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<ul><li>Last November, <keyword id="115415" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bisleri" source="Orion">Bisleri</keyword> International’s chairman Ramesh Chauhan said that they were in talks with Tata Consumer Products for a possible stake sale.</li><li>Bisleri has been in talks with Tata Group for more than two years.</li><li>Chauhan had even met <keyword id="4057577" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-Sons-chairman-N-Chandrasekaran" source="Orion">Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran</keyword> and <keyword id="16826654" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-Consumer-CEO-Sunil-DSouza" source="Orion">Tata Consumer CEO Sunil D'Souza</keyword>.</li><li>There have been reports of several buyers at different times, including Reliance Retail, Nestle and Danone.</li></ul>Tata Consumer Products, the Kolkata based FMCG wing of the Tata Group, has informed exchanges that it has ceased negotiations with Bisleri for a potential stake in the company. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/tata-consumer-to-acquire-bisleri-for-around-rs-7000-crore-report/articleshow/95734960.cms">Last November</a>, an Economic Times report said that Bisleri International’s chairman Ramesh Chauhan was planning to divest the company and was in talks with Tata Consumer Products for an estimated buyout of ₹6,000-7,000 crore. “In this regard, the Company wishes to update that it has now ceased negotiations with Bisleri with regard to a potential transaction and to confirm that the Company has not entered into any definitive agreement or binding commitment on this matter,” said Tata Consumer Products in an exchange filing. Bisleri is India's largest packaged water company. Reports also said that Chauhan, aged 82, does not have a successor to take Bisleri to the next level of expansion. In an <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/tata-consumer-to-acquire-bisleri-for-about-7000-crore/articleshow/95726148.cms">interview to ET </a>last year, Chauhan had said that he believed the Tata Group "will nurture and take care of it even better," while it was still a painful decision for him. "I like the Tata culture of values and integrity and hence made up my mind despite the aggression shown by other interested buyers," he said. There have been reports of several buyers at different times, including Reliance Retail, Nestle and Danone. As per reports, Bisleri has been in talks with Tata Group for more than two years. Chauhan had even met Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran and Tata Consumer CEO Sunil D'Souza. Currently, Tata Consumer Products sells packaged mineral water under the Himalayan brand with products — Tata Copper Plus Water, Tata Gluco plus, Himalayan Sparking, Himalayan Still water. Bisleri was originally an Italian alcohol remedy drink created by 19th century inventor Felice Bisleri. In 1965, Italian doctor Cesari Rossi and Indian businessman Khushroo Suntook introduced Bisleri bottled water in India by setting up a factory in Thane. Later the companyacquired the struggling Bisleri brand in 1969. Bisleri has 150 operational plants and a network of 6,000 distributors and 7,500 trucks across India and neighbouring countries. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tcs-achievements-during-rajesh-gopinathans-tenure/slidelist/98729647.cms">TCS’ achievements under the stewardship of outgoing CEO Rajesh Gopinathan</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/reliance-shares-down-22-from-all-time-high-attractive-entry-opportunity-says-jp-morgan/articleshow/98725589.cms">Reliance shares down 22% from all-time high: Attractive entry opportunity, says JP Morgan</a>

Tata Consumer Products ceases talks with Bisleri for a potential acquisition

Ramesh Chauhan is divesting <keyword id="115415" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bisleri" source="Orion">Bisleri</keyword> International to <keyword id="8836175" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="tata-consumer" source="Orion">Tata Consumer</keyword> Products Ltd (TCPL) for an estimated Rs 6,000-7,000 crore, The Economic Times reported. The current management will continue for two years as part of the deal. Chauhan, 82, has been in indifferent health in recent times and says he doesn't have a successor to take Bisleri to the next level of expansion. Daughter Jayanti isn't too keen on the business, Chauhan said. Bisleri is India's largest packaged water company. The <keyword id="6355725" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="tata-group" source="Orion">Tata Group</keyword> "will nurture and take care of it even better," although selling Bisleri was still a "painful" decision, Chauhan said. "I like the <keyword id="8555" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="tata" source="Orion">Tata</keyword> culture of values and integrity and hence made up my mind despite the aggression shown by other interested buyers", the report said. Bisleri is said to have had several suitors at different times, including <keyword id="58448" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="reliance-retail" source="Orion">Reliance Retail</keyword>, Nestle and Danone. Talks with Tata have been going on for two years and he made up his mind after meeting Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran and Tata Consumer CEO Sunil D'Souza a few months back. "I like them. They are good guys," he told ET. Chauhan doesn't see any point in holding minority stakes after selling the business. "What will I do with it when I am not running the show?" he said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/no-more-chalta-hai-culture-male-crew-must-use-hair-gel-shave-in-case-of-receding-hairline-air-indias-grooming-guidelines/articleshow/95732842.cms">'No more chalta hai' culture, male crew must use hair gel, shave in case of receding hairline: Air India's grooming guidelines</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/article/unicorns-are-pass-cockroaches-are-the-new-favourites-of-venture-capitalists/articleshow/95734214.cms">Unicorns are passé, cockroaches are the new favourites of venture capitalists</a>

