Laxman Narasimhan has officially assumed the position of CEO at Starbucks, taking over from Howard Schultz as of Monday, according to a statement released by the Seattle-based coffee giant. This announcement comes nearly two weeks earlier than previously anticipated.

Narasimhan is set to make his first public address as the chief executive of Starbucks at the company's annual shareholder meeting on Thursday.

The announcement of his official appointment has come as a surprise, as Starbucks had previously indicated that the transition would not be complete until the end of March, with Narasimhan assuming full duties in April.

Prior to his appointment, Narasimhan served as the chief executive of Reckitt, a company that owns popular brands such as Lysol, Durex, and Mucinex. He had also worked at major corporations such as PepsiCo and McKinsey, gaining valuable experience in the consumer goods industry and consulting.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz steps down, Laxman Narasimhan assumes leadership ahead of schedule

The announcement of his official appointment has come as a surprise, as Starbucks had previously indicated that the transition would not be complete until the end of March, with Narasimhan assuming full duties in April.

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As Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, went through a phase of downsizing globally, many Indian employees found themselves facing job cuts. Members of the senior leadership teams here in India, such as Avinash Pant, director of marketing for India, and Saket Jha Saurabh, director of media partnerships, were among those affected.

Alongside layoffs, the internet giants have also been seeing a series of resignations from the leadership team. Manish Chopra, who served as the director and head of Meta's partnership initiatives in India, announced his departure earlier this month after spending four and a half years at the company. This adds to the succession of notable exits from Meta India, following the exits of Ajit Mohan, the former India head, and Rajiv Aggarwal, the public policy head, both of whom left the organization towards the end of the previous year.

A significant number of employees across functions in the company have been given the pink slip.

Numerous employees of the company took to their social network pages to share their layoff story as #metalayoffs trended across platforms.

A lot of them said they were sent on a ‘forced break’.

Kate Hayes, head of policy communications - contentiIntegrity and responsible innovation, Asia Pacific at Meta said in her LinkedIn post, “After 3 incredible years, unfortunately I was impacted by the #metalayoffs. This is the first time I've been without a job since I was 15 years old, and whilst it's a discombobulating feeling, I'm going to take this forced break as a gift.”

The recent Meta layoffs was not the first one though. Previously, the company had already implemented a round of layoffs, which affected thousands of employees. The decision to downsize again as per the company is in line with Meta's ongoing efforts to adapt to changing market conditions and streamline its operations.

In an excerpt from a blogpost earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg had said, “Over the next couple of months, org leaders will announce restructuring plans focused on flattening our orgs, canceling lower priority projects, and reducing our hiring rates. With less hiring, I’ve made the difficult decision to further reduce the size of our recruiting team. We will let recruiting team members know tomorrow whether they’re impacted. We expect to announce restructurings and layoffs in our tech groups in late April, and then our business groups in late May. In a small number of cases, it may take through the end of the year to complete these changes. Our timelines for international teams will also look different, and local leaders will follow up with more details. Overall, we expect to reduce our team size by around 10,000 people and to close around 5,000 additional open roles that we haven’t yet hired.”

The blogpost also said that after restructuring, the company plans to lift hiring and transfer freezes in each group.


Meta layoffs hit India, affecting senior leadership and other employees

A few days before Pride Month, Starbucks India created a trans-inclusive campaign  #ItStartsWithYourName. The film shows a family union wherein a transgender woman meets her parents after a long time for coffee at Starbucks. It is implied that her father has had issues with her identity in the past.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Your name defines who you are - whether it&#39;s Arpit or Arpita. At Starbucks, we love and accept you for who you are. Because being yourself means everything to us. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItStartsWithYourName?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ItStartsWithYourName</a>. ? <a href="https://t.co/DKNGhKZ1Hg">pic.twitter.com/DKNGhKZ1Hg</a></p>&mdash; Starbucks India (@StarbucksIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/StarbucksIndia/status/1656133960924012545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Within a few minutes there was a barrage of tweets from people calling Starbucks woke and propagandist.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tata is big time woke. They own Starbucks, Tanishq (remember that ad?). They fund The Wire, Harvard, Cornell, etc. But are smart enough to sell their products with nationalism (desh ka namak, desh ke truck, army themed ads). Funds all political parties good as well.</p>&mdash; THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) <a href="https://twitter.com/theskindoctor13/status/1656594686331748353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If you wanted to normalise it, you should have used a transwoman who looks like 99% of them. By using one who looks &amp; sounds like a woman set impossible standards that will lead to more mental health issues in trans people and their self harm rates will go up. Shame on u. <a href="https://t.co/1slId7l4TA">pic.twitter.com/1slId7l4TA</a></p>&mdash; Eminent Intellectual (@total_woke_) <a href="https://twitter.com/total_woke_/status/1656881240039993344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

