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<keyword id="22416554" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="EV-ride-hailing" source="keywords">EV ride-hailing</keyword> services and charging infrastructure network operator <keyword id="20354062" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="BluSmart" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="BluSmart" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="BluSmart">BluSmart</keyword> on Monday said it has raised USD 24 million (Rs 200 crore) capital in a <keyword id="20080855" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="funding-round" source="keywords">funding round</keyword>. The pre-Series B funding round saw participation from existing investors like responsAbility Investments AG as well as new investors such as Sumant Sinha, Chairman and CEO of ReNew, and <keyword id="22416555" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="MS-Dhoni-Family-Office" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="MS Dhoni Family Office" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="MS Dhoni Family Office">MS Dhoni Family Office</keyword>. The funds will support BluSmart in expanding its operations and building <keyword id="5933706" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="EV-charging-infrastructure" source="Orion">EV charging infrastructure</keyword> and assets in mega Indian cities, the company said. "Our latest fundraise of USD 24 million is an important step in our journey to scale the e-mobility fleet and <keyword id="3378793" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="EV-charging" source="Orion">EV charging</keyword> infrastructure," BluSmart co-founder Punit Goyal said. The company is building an integrated energy-infrastructure, mobility and technology company to take full advantage of the EV revolution, he added. "Investing in BluSmart's sustainable business model is not just about supporting a company; it's about being part of a movement that shapes the future of mobility," Dhoni, veteran cricketer, said.

EV ride-hailing firm BluSmart raises USD 24 million

Hitting a hattrick of 6’s to dazzle the crowd hasn’t been the only cool thing <keyword id="6354832" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="MS-dhoni" source="Orion">MS Dhoni</keyword> has been up to of late. The Indian cricketing legend continues to make waves off the pitch in many ways, one of which involves investing in interesting and impactful <keyword id="20067715" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="start-up" source="keywords">start-up</keyword> projects. His latest venture involves an undisclosed investment in <keyword id="20656950" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="electric-cycle" source="keywords">electric cycle</keyword> manufacturer <keyword id="20835176" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="EMotorad" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="EMotorad" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="EMotorad">EMotorad</keyword>. In addition to his financial backing, <keyword id="19896463" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dhoni" source="keywords">Dhoni</keyword> is set to serve as the <keyword id="21321553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="brand-endorser" source="keywords">brand endorser</keyword> for the company, further solidifying his role in shaping its future direction. Expressing his excitement for this venture, Dhoni commented: “The future is in our hands. We are in an era where innovation plays a huge role in shaping sustainable solutions, and I’m a fan of new-age companies that build these. EMotorad stands at the forefront of shaping the future of mobility, and I am thrilled to be a part of this journey!” <keyword id="20835175" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kunal-Gupta" source="keywords">Kunal Gupta</keyword>, founder and chief executive of EMotorad, expressed confidence that MS Dhoni's association with the brand will significantly boost awareness and trust in the e-biking sector. He told ET: “There is no one better and more reliable than Dhoni who resonates with what our brand stands for, an avid biker himself.” <div type="twitter" handle="e_motorad" handlename="e_motorad" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1776119471704608843"></div> This Pune-based startup now joins a growing list of startups that are part of Dhoni's diverse portfolio, which includes ventures spanning various sectors such as fitness, technology, automotive and digital solutions. As per The Economic Times, notable among his investments are Bengaluru-based fitness startup Tagda Raho, digital lending platform Khatabook, and Gurugram-based used car retailer Cars24. Founded in 2020 by Kunal Gupta, Rajib Gangopadhyay, Aditya Oza and Sumedh Battewar, EMotorad has rapidly gained traction in the Indian e-cycle market, capturing a 65% share. With a focus on cutting-edge technology and strategic partnerships, the company aims to revolutionise transportation by offering high-quality and value-driven solutions. Back in November 2023, EMotorad demonstrated its growth potential by securing substantial funding worth Rs 164 crore in a Series B round led by Panthera Growth Partners. It has raised a total of $20 million in equity thus far. The company boasts a network of more than 350 dealers nationwide, along with over 10 experience centres. Despite its strong foundation in India, its reach spans across eight countries, demonstrating its global presence and influence. Offline dominance aside, EMotorad also leverages online platforms to reach a wider audience, including e-commerce giants like Amazon and Flipkart. In the fiscal year ending March 2024, EMotorad reported sales of Rs 140 crore, a notable increase from Rs 115 crore the previous year. Looking ahead to FY25, the company targets sales of Rs 270 crore, with approximately Rs 130 crore stemming from domestic markets and the remainder anticipated from regions like the US and Europe. With plans underway for a new factory and the development of innovative e-cycle designs, EMotorad is poised for further expansion. By diversifying its product range, expanding its market reach, and now partnering with one of the most beloved sporting figures in the country, the company is fully committed to solidifying its position as a leader in the evolving mobility landscape. (With inputs from The Economic Times)