Tata Consumer to acquire Bisleri for around Rs 7,000 crore: Report

<ul><li>While safety was always important for the brand, it has now put in place additional safety procedures at its manufacturing facilities including ozone tunnels for disinfecting employees, among other things. </li><li>The brand is also focusing on its direct-to-home offering. It also launched its e-commerce platform to improve accessibility to consumers. </li><li><keyword id="7778097" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Angelo-George">Angelo George</keyword>, CEO, <keyword id="140687" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bisleri-International">Bisleri International</keyword> tells us all that the brand has been doing to make sure it is able to deliver safe drinking water to its consumers, while ensuring its employees are safe too.</li></ul>Before the pandemic hit us, the <keyword id="140685" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="bottled-water">bottled water</keyword> industry in India had been seeing a healthy 20% growth and was expected to reach Rs 403.06 billion by the end of 2023, according to a report by Research and Markets. However, as the lockdown has led to the closure of offices and most public spaces, the industry has been hit. With hotels, restaurants and cafes (HoReCa) businesses majorly affected and there being no clarity as to when things will get back to normal, with demand coming back, the bottled water industry has also hit a major roadblock. However, one trend that the industry has been witnessing is an increase in the demand for <keyword id="97696" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mineral-Water">mineral water</keyword> in homes. With more and more people staying back home and becoming increasingly conscious about what they consume, more people are ordering mineral water for even home consumption. We recently spoke to Angelo George, CEO, Bisleri International, who told us that the pandemic has made them focus on their digital presence. The brand is now connecting with consumers digitally and also working hard to facilitate supply even in locations with travel constraints or for places within containment zones. While sanitation and hygiene has also been always critical for the brand, now its mineral water goes through 10 Step Quality Process &amp; 114 tests to ensure safety. Excerpts: Q) We are living in unprecedented times today. How challenging were the initial lockdown days for Bisleri as a brand? The initial stage of the lockdown was quite challenging as processes related to operating permissions for factories, passes for people and finished goods movement were being put into place. It was a time that tested the resilience of the supply chain, distribution network and our ability to adapt and respond dynamically to constraints that were evolving almost on a daily basis. We transitioned to a remote working environment in offices, and yet had to keep our operations running strong. We worked closely with all stakeholders to sustain production and distribution despite constraints. In many states, the Government officials were helpful in facilitating permissions considering that we were classified in the essential services. In spite of all the challenges, the supplies were maintained across all markets, and we ensured consumers had access to safe mineral water. Our sales teams took appropriate safety precautions, braved the risks and delivered Bisleri mineral water to the doorsteps of consumers. Q) Is your supply chain up and running completely? Yes absolutely. In fact we have streamlined our supply chain in response to the growing at home demand for mineral water and other fruit based fizzy drinks. We understood the challenges consumers were facing on ground on account of lockdown and enhanced our servicing ability through direct home delivery. We are working hand-in-hand with our distribution partners who have supported us despite immense challenges on ground. We are connecting with consumers through digital platforms and are facilitating supply even in those locations with travel constraints or are even within containment zones. Most importantly, Bisleri has over 135 manufacturing plants across the country which enables us to service our consumers across all parts of the country. Q) What kind of business impact has the lockdown had on Bisleri? Is there a hope of recovering this year? The segments that are mainly affected are those related to ‘Out of home consumption’ – Horeca, Offices, Entertainment &amp; Travel which contributes a significant share of our business. Offices and shops