An ongoing case demanding legality of same-sex marriage has been taking place in the Supreme court. Storyboard18 has reached out to multiple brands but most have refused to comment on inclusive practices at their workplace or creating a space for queer community in their brands. 

It seems that Starbucks has taken a stand, even though in the past, brands have been accused of using the Pride Month for rainbow washing and clout chasing.

<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/brands-should-go-beyond-tokenism-and-be-more-queer-friendly-say-lgbtqia-influencers-6184.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Brands should go beyond tokenism and be more queer-friendly, say LGBTQIA influencers</a>

Patruni Chidananda Sastry (they/he/she), a non-binary and bisexual drag artist feels as trans people often face discrimination in public spaces whenever they try to access, being a coffee shop and welcoming trans individuals is definitely an example for a lot of brands to be trans-inclusive.

“The backlash we are receiving is a testament that there is hate being induced on us deliberately to curtail our freedom of accessing something as simple as a coffee. Trans people in public spaces have often triggered the conservatives as they want us to not be visible at all. It's high time that brands be with us and ensure to create more inclusive and diverse campaigns as they know those would change the mindset. It's high time brands be loyal to the cause and take risk,” Sastry shares

The LGBTQIA community seems to think that brands should normalise PRIDE instead of sensationalizing it, as Sushant Divgikr says. Divgikr who was crowned Mr Gay 2014 is a social media influencer, reality tv star and drag queen among other things. Watch his views here. 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrideMonth?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PrideMonth</a> | &quot;Let&#39;s not celebrate Pride for only one month. We are alive all the other months.&quot; ?<br><br>Sushant Divgikr <a href="https://twitter.com/thedivasushant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thedivasushant</a> asks brands to NOT sensationalize LGBTQIA representation ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pride2023?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pride2023</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/rainbowwashing?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#rainbowwashing</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Marketing?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Marketing</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/media?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#media</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LGBTQIA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LGBTQIA</a> <br><br>Here are Divgikr&#39;s views <a href="https://t.co/NWS2PmDIW7">pic.twitter.com/NWS2PmDIW7</a></p>&mdash; Storyboard18 (@BrandStoryboard) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrandStoryboard/status/1656911868781551618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Like Divgikr, Sastry too feels that the queer community needs publicity as it takes ages to ensure that the bias is gone. “Brands just doing a pride campaign is definitely hypocrisy, brands need to take a stand and invite diverse communities with sensibility and then put it across to people. “

Karthik Srinivasan, a communications consultant says, “I loved the ad. Starbucks has done the same thing in the UK and Brazil. In India, they have incorporated the ad with cultural nuances. The ad was inclusive, honest and truthful. I don’t understand the anger. But in the larger context, Budweiser in the US also did an inclusive and friendly ad with trans people and it also got backlash. If people don’t like something, they don’t want brands to associate with it."

Parmesh Shahani, LGBTQIA inclusion consultant and author of the book Queeristan: LGBTQ Inclusion in the Indian Workplace, says “ I am happy that Starbucks has used its advertising to communicate a message of trans inclusion just as many companies and brands like Brooke Bond and Fast Track have done in the past. All of these companies understand that LGBTQIA inclusion is a win-win proposition; all the data indicates that being inclusive makes you more money, makes you more innovative and wins the loyalty of gen Z and millenials - their present and future customers..”

