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
Balaji Vaidyanathan is a seasoned marketing leader with over 17 years of insightful global experience in brand, advertising, digital, content and mainline. In his current role as Marketing Director, CEEMEA for Franklin Templeton based out of Dubai, Balaji is responsible for all strategic marketing initiatives for the CEEMEA region. He leads a team across multiple geographies, covering over 20 countries across Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa and focusing 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 and investor education programs. In his initial part of his career, he has also been associated in various capacities with the Aditya Birla Group and the Edelweiss Group. 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 several awards in India and globally across creativity, content, innovation and effectiveness.
With 25 years of Filmed Entertainment experience, director, writer and acclaimed marketeer Saurabh Varma has managed multiple exciting roles in Film & Entertainment Industry. He has marketed or has been a part of 950+ films in almost all Indian languages. He may perhaps be the only Indian Film Industry professional who has worked first-hand in the Commerce and the Creative side of Films, OTT, Theatrical Distribution, TV, Music Video, Ad Films, Marketing and Strategy Planning. He has directed, written and doctored several films, including upcoming web series Tiwari *ing Urmila Matondkar & ‘Mickey Virus’. Saurabh’s in-depth knowledge & expertise in all aspects of film marketing has also fetched him the prestigious Philip Kotler Award. Saurabh has directly or indirectly worked with almost all Studios and Production Houses that exist in India. His short film ‘Girl in Red’ has garnered 18 million views on YouTube. Saurabh Varma is presently Chief Creative Officer and Filmmaker for Content Engineers and has previously worked as CMO Reliance Jio Studios, INOX, Reliance Entertainment & PVR Cinemas.
Sukhpreet spearheads Marketing, Customer Engagement, Digital and Innovations for Dish TV and its latest OTT video streaming platform ‘Watcho’
In the last twenty years he has donned multiple hats, leading Business teams, heading Marketing, Sales and Innovation functions in the FMCG, Consumer Durables, Media and Entertainment space. He has workedwithcompanies likeDabur,Gillette, Whirlpool, Nerolac and Samsung in various markets across India and South Asia. Currently he is busy transforming the Digital TV andVideoEntertainment space through technology and digital touchpoints. Prior to joining Dish TV, he worked with Samsung Electronics India in the capacity of Director Marketing – Consumer Electronics (CE) Business
A FinTech Marketeer, striving to make financial ecosystem inclusive for millennials! “My success lies in turning cost centers into revenue centers for organizations and building organic ecosystems, which deliver not just sustainable but also scalable business growth,” says Vishesh Sharma who has recently joined Bajaj Financial Securities as its first Chief Marketing Officer. Vishesh belongs to a rare breed of professionals with a journalistic background who have transcended the world of Finance and entered the highest echelons of Marketing. Previously, he was the Chief Marketing officer at Ashika Group, India’s leading diversified financial services group with four key business verticals including Retail Broking, Institutional Broking, Startup Funding and Global Family Office Services. Vishesh’s experience cuts across diverse marketing disciplines, including brand communication, content marketing, corporate communications, reputation management, product marketing, public affairs, and financial education. He started his professional career with The Hindu, and continued his journey with renowned publications, including Dalal Street Investment Journal and Progressive Media Group. Thereafter, Vishesh switched to the corporate world and worked with reputed companies including Sharekhan by BNP Paribas and Angel One before joining Ashika Group. Throughout his career, Vishesh has been recognized for his remarkable professional accomplishments. In 2020, he was named Content Marketer 40u40 by Exchange for Media and the Marketing Leader of the Year in the BFSI segment by Nasscom. A year later, he was honored as the Rising Media Star by Best Media Info, Corporate Communications Person of the Year by AdGully, and 40u40 PR Professional by Reputation Today. He won Gold at Inkspell awards under the category of Content Marketing Professional 2021. Vishesh was also bestowed with Excellence in PR award by Adgully under their Leader 2.0 awards in 2022 and was also felicitated by World Marketing Congress as one of India’s Top 50 Influential Marketing Leaders. Recognised as a thought leader in Fintech Marketing, Vishesh is a frequent keynote speaker at many educational institutes and thought-provoking events like IIT FinFest, Amity University, IMT Nagpur, NMIMS, among others. He strongly believes that 3Vs (Voice, Vernacular, and Video) are the key pillars that will define his legacy as a Marketeer over next 10 years
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.
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.
Swati Bansal is a seasoned marketing and business leader with over 15 years of B2B and B2C digital growth experience across BFSI, Manufacturing, SaaS, real estate, and consumer sectors. Recognized for driving scalable growth strategies, she has helped leading brands in Asia, US, and Europe achieve breakthrough growth. As a mentor and jury member, she brings practical insights, people-first leadership, and a passion for building future-ready businesses.
Archana Roche is a global marketing and measurement leader and the Global Head of Measurement and Analytics at Truecaller, where she shapes how brands drive growth through attention, relevance, and commercial impact. She is the architect of the Truecaller Measurement Suite, a full-funnel framework that connects brand building, media investment, and business outcomes across markets.
At Truecaller, she works across marketing, product, sales, engineering, and data science to inform go-to-market strategy, media effectiveness, and revenue conversations in a privacy-first environment.
With 18 years of experience across brand marketing, agency leadership, and marketing science, Archana has led growth and marketing effectiveness initiatives across Europe, Africa, and APAC. Her career spans senior marketing roles at Tata Motors, Pidilite, and Future Group and Rediffusion Y&R.
Shefali Khalsa is currently working as Sr. Director and Head of Marketing, PR & Corporate Communications with TransUnion CIBIL.
Her leadership across various organizations has significantly influenced brand and marketing campaigns that have effectively addressed both Consumer and B2B segments, across platforms. She has successfully led multi-channel Brand & Digital campaigns, PR & Corporate Coms, delivering high-impact initiatives that engage diverse audiences and enhance brand equity.
With over 22 years of experience, predominantly in the Banking & Financial Services industry, Shefali has distinguished herself as a notable figure in the Indian marketing landscape. Her expertise spans across various sectors, including Insurance, Telecom and Banking where she has been instrumental in driving marketing initiatives for esteemed brands such as IndusInd Bank, SBI General Insurance, HDFC ERGO, TATA Teleservices, and HDFC Bank.