will gradually start to open up but will take time to become fully active. However, there has been a clear surge in the consumption of mineral water at homes, and this is primarily led by the large packs. Q) People will now be doubly more cognizant about hygiene. How are you making your factories and thereby your products safer? The hygiene and safety norms at our manufacturing units were always in place. Our production and packaging is completely contactless and our mineral water goes through 10 Step Quality Process &amp; 114 tests to ensure that every consumer receives the same pure, safe and healthy drinking water. In light of Covid we have put additional safety procedures at our manufacturing facilities including ozone tunnels for disinfecting employees in the light of COVID. All distribution vehicles are washed externally with soap &amp; sprayed internally with IPA to sanitize after each trip. We have provided protective gear to delivery teams including Gloves, Masks and Sanitizers and have instituted processes to ensure safety for themselves and for consumers and trade. Q) As a leader, what were your learnings from this time? This crisis has no doubt been one the most difficult phases but it has also been an opportunity for me to take more risks, think beyond the limits, work with my team even more closely and lead with a purpose to cater to the needs of the consumers, who have made Bisleri one of the most trusted brands in India. Q) You have recently partnered with Dunzo and Zomato to strengthen your direct to home strategy. How else do you plan to reach your consumers? Will partnerships like this become normal for you in the new world order? The demand for mineral water is increasing and to cater to this demand we have formed strategic partnerships with delivery providers like Zomato, Swiggy, Dunzo and OwO across cities to leverage their reach. Bisleri itself has a very strong distribution network and we have streamlined it to enable Bisleri@Doorstep, an ecom portal to ensure delivery service encouraging consumers to stay at home and order their requirements online. Q) You have launched a D2C campaign called Bisleri@Doorstep where consumers can place orders directly by calling customer service number or by visiting your website. Do you think it will still take people some time to get used to the idea of ordering for water online? How are you planning to bring about this behavioural change? On account of lockdown, there were heavy restrictions imposed on movement of people and consumers were facing many challenges in accessing even basic needs like safe drinking water. We shouldn’t forget that there is great emphasis on hydration as a critical aspect for building immunity. In our commitment to fulfill the increasing demand for safe and healthy drinking water, we introduced the direct-to-home approach where consumers across cities could opt to order directly by contacting Bisleri’s customer care toll free number or sending in their requirement through the website. We received an overwhelming response from the consumers and were able to supply in areas where even shops providing essential items were closed. Consumers have placed enormous trust on Bisleri as a brand and we were able to respond to their expectations with our service reassurance. As part of the larger initiative, we were also educating consumers about how hydration plays a key role in keeping one healthy and boosting immunity. Minerals and trace elements in water is also essential for health which one may not find in tap water or commonly used purification methods like RO &amp; UV purifiers. Q) You have enabled your own e-commerce platform. Was this done specifically during and due to the lockdown? What kind of uptake have you seen on the website? What kind of push do you plan to give to the platform? Consumer behaviour has undergone a dramatic change with the COVID-19 pandemic, and there is a heightened concern on safety and health.We have gathered valuable consumer insights to develop appropriate offerings. We were always planning to launch our e-commerce platform but with the current situation and the constraints faced by consumers, the team turned things around very quickly to launch it well in time. With social-distancing becoming the new norm, there was a shift to online shopping and digital platforms even in the groceries and beverages categories. Through our latest offering, we want to offer convenience to consumers to access a range of Bisleri products, avail discounts and sign up for weekly and monthly subscriptions to get hassle free uninterrupted supplies.