He further states, “Given that 6-10 percent of our country might be LGBTQIA and that society is changing very rapidly in terms of acceptance at colleges homes and workplaces, all these brands have understood that the future is undoubtedly LGBTQIA inclusive and are using their ads to participate in it.”


Shahani feels trolling is a relatively short-term phenomenon in today’s day and age. “But committing to a cause is a much deeper and long term purpose and brands that continue to stand by the LGBTQIA community are sure to have the long term support of not just the community but also millions of straight allies.“


Cancel 'Cancel Culture': Tata-Starbucks faces boycott calls from netizens over trans-inclusive ad

Reckitt Benckiser (RB), one of the country's biggest advertisers, has initiated a media pitch. The account size is estimated at Rs 500 crore. Industry insiders tell Storyboard18 that the pitch process is being held in Gurgaon. The incumbent agency is Dentsu X which has been handling the account since 2020. As per sources, leading media investment companies such as IPG Mediabrands and GroupM are participating in the pitch.

RB, the FMCG multinational has marquee brands namely, Dettol, Durex, Mortein, Strepsils, Harpic, among others, in its portfolio. With operations across 60 countries, RB has been actively rolling out sustainability movements across many countries including India. 

In 2022, Oxford Economics published an independent analysis of the significant economic impact Reckitt has brought to the Indian economy and society. For instance, the Dettol Banega Swasth India Campaign, which works towards improving people’s behaviours around health and hygiene, has reached over 116 million people since its launch in 2014. The Dettol School Hygiene Education Programme teaches children hygiene behaviours and has educated 20 million children in five critical hygiene settings – at home, school, within neighbourhoods, personally and during illness. The Reach Each Child Programme has saved 6,500 children from death and illness from malnutrition. 

The Harpic World Toilet College Programme, which provides India’s sanitation workers with greater economic prosperity, increased dignity, and a safer working environment, has trained over 15,800 workers. RB contributed INR78.8 billion (£775 million) to India’s GDP in 2021. 

In 2022, according to a report by AdEx India, a division of TAM Media Research, RB India was the biggest advertiser on television. 


Storyboard18 Exclusive: Dettol and Durex-maker Reckitt Benckiser India calls for media pitch

Baseline Ventures India has launched its CSR arm, Baseline Foundation, as a part of its commitment to “giving back to society through CSR initiatives in sports.”

By establishing an organised grass-root level program, Baseline Foundation will be collaborating with training centres and academies to facilitate physical and theoretical training in sports to sports talents.

As a part of this initiative, Baseline Foundation will be supporting Riya Sachdeva, the tennis prodigy in her advanced tennis training. Sachdeva is the winner of U16 Asian grade 1 Tennis tournament 2023, and is currently ranked no 1. in Asia. 

Vipin Nair, co-founder and joint managing director, Baseline Ventures said, “Through Baseline Foundation, we are gratified to be making a difference in the lives of young athletes who once given the right platform and support, can go on to achieve great success in the field of sports.”

Baseline Ventures sets up CSR arm to support young athletes

Akshay Kumar has joined a long list of A-List celebrities to launch their own brand and take up the entrepreneurial journey. On 26 January this year, the Bollywood superstar announced the launch of his apparel label, Force IX, and a select athleisure line was made available on the e-commerce platform Myntra. Now Force IX opened its first exclusive store in Mumbai. Kumar said the plan is to open nine exclusive stores by the end of 2023. “Next one is going to be in Bengaluru, then Delhi and Surat,” Kumar told Storyboard18.

This is not the first time that Kumar has dabbled in the apparel business. He wanted to set it up seven years ago. But was not pleased with what he saw. Kumar recounts, “I actually was going to do this seven years ago, but when I saw the product I was not very happy. Then I met a man called Manish Mandhana. What I liked about him is he is hard working and knows his job. He showed me how the whole thing is going to be." 

Mandhana is the joint managing director of Mandhana Industries and also the co-founder of Force IX’s parent company, 9 AM Ventures Private Limited. The company has also partnered with Salman Khan for the Being Human apparel line.

