Omnicom to retire DDB post merger | boAt earmarks Rs 150 cr for IPO brand push | Online gaming rules likely by mid-Nov, with MHA & MEA input
Storyboard18 brings you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing, and business of brands.
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Storyboard18 presents FAST FIVE ⬇
We bring you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing, and business of brands.
Omnicom to retire iconic DDB brand following IPG merger: report
In a move that signals one of the most dramatic shakeups in modern advertising history, Omnicom is reportedly set to retire its iconic agency brand DDB Worldwide following the completion of its acquisition of Interpublic Group (IPG).
According to reports from B&T, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has cleared the merger under a sweeping integration plan that will streamline Omnicom’s creative networks into three global powerhouses: BBDO Worldwide, McCann, and TBWA\Worldwide.
boAt plans brand push via IPO; Earmarks Rs 150 crore for marketing
Homegrown audio and wearables major boAt, part of Imagine Marketing Ltd, has filed updated IPO documents with markets regulator SEBI.
As per the revised Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP), boAt plans to raise Rs 1,500 crore—comprising a fresh issue of equity shares worth Rs 500 crore and an offer for sale (OFS) of shares worth Rs 1,000 crore. The issue size is lower than the Rs 2,000 crore it had initially filed for in 2022.
MeitY to finalise Online Gaming Rules by mid November, MHA and MEA to play key roles
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) is expected to finalise and notify the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 by the second week of November, according to senior government officials familiar with the matter.
Officials said the proposed legislation will be the centrepiece of the government’s efforts to bring clarity and consistency to the online gaming ecosystem. The ministry has been working closely with multiple departments to ensure that the framework addresses both domestic and offshore challenges.
Bira 91 loses ownership of The Beer Cafe as lenders Kirin and Anicut take over
Japanese brewer Kirin Holdings and Indian investment firm Anicut Capital have taken control of The Beer Cafe, the pub chain owned by B9 Beverages - the maker of Bira 91, after the company defaulted on pledged shares amid declining sales and liquidity pressures.
According to filings with the Registrar of Companies reviewed on Tuesday, Kirin Holdings, B9 Beverages’ largest shareholder and lender, along with Anicut Capital, have assumed ownership of BTB (Better Than Before), the entity operating The Beer Cafe. BTB runs 42 pubs across India and manages several food and beverage ventures.
PepsiCo bottler Varun Beverages posts 18.6% rise in profit to Rs 745 cr in Q3 CY2025
Varun Beverages Ltd on Wednesday announced its third quarter result for the calendar year 2025. The company, primarily responsible for bottling and distributing PepsiCo's drinks in the country, reported an 18.6% rise in consolidated profit in Q3 while the revenue from operations saw a surge of 2.3% year-on-year.
According to the stock exchange filing of Varun Beverages, the net profit increased to Rs 745 crore during the September quarter in CY2025 compared to Rs 628.8 crore in the same period in CY2024.
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