Our mineral water goes through a 10 Step Quality Process and 114 tests to ensure safety: Angelo George, CEO, Bisleri International

<ul><li>As brands tightened their purse strings, the <keyword id="6674295" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="advertising-agency">advertising agency</keyword> industry had to resort to salary cuts or worse, lay off upto 30%. </li><li><keyword id="9680005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="digital-agency-gozoop">Digital agency Gozoop</keyword> on the other hand is sailing through the macro challenges just fine. </li><li>Apart from winning new businesses and avoiding salary cuts, the agency is also welcoming new people into its family. </li><li>We caught up with <keyword id="3920850" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rohan-Bhansali">Rohan Bhansali</keyword>, Co-Founder &amp; Director, <keyword id="2530184" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gozoop">Gozoop</keyword> to find out how the agency is up and running despite the challenges.</li></ul>We all are on the lookout for some good news everyday when we pick up our newspapers, only to be reminded of how the world around us is crumbling. So far, as revealed by PTI, close to 6.8 lakh companies have shut down due to COVID-19. However, digital agency Gozoop has a different story to tell. While it did see revenue take a plunge in the first few days of COVID and the lockdown when brands curtailed their marketing budgets, it decided not to lay off employees or even deduct their salaries. In fact, Gozoop is looking for more people to join its family in departments like Account Management, Account Planning and Media. Its personnel headcount has also increased significantly in the last few months. As a result, the agency found their employees’ morale boosted and productivity started going up. Gozoop is also winning new businesses at a time when the market isn’t particularly performing well. In the last few months, it has bagged marquee brands such as Bisleri, Gulf Oil, Oppo, to name a few. Spilling the secret mantra, Rohan Bhansali, Co-Founder &amp; Director, Gozoop, said the agency was founded in 2008, in the midst of another recession and tenacity is what keeps them anchored in chaos. He said, “Tenacity has been embedded into our DNA. And I must say the team has put up a valiant effort at all levels. The wins you mention are just the more tangible derivatives of our efforts. But what’s brewing internally – the culture, the pride, the deepening client relationships, the broadening business moats – is much more potent for the long-haul success we envision.” Bhansali added, “Strong brand understanding coupled with strong digital understanding is evidently becoming the reason why more and more marquee brands such as Bisleri, Gulf Oil and Oppo chose Gozoop as their custodians. We will be announcing more venerable brand mandates in the next few weeks.” Moreover, the agency is also seeing signs of early business recovery. “A lot of agencies with weaker balance sheets (including some network agencies) have shut shop and seen massive business disruptions due to cash flows, and also culture disruptions due to salary and job cuts. We promised no Covid related job cuts as early as April and have not felt the need to undertake any salary cut measures. We are definitely seeing a revival uptick as we settle into the new normal. July is better than June, which in turn was better than May. Having said that, the macro economic situation is such that revenues and business sentiments will take some more time to reach pre-Covid levels,” said Bhansali. Changing pitching process Zeroing down the business problem and pitching just the right solution takes a lot of time. Over the years, agencies have time and again complained about the complexities of the pitching process because it leads to idea theft and burns a hole in their pockets. Now that everything is virtual, how possible is it to deep-dive and step in the client’s shoes? Bhansali said the pitching process hasn’t been affected at all, just the medium has changed. He explained, “We do a thorough deep-dive into the brand we are pitching too. The process starts with a thorough interview of the brand manager. Many times we are asked, “Why are you going so deep? This is just a digital pitch.” After we are done cringing, we humbly excuse ourselves from that pitch as the brand wouldn’t add to our vision. Fortunately, brands are increasingly looking at digital agencies as fundamental brand custodians. From a delivery perspective, video pitches have now become mainstream. We had adopted video meetings way before COVID to keep our cost efficiencies in check, so we didn’t have to adjust significantly.” The problem of idea theft and low-balling from the client's side still persists. Gozoop is trying to stay away from such under-appreciative clients. . “From our own experience, and from conversations I have had with founders of other agencies, we are noticing that there is a spectrum of brands that are calling for pitches with low commitments of closing. Or with the intent of closing with the agency that quotes the lowest, which deeply commoditises the craft of marketing. We are doing our best to stay away from such pitches. I think our industry needs to do massive rethinking about how we approach pitches. The quantum of time and genius spent inefficiently is staggering,” shared Bhansali. Clients expectations have changed, too. They are more conscious about every penny they spend. Apart from that, there is an increasing focus on MarTech. “Brands have upped their ante in Performance Marketing. And so have we. I am bullish on MarTech and how they are going to shape campaigns. We have been investing heavily into training our team and building partnerships in MarTech,” said Bhansali. The biggest silver lining COVID-19 did accelerate the adoption of <keyword id="618493" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-marketing">digital marketing</keyword> and pushed brands to reconsider their strategies and shift monnies where consumers are -- be it OTT or social media, screen time has increased and clients are following. Digital marketing is receiving its due recognition and credit. “This has been the biggest silver lining. Brands and businesses are looking at digital with a deservedly higher reverence today. I, not so humbly, believe that they should have done this in a pre-pandemic world too. Perception has followed reality and Digital has risen up on the value chain. Where we were once talking to Digital Managers, we are not talking to CMOs. And where we once talked to CMOs, we are now talking to CEOs,” beams Bhansali. The efficacy of digital has never been a secret but brands are increasingly realising its potential now. With this, Bhansali says with greater conviction that digital spends will soon surpass traditional mediums. “Digital spends already surpassed that of Print. TV spends still dominate in India. But the pandemic has provided the conditions for Digital Spends to surpass TV. Digital will win share from TV, Print and Outdoors. Of course, I am biased. Only this time with greater conviction.” Speaking of another trend that will take over digital industry, Bhansali shared, “From an industry perspective, while consolidation will surely happen, the more purpose-driven founders will think hard before partnering with a network. It is no secret how many network agencies executed pay cuts and job cuts as early as April itself. One even let go off 30% of its staff on a day’s notice without any severance. While I personally find this ridiculous, I can comprehend why they do it - they have to be Shareholder and share price first. Independents can afford to stay People first. I believe a new era of consolidation amongst independents will emerge. We hope to share some developments on this soon.” Personal learnings COVID has also made the industry leaders reconsider their priorities and alter business strategies. On a personal front, Bhansali says the pandemic has taught him the biggest lesson of compassion and importance of uplifting each other. He said, “All of us are fighting some silent battle or the other. While in the context of work, we should surely expect the best out of each other, we need to also hold space for compassion and understanding. Beyond learnings I have had many revalidations – think long-term, build a great culture, worship cash flows, have a good internet connection, try to be the best human being you can.”