Whilst speaking about the launch of the brand during turbulent times with macro-economic pressures, Mandhana says, “The best time to launch anything new is during the low times. When you start, you need a few seasons to get going in order to get your team right and product right.”

Athleisure has picked up since the pandemic as hybrid working has pushed consumers to opt for comfort clothing. The company wants to start its expansion journey from urban centers and then take it to Tier 2-3 markets. “We have started with Myntra with limited categories and now the whole idea is to spread out wings across the country. We are going to tap all the top retailers, the large format stores across the country as well. Gradually and slowly, we will grow step by step and go to various states. The target is to start with metros first, when you are successful in metros the aspiration of the brand goes down into the country,” says Mandhana.

When asked about the presence of so many well entrenched players already riding the athleisure wave and how his brand will stand out, Kumar answers that everything in the store embodies his personality. “When people didn’t know what athleisure is, I have been wearing these kinds of clothes since then. So what you are seeing in the store is all me. Every product here is something I want and something I have. Each and every cloth has a meaning to it. Plus everything is about ‘Forces’-army, navy, air force. I wanted to do something with the forces. That is why we came up with the name Force IX and 9 is the number of a warrior.”

Also, the proceeds from each and every sale at Force IX will go towards ‘Bharat Ke Veer’, an organization that supports the families of India’s martyrs.

Akshay Kumar: I've been wearing athleisure when people didn't know what athleisure is

In 1995,  22-year old Sachin Tendulkar’s journey as an iconic brand maker began. His signature on a record breaking deal worth Rs 45 crore propelled his image even further. The deal with World Tel was arranged by Mark Mascarenhas. The five-year deal was instrumental in building the career of not only the Master Blaster but also for several other cricketers after him. 

In an interview with CNBC-TV18, Tendulkar said, “Mark was someone who, when it came to my practice sessions, and my preparation, he did not interfere at all. He always said that he is not going to make Tendulkar cancel his practice session so that he could shoot it at work. “He never prioritized an advertisement over practice.’’

[caption id="attachment_7535" align="alignnone" width="600"]<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/2023/04/Mark-twitter.jpg" alt="Mark Mascarenhas (Image via Twitter - @ForbesIndia)" width="600" height="400" class="size-full wp-image-7535" /> Mark Mascarenhas (Image via Twitter - @ForbesIndia)[/caption]

In 2002, Mascarenhas passed away in a car accident. Even after two decades, the cricket legend shared how Mascarenhas made sure that Tendulkar had to never worry about his finances while he was on field. 

Recalling his initial meeting with the man who did his best to ensure that Tendulkar would be financially secure even after his retirement, Tendulkar said, “I still remember we were in Sri Lanka that time when I met him. Ravi Shastri introduced me to Mark, and then Ravi, Mark and I sat together. That's where Mark made me that offer, said, why don't you just stay focused only on the game. And my company will manage the commercial side,” he said.

The historic deal prompted nay-sayers who claimed that Tendulkar’s priority was not cricket but money. Ironically, the deal increased Tendulkar’s focus on his passion – cricket.

Tendulkar has always maintained that with each milestone, negotiations were becoming complex and he being an amateur needed professional help. Mascarenhas came to Tendulkar’s rescue and with his business acumen guaranteed that Tendulkar would never be overburdened by marketing obligations and would always be able to inspire people on the field.   


 
 



Never prioritized an ad over practice: Sachin Tendulkar on the man who made him a brand

“Rubeena, we have to meet up at Toto’s!” was Sid’s often repeated invitation when it came to meeting up in Bandra over a drink, recalls former colleague and friend Rubeena Singh, Country Manager India & MENA, AnyMind Group  

Singh first met Sidharth Rao in 2013, when she was at Network18 and Rao (then founder of WebChutney) was also associated with the Network18 Group. Singh and Rao met at an award show where they shared the award for best content between Moneycontrol and ScoopWhoop. From then to 2016-2021, as fellow colleagues at Dentsu India, they worked together and interacted a lot. 

