advertisers’ shift to ‘hybrid in-housing’

Rather than a move away, experts foresee a recalibration of expectations, with clients seeking more transparency and agencies responding with stronger governance and accountability from media buying agencies, after the CCI probe into ad firms.

Competition Commission of India’s probe into GroupM, Publicis, Madison, dentsu, and IPG, along with regulatory scrutiny, has led some advertisers to rethink their media buying and planning strategies. But will this accelerate the shift toward in-house capabilities, reducing reliance on external ad and media agencies? Experts argue.