New job openings and mandate wins, here’s how Gozoop is sailing smoothly despite the recession

Days after Maggi fiasco, other food manufacturers like <keyword id="29464" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Parle">Parle</keyword>, KFC, Wendy’s and many others are being dragged into parallel issues by the consumers. A report circulated by the Economic Times suggests that the age-old biscuit maker Parle is receiving a minimum of 5 phone calls each day by its fuming customers. 
 
The calls, as mentioned in the report, are by and large about the contaminants being found in the food products. Not just this, but demands of compensation from Rs 5,000 to 5 lakh has also emerged as a matter of concern. What adds more to one’s surprise is the fact that some has also threatened the country’s largest food maker saying that if it doesn't cough up, they'll go to the media and even the regulator. 
 <keyword id="115414" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ramesh-Chauhan">Ramesh Chauhan</keyword>, a member of the family that runs Parle and also the chairman of <keyword id="140687" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bisleri-International">Bisleri International</keyword>, said, "Consumers are panicking. Some are raising genuine issues, which is good. But some are taking advantage of the existing environment." 
 <keyword id="120094" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mayank-Shah">Mayank Shah</keyword>, the company’s deputy marketing manager, also came-up to cover the matter. Shah said, "There are customers who are getting overtly concerned and some want to use the opportunity to make a quick buck." 
 Other food manufacturers like <keyword id="268892" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Yum-Brands">Yum Brands</keyword>, Pepsi, Wendy's, Mondelez and Dabur too are facing similar issues and are fielding alike calls from consumers. 
 There have also been reports that some of the companies have used ‘Make in India’ platform to get their unregulated products passed by the <keyword id="109212" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Food-Safety">Food Safety</keyword> &amp; <keyword id="179673" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Standards-Authority-of-India">Standards Authority of India</keyword> (FSSAI). Those manufacturers who have made it to this list are: Tata Starbucks, Ferrero SpA, Field Fresh Foods, Kellogg's and McCain. 
 
Nadia Chauhan, a member of the Chauhan family and also the joint managing director Parle Agro, which has brands like Frooti and Appy, said, "Companies can only put themselves to ransom by panicking. Globally, no one would entertain such stuff because the awareness level is so high. As a company, you need to settle the matter but paying up is just out of the question."