“I always remember Sid as someone full of bright ideas, with a refreshing honesty, full of humility, a self-deprecating sense of humour and generous to the core -  all of which made him an extremely likeable and trustworthy friend and colleague. In 2021, I moved out of Dentsu but we remained in touch, catching up in person and over the phone often,” shares Singh.

When Rao decided to return to his entrepreneurial roots and co-founded Punt Partners, one could easily notice the new found excitement in him, as he explained what he was trying to build. The other thing he was very excited about was the farmhouse he and his partner Shweta had set up in Karjat. “Everytime we met in Bandra or at an event or a social gathering, we would get an update about the farm. Little did I know that my maiden visit to his farm would be after he passed away,” rues Singh.

<strong>Read More:</strong><a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/sidharth-rao-a-digital-maven-who-made-creative-entrepreneurship-cool-in-india-7434.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Sidharth Rao: A digital maven who made creative entrepreneurship cool in India</a>

Coming from an army family, Rao was always respectful towards his parents, friends, colleagues and teammates. “He didn’t possess even a slight streak of arrogance despite winning so many accolades. On the contrary, he was slightly shy in public,” remembers Singh, adding, “He always saw the good side in people, was more than ready to give the credit to his team and his colleagues. He shied away from taking the spotlight, even when he truly deserved to bask in it.”

Singh remembers Rao for his less than conventional, instinctive style of leadership, and meticulous note-taking. “Whenever we had our Dentsu leadership meetings, I was always impressed by Sid’s meticulous notes and how he came up with ‘out of the box’ suggestions,” shares Singh. “His visionary leadership put WebChutney and Dentsu India on the creative world's map. Dentsu eventually went on to be known for winning India’s first ‘Agency of the year’ award at Cannes Lions.”

Singh says, “With Sid gone, India has lost one of its original internet startup entrepreneurs. With him gone, I have lost a friend and a confidant who was inspiring in the way he handled adversity." 

<strong>Read More:</strong><a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/sidharth-rao-lived-life-king-size-from-the-beginning-to-the-end-ashish-bhasin-7448.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Sidharth Rao lived life King size, from the beginning to the end: Ashish Bhasin</a>

<strong>Read More:</strong><a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/sidharth-rao-wasnt-one-for-the-high-society-party-circuit-and-never-lost-his-connection-with-real-india-shubhranshu-singh-on-rao-7428.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Sidharth Rao wasn’t one for the high society party circuit and never lost his connection with real India: Shubhranshu Singh on Rao</a>


Sidharth Rao shied away from the spotlight, even when he truly deserved to bask in it: Rubeena Singh on Rao

“Ram Ram Sir , mil lo is haftey” these were the last words I got on whatsapp from Sidharth this past Monday. I had no clue he meant this was the last we had to meet. Gone away too soon. 


I got to know Sidharth Rao a couple of years ago. He was a person full of ideas and, instinctively, his mind thought in terms of value creation. He was a genuine entrepreneur - willing to go “all in” and optimistic no matter what his cards. 


He also had a wonderful external orientation and meeting him for a couple of hours meant getting many examples of value creation across industries. He invited me to address his team, to his farm at Karjat and to meet in Mumbai - none of which could materialise due to our respective schedules. 


A bon vivant, he wasn’t one for the high society party circuit and never lost his connection with real India. 


He always wrote back on my weekly columns and urged me to finish the books I have WIP. 


He was an energetic and committed entrepreneur who would have done much in his second innings. RIP Sidharth.



<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/sidharth-rao-dies-industry-mourns-the-loss-of-pioneer-and-og-startupper-7423.htm">Sidharth Rao dies; Industry mourns the loss of pioneer and OG startupper </a>



<strong>About Sidharth Rao</strong> 


Sidharth Rao, who co-founded one of India’s first and finest digital agencies Webchutney passed away on Friday evening. He is survived by his parents and wife. Colleagues and industry executives are taking to social media platforms to mourn the loss.


Rao founded digital agency Webchutney 23 years ago when taking a bet on the internet was being done by very few. Rao built the agency from the ground up and it was acquired by Dentsu in 2013. 


It created India's most-awarded campaign ever at Cannes Lions 2022. 


<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/sidharth-rao-co-founder-of-webchutney-and-punt-partners-passes-away-7412.htm">Sidharth Rao, co-founder of Webchutney and Punt Partners, passes away </a>



Sidharth Rao wasn’t one for the high society party circuit and never lost his connection with real India: Shubhranshu Singh on Rao

The advertising, marketing and media community is in shock, for one of its stalwarts is no more. Sidharth Rao, founder of one of India’s first and finest digital agencies Webchutney passed away on Friday evening of a cardiac arrest. He took a bet 23 years ago, when the internet was still an untapped and wary space. Obviously, it paid off, Webchutney soon became one of India’s most successful agencies only to be acquired by Dentsu in 2013.

Dentsu Webchutney made history last year when it was solely responsible for helping Dentsu Creative Bengaluru win the Agency of the Year title at the Cannes Lions, arguably the most coveted award in global advertising. It also bagged the three biggest Grand Prix awards at the Cannes Lions festival.


<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/sidharth-rao-co-founder-of-webchutney-and-punt-partners-passes-away-7412.htm">Sidharth Rao, co-founder of Webchutney and Punt Partners, passes away</a> 


Despite the fame, recognition and immense success, Rao stepped down from his role as CEO of the DentsuMB group last year to once more walk down the entrepreneurship route. Along with his partner Madhu Sudhan, Rao started Punt Partners, a firm that will build on the growing mar-tech space in India.

Being in the industry of well over two decades, Rao has crossed many milestones along his journey. He can truly be considered as one of the pillars of the strong foundation of the A&M community.

Thoughts and tributes have been pouring in from colleagues and friends of Rao’s.  



<strong>Rammohan, founder, NetworkPlay and PlatformPlay</strong>


Waking up this morning to the saddest news in recent times.

Sidharth Rao breathed his last, last evening and I don’t know what to even say, I am gutted!

He is the one who stood by me back in the day in 2008 when I launched NetworkPlay. This was his make…


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Waking up this morning to the saddest news in recent times.<br><br>Sidharth Rao breathed his last, last evening and I don’t know what to even say, I am gutted!<br><br>He is the one who stood by me back in the day in 2008 when I launched NetworkPlay. This was his make…<a href="https://t.co/dAnCYxXaUO">https://t.co/dAnCYxXaUO</a></p>&mdash; RockingRam (@Rammohantweets) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rammohantweets/status/1649610854411694082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


<strong>Abbas Mirza, co-founder and creative head, Tales N Talkies Media</strong>


Having worked for Dentsu Webchutney, a top digital agency he founded and nurtured, it feels like a personal loss even though I never had a chance to meet him in person.

Rest in peace, Sidharth Rao??

The legacy you have created will keep guiding the world of creativity in the years to come.


<strong>Surya Ragunaathan, playback singer and writer</strong>


Sidharth has been a friend of mine since 2013. Just the day before yesterday, we spoke that we completed ten years of friendship. He always encouraged my singing career and said I should keep at it no matter what. He connected me to entrepreneurs to ghost write books for them, since I am a writer too. We’d meet at Toto’s and drink with Bhatia uncle sometimes, talk about new book ideas and 90s music. Going to miss him terribly.


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sidharth has been a friend of mine since 2013. Just day before yesterday, we spoke that we completed ten years of friendship. He always encouraged my singing career and said I should keep at it no matter what. He connected me to entrepreneurs to ghost write books for them, since… <a href="https://t.co/shwAGSadIR">pic.twitter.com/shwAGSadIR</a></p>&mdash; Surya Ragunaathan (@sangvoel) <a href="https://twitter.com/sangvoel/status/1649630288782454784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


<strong>Anant Goenka, executive director, The Indian Express</strong>


Shocked to hear the terrible news of Webchutney founder Siddharth Rao. Was a pioneer, full of exciting ideas coupled with the will to execute.  He played an invaluable part in the Indian marketing community's digital journey. Om Shaanti.