Indian consumers might prefer to stay away from packaged food. Here is why

The Central Pollution Control Board (<keyword id="68804" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="CPCB">CPCB</keyword>) has told the NGT that it has issued show cause notices for closure of operations to <keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword> and <keyword id="6356684" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="patanjali">Patanjali</keyword> Peya as they are not registered with it and have not responded to its communications on the matter. In a report submitted to the National Green Tribunal, the CPCB has said the show cause notice under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, has been issued to these units on October 8, for closure of their operation and environment compensation for non-compliance of provisions of Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2018. The CPCB further informed the NGT that four firms -- Hindustan Coca-cola Beverages Pvt Ltd, Pepsico India Holding Pvt Ltd, Bisleri International Pvt Ltd, and Ms NourishCo Beverages Ltd -- are registered with CPCB. 'However, they have not provided information for evidence based assessment of implementation of action plan for fulfilment of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) liability'. The documents submitted by them have not been endorsed by state pollution control boards (SPCBs) and accordingly, the show cause notice has been issued to these firms as well. It also informed the NGT that "Amazon Seller Service Pvt Ltd, Coca-Cola India Pvt Ltd, Parle Agro Pvt Ltd, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp Ltd have been recently granted registration by CPCB as Brand Owner/producer under Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules,2018". It told the NGT that they are required to submit quarterly progress reports and comply with conditions stipulated in the registration certificate issued to them. With regard to the tribunal's direction on environmental audit of these firms, the CPCB said it has held deliberations with expert agencies on the matter. "Since, it will be for the first time that such an audit shall be conducted, a committee has been constituted to deliberate and suggest mechanism for conducting environmental audit as well as specify the agencies which can be engaged for such audits," the CPCB said. It said that directions under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 has been issued to all SPCBs for identification of the Brand owners/ producers who are operating without registration from them and to take action against the defaulting units as per provisions of PWM Rules, 2018 which may include closure of their operations, and levying Environmental Compensation. The report said: "Further, CPCB receives applications for registration under Rule 13(2) of PWM Rules. Applications are examined by CPCB and clarification/information, if any, are communicated to the applicants. However, many such applicants have not responded to CPCB's queries. "As the applicants are non-compliant during this period, list of such applicants has also been forwarded to the State Board for taking action against the defaulting units as per provision of PWM Rules,2018 which shall include closure of their operations, and levying environmental compensation". The NGT has directed the CPCB to conduct environmental audit and recover fine from Amazon and Flipkart for violation of environmental norms. The green panel observed that the statutory regulators were not taking coercive measures, including invoking of "polluter pays" principle for enforcing the statutory norms against the e-commerce firms. The CPCB has earlier told the NGT that e-commerce giants need to fulfil their extended producer responsibility under the PWM Rules and need to establish a system for collecting back the plastic waste generated due to the packaging of their products, the CPCB had earlier told the NGT. "Primary responsibility for collection of used multi-layered plastic sachet or pouches or packaging is of producers, importers and brand owners who introduce the products in the market," it said. The submission came in response to a plea filed by a 16-year-old boy who has approached the tribunal to stop e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart from excessive plastic use in their packaging. Aditya Dubey, through his legal guardian, has pleaded the NGT to direct Amazon and Flipkart to stop excessive use of plastic in packaging the goods delivered by the firms. In the second plea, Aditya alleged violation of the PWM Rules by Coca-Cola India Pvt Ltd, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd, Pepsico India Holding Pvt Ltd, Bisleri International Pvt Ltd, Parle Agro Pvt Ltd, Patanjali Peya Private Ltd, NourishCo Beverages Ltd, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp Ltd in terms of principle of Extended Producer Liability. "The e-commerce companies are covered under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. But due to a lack of monitoring and implementation, the respondents continue to use excessive amounts of plastic in wrapping and packaging their sold items," said the plea, filed through advocate Meenesh Dubey. Dubey's plea had contended that the companies deliver items in cardboard boxes, which are too large as compared to the size of the items being delivered. "To ensure that the sold items do not move around in the outsized boxes, they wrap the items in multiple layers of plastic sheets and plastic bubble wraps and thereafter fill the large empty spaces in the boxes with additional sheets of single-use plastic," it had said. Once goods are delivered, the plastic waste is thrown away in garbage and it ends up at landfill sites, leading to a burden on the earth and damaging the environment, it said. <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/wipro-board-approves-9500-crore-share-buyback-plan/articleshow/78638511.cms">Wipro board approves ₹9,500 crore share buyback plan</a>

Flipkart, Patanjali issued show-cause notice for closure of units over registration under Plastic Waste rule

<ul><li><keyword id="11451125" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="gozoop-group">Gozoop Group</keyword> has acquired its fifth agency, <keyword id="11451121" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="stratton-communications">Stratton Communications</keyword>.</li><li>Stratton will be rebranded as Sm(all) and will operate independently within the Gozoop Group.</li><li>We caught up with Ahmed Aftab Naqvi, CEO &amp; Co-Founder, Gozoop Group, Rohan Bhansali, Co-Founder &amp; Director, Gozoop Group and Siddhanth Valecha, CEO, Sm(all) to find out more about the alliance and Gozoop Group’s vision ahead.</li></ul>The Gozoop Group has acquired Digital Agency Stratton Communications. This is Gozoop’s fifth acquisition. Before this, the group had acquired Red Digital in 2013, which is a part of the Dream11 Group, iThink in 2014, 56 Blue Lights in 2016 and Hat Media in 2018. After the acquisition, Stratton will be rebranded as Sm(all) and will focus on challenger brands under Gozoop’s umbrella. The agency aims at gaining recognition for its ability to use human insights to unlock authentic brand experiences that drive meaningful engagements primarily on short-form content platforms. With Siddhanth Valecha as the CEO of Sm(all), the agency will operate independently within the group and will report to the Gozoop Board. The group has already added clients such as Cipla, Regal Shoes, ExtraMile, Nasher Miles and Aster Labs in the last two months after the acquisition. Pre-pandemic, Stratton had earned Rs 2.5 crore in annual revenues and now, Sm(all) is only aiming to go bigger! We caught up with Ahmed Aftab Naqvi, CEO &amp; Co-Founder, Gozoop Group, Rohan Bhansali, Co-Founder &amp; Director, Gozoop Group and Siddhanth Valecha, CEO, Sm(all) to further understand what the acquisition means for the group, what it is like to form an alliance during a pandemic and vision ahead. Excerpts: <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. Can you tell me a little bit about this acquisition? When did the talks begin?" text="Q. Can you tell me a little bit about this acquisition? When did the talks begin?">Q. Can you tell me a little bit about this acquisition? When did the talks begin?</cmsannotation> Rohan: We have been on the lookout for a mid-size agency since mid-2020. The vision we were working towards was to have a second full-service agency as part of Gozoop Group. We were introduced to Siddhanth in November 2020. Through Stratton, Siddhanth has helped build some strong challenger brands with bold marketing campaigns. Siddhanth is famous (or infamous as he would say) for the first pizza to be delivered by a drone in India. This campaign was done for a pizza brand that caught not only the attention of the media but also city authorities. We loved the boldness of it. We had shortlisted three agencies as part of our search for a second agency. Amongst them, we saw the best creative and value fit in Stratton. In Stratton, we found a player that thrives on taking risks to break the marketing clutter. The negotiations took a couple of months and we formalized the terms of the deal in February 2021. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. How will Stratton operate under Gozoop Group’s umbrella?" text="Q. How will Stratton operate under Gozoop Group’s umbrella?">Q. How will Stratton operate under Gozoop Group’s umbrella?</cmsannotation> Ahmed: Stratton will operate independently within the framework of defined values and business principles of Gozoop Group. It has been rebranded as Sm(all) to be more in line with its vision of building challenger brands. Sm(all) will have its own culture, which will be a derivative of Siddhanth’s leadership style. We feel that that’s a prerequisite for this venture to succeed. We don’t want it to lose its bold essence. In fact, we want to accentuate it. Siddhanth: Stratton as a company, in its true element, was what initially attracted Rohan and Ahmed’s attention. Additionally, for me, staying true to our core as Stratton was also of utmost importance. Therefore, what’s made this even more comforting or rather seamless is that all three of us widely agreed on keeping the essence of Stratton, now Sm(all), in sync with what I had initially envisioned it to be. We will be operating independently under the Gozoop Group. And I couldn’t be more excited. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. What kind of synergies will Gozoop share with Sm(all)?" text="Q. What kind of synergies will Gozoop share with Sm(all)?">Q. What kind of synergies will Gozoop share with Sm(all)?</cmsannotation> Rohan: At Gozoop, our ecosystem is set to best service brands such as Dell, Indian Hotels and Bisleri that are market leaders in their categories. Such brands obviously have different needs than challenger brands. With Sm(all), at a group level, now we can service such challenger brands that Gozoop earlier couldn’t due to non-compete as well as the size of business reasons. The corporate side of the business – HR, Finance, IT – will have further synergies. While these will be centralized to benefit from the Group’s strong systems, specific subsystems have been set to better suit Sm(all). <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. How will the alliance help strengthen your overall offering?" text="Q. How will the alliance help strengthen your overall offering?">Q. How will the alliance help strengthen your overall offering?</cmsannotation> Ahmed: At a business level, we can monetize existing opportunities better as we can now service a wider array of brands. We earlier had to pass on these opportunities to other agencies. This will help revenue and bring down our overhead costs at a per employee level. As stated above, it will also lead to higher efficiencies in our horizontal functions such as HR, Finance, IT and PR. At an execution level, Sm(all) brings its own unique and bold style of brand development that will build creative repute at the Agency as well as Group level. Stratton has been well known in the industry for bold creative campaigns. Expect some firework campaigns from the den of Sm(all). Siddhanth: Gozoop is well known in the advertising industry for its culture and processes, therefore, collaborating in 3 major departments with a solid partner will only make things easier for us. It’ll help us focus on our key offerings of helping brands build a community and a narrative using our modern-day understanding and expertise. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. Who crafted the name of the agency Sm(all) and what was the idea behind it?" text="Q. Who crafted the name of the agency Sm(all) and what was the idea behind it?">Q. Who crafted the name of the agency Sm(all) and what was the idea behind it?</cmsannotation> Rohan: That credit goes to Ahmed and Siddhanth, both creative geniuses. Initially, I personally thought we should stick to the name Stratton since it is well known. But now I see why Sm(all) aligns so sharply to the vision. Internally, it drives the team to leverage the power and bigness in the Sm(all). The counter intuitiveness of the name works well – Sm(all) is Strong. Sm(all) is Powerful. Sm(all) is Big. And our clients are resonating with it well too. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. Gozoop Group has acquired another agency during a global pandemic when the advertising industry is struggling to survive. What are some of the factors that have worked in your favour?" text="Q. Gozoop Group has acquired another agency during a global pandemic when the advertising industry is struggling to survive. What are some of the factors that have worked in your favour?">Q. Gozoop Group has acquired another agency during a global pandemic when the advertising industry is struggling to survive. What are some of the factors that have worked in your favour?</cmsannotation> Ahmed: We have always been bottom line and cash flow focused. Such a mindset works better in economic down cycles. If you look back at our history, the genesis of Gozoop lies in the deep recession of 2008. Our focus since then is to build a resilient organization that has a strong fundamental moat. It is the same resilience that enabled us to be the first advertising agency that announced performance appraisals in July last year when most agencies and networks were cutting headcounts. We had promised our team no COVID-related job losses as early as April 2020. At Gozoop, we are always building for decades and we are ok to let go of short-term gain for long-term organization building. Like all businesses, our revenues too significantly suffered last year, but keeping the long in mind we wanted to protect our people. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. Considering this is Gozoop Group's first acquisition during a global pandemic, did you face any kind of challenges?" text="Q. Considering this is Gozoop Group's first acquisition during a global pandemic, did you face any kind of challenges?">Q. Considering this is Gozoop Group's first acquisition during a global pandemic, did you face any kind of challenges?</cmsannotation> Ahmed: The only challenge if I can call it that is that most of our conversations happened over video calls. The funny part is Rohan and I haven’t yet met Siddhanth in person. That’s the new world for you. The pandemic has taught all of us to adapt and work with what we have. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. You've acquired four agencies so far. So, can you tell me what is it that you look for in your partner?" text="Q. You've acquired four agencies so far. So, can you tell me what is it that you look for in your partner?">Q. You've acquired four agencies so far. So, can you tell me what is it that you look for in your partner?</cmsannotation> Rohan: Actually Stratton marks our 5th acquisition counting the one we did in Dubai. Inorganic growth through M&amp;A has always been a part of our story starting with Red Digital in 2013, iThink in 2014, 56 Blue Lights in 2016, Hat Media in 2018, and now Stratton (2021). In all these acquisitions, we first find a value synergy. In most of these acquisitions, the founder has been active in the business and hence a value alignment is critical. For eg. Yamini (founder of 56 Blue Lights) now leads our Gozoop Dubai operations. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. Can you give us a sense of the deal in financial terms?" text="Q. Can you give us a sense of the deal in financial terms?">Q. Can you give us a sense of the deal in financial terms?</cmsannotation> Rohan: The deal is a mix of equity and cash with Gozoop owning a majority in the company. Like in most deals in our sector, the majority of the pay-out is based on the future cash flow performance of the business. Pre-pandemic, Stratton has Rs 2.5 crore of annual Revenues. The business did take a hit in the pandemic since it was majorly focused on the hospitality and F&amp;B sector. Today, we are well diversified amongst sectors and with the current pace of growth, we should soon outdo the pre-pandemic revenue numbers. Just in the last 2 months, we have added clients such as Cipla, Regal Shoes, ExtraMile, Nasher Miles and Aster Labs. Sm(all) is going Big! <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. Siddhanth, what is your vision for Sm(all) now as you begin a new chapter?" text="Q. Siddhanth, what is your vision for Sm(all) now as you begin a new chapter?">Q. Siddhanth, what is your vision for Sm(all) now as you begin a new chapter?</cmsannotation> Siddhanth: Brands today don’t just need a customer base, they need a cult following that will stand with the brand, its offerings, and also its cause. Engaging and not just advertising is what I feel Sm(all) is here for. The audience today, more than ever, is aware or even uncomfortable about the fact that with every swipe or scroll there is a product advertisement that’s waiting to occupy their screens. The need for an agency/marketing partner that can help weave a narrative that goes beyond just a seasonal ad campaign, is the need of the hour in my opinion. Sm(all) envisions to be the element of change that fills this void in the segment.

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