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shocked to hear the terrible news of Webchutney founder Siddharth Rao. Was a pioneer, full of exciting ideas coupled with the will to execute. He played an invaluable part in the Indian marketing community&#39;s digital journey. Om Shaanti.</p>&mdash; Anant Goenka (@anantgoenka) <a href="https://twitter.com/anantgoenka/status/1649659163788873729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/sidharth-rao-a-digital-maven-who-made-creative-entrepreneurship-cool-in-india-7434.htm">Sidharth Rao: A digital maven who made creative entrepreneurship cool in India</a>

 


<strong>Rajiv Dingra, founder and chief executive officer, RD&X Network</strong>


Will miss you @sidharthrao.. a dear friend who was humble, helpful and so much more to everyone who knew him.. RIP my friend.. I’ll see you on the other side someday and we will cheers to a great life that you have led and how you inspired everyone around you to be better!


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Will miss you <a href="https://twitter.com/sidharthrao?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sidharthrao</a> .. a dear friend who was humble, helpful and so much more to everyone who knew him.. RIP my friend.. I’ll see you on the other side someday and we will cheers to a great life that you have led and how you inspired everyone around you to be better!</p>&mdash; Rajiv Dingra (@rajivdingra) <a href="https://twitter.com/rajivdingra/status/1649707481428529152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/sidharth-rao-wasnt-one-for-the-high-society-party-circuit-and-never-lost-his-connection-with-real-india-shubhranshu-singh-on-rao-7428.htm">Sidharth Rao wasn’t one for the high society party circuit and never lost his connection with real india: Shubhranshu Singh on Rao</a>


Sidharth Rao dies; Industry mourns the loss of pioneer and OG startupper

Sidharth Rao, who co-founded one of India’s first and finest digital agencies Webchutney passed away on Friday evening. 

He is survived by his parents and wife. Colleagues and industry executives are taking to social media platforms to mourn the loss. 

Rao founded digital agency Webchutney 23 years ago when taking a bet on the internet was being done by very few. Rao built the agency from the ground up and it was acquired by Dentsu in 2013. 

In 2022, ‘The Unfiltered History Tour’, a campaign created by his team for media outlet VICE World News, won the biggest three Grand Prix awards at the Cannes Lions festival. Despite the scale and repute, Rao stepped down from his role as CEO of the dentsuMB Group last year to dabble with entrepreneurship once again. He had co-founded Punt Partners with Madhu Sudhan, which will build on the growing mar-tech space in India. 

In a conversation with Storyboard18 in January, Rao spoke about untapped potential of martech segment, hiring the right talent and his legacy.

When asked about his legacy he said it was the people who have worked with him and then ventured out on their own to achieve entrepreneurial ambitions. Rao said he's proud of his people who have done well for themselves. 

"Of course, PG (Aditya) and Gautam (Reghunath), who have gone ahead and started Talented and responsible for the spectacular run at Cannes in 2022. Talented, in less than a year, has made its mark with some great campaigns for clients. And there is a number of Webchutney alum I’m very proud of all around the world, a few of them have turned entrepreneurs themselves," he said. 

Over eight months ago, Rao shared this. 

“Today, I’m taking a punt. No, really.”

“Starting up after building Webchutney would give anyone performance pressure. Nervous to announce that starting up in services again (but not competing with Webchutney, you’re welcome). 

Excited to introduce Punt_Partners with my cofounder Madhu Sudhan, in mar-tech services. Madhu and I landed on this whitespace, a potentially $100 billion industry, after dozens of ideas and at least 3 MVPs. 

We pray for all your love and good wishes for the success of Punt. Because true to its name, it is one for me."

Over eight months ago, Rao shared this. 

“Today, I’m taking a punt. No, really.”

“Starting up after building Webchutney would give anyone performance pressure. Nervous to announce that starting up in services again (but not competing with Webchutney, you’re welcome). 

Excited to introduce Punt_Partners with my cofounder Madhu Sudhan, in mar-tech services. Madhu and I landed on this whitespace, a potentially $100 billion industry, after dozens of ideas and at least 3 MVPs. 

We pray for all your love and good wishes for the success of Punt. Because true to its name, it is one for me.“

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