Dhoni goes electric: Former team India captain invests in affordable e-bike start-up EMotorad

<ul><li><keyword id="6354832" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="MS-Dhoni" source="Orion">MS Dhoni</keyword> forayed into the world of business by making major investments in various companies across sectors.</li><li>His investments include <keyword id="4610420" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Garuda-Aerospace" source="Orion">Garuda Aerospace</keyword>, Khatabook, Cars24, and many more.</li><li>He has an estimated net worth of $111 million and featured among highest paid athletes in the world in 2015.</li></ul>After bidding a goodbye to international cricket, former Indian team skipper Mahendra Singh <keyword id="6397" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="dhoni" source="Orion">Dhoni</keyword> seems to have turned into a full-time startup investor. He now has interests in companies across sectors like auto, liquor, agricultural, clothing etc. His latest venture is into the world of drones as he invested an undisclosed sum in Chennai-based drone company Garuda Aerospace today. He has also become its brand ambassador. The company works in the agri sector and has 300 drones along with 500 pilots operating in 26 countries. <div type="twitter" handle="garuda_india" handlename="Garuda Aerospace Pvt Ltd" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1435499480695013376/O7KKwlM-_normal.jpg" favoritecount="41" retweetcount="20" status="The Helicopter has arrived 🚁 Captain Cool #MSDhoni makes a strategic investment in India's Largest Drone Startup… https://t.co/Fuq72WLmzK" createdat="1654500456000" id="1533712192670814208"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="One of India’s highest paid athletes" comment="subhead" text="One of India’s highest paid athletes">One of India’s highest paid athletes</cmsannotation> Dhoni has an estimated<a href="https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/ms-dhoni-net-worth"> net worth</a> of $111 million and is featured among the highest paid athletes in the world in 2015 — earning as much as $31 million. Apart from investments, he endorses 20 brands including TVS Motors, Ashok Leyland and Exide Batteries. It hence comes as no surprise that he is carefully growing his wealth by investing in various ventures — which are mostly startups. Here are some companies in which Dhoni has invested in — 1. Khatabook Dhoni became the investor and brand ambassador of the Saas-based ledger company in March 2020. It is an online platform for companies to keep a digital log of their financial transactions and accept payments online. The company claims that it had managed to clock in five crore registered merchants in just a year. 2. Cars24 He became a part of the e-commerce platform for pre-owned cars in 2019 by investing an undisclosed sum in its Series D round. He is also its brand ambassador. 3. <keyword id="6359801" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Seven" source="Orion">Seven</keyword> Dhoni who is known for his personal style launched his own lifestyle brand popularly known as Seven, after his iconic jersey number 7. Reportedly, he just owns the footwear segment of the brand, while the rest of it is owned by RS Seven Lifestyle. He is also the global brand ambassador of the company he launched in 2016. 4. 7InkBrews The food and beverage company announced Dhoni as its brand ambassador and shareholder of the company last April. Adil Mistry and Kunal Patel, co-founders of the company launched a whole new range of chocolates and beverages under the brand Copter7, which was inspired by Dhoni’s famous helicopter shot and his jersey number. 5. Hotel Mahi Residency This one is one of the lesser known investments made by the cricket legend. Very few people know that Mahi owns a hotel as well named as Hotel Mahi Residency located in Ranchi, Jharkhand. 6. HomeLane Dhoni became an equity partner and brand ambassador of the home interior company last August. The agreement was signed for three years, however, no other details were disclosed. HomeLane, founded in 2014, is a platform that promises to deliver home interiors within 45 days. 7. <keyword id="14129080" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sports-fit" source="Orion">Sports Fit</keyword> He also owns a stake in Sports Fit, which is a gym franchise located in multiple locations in India such as Delhi, Mumbai. As per media reports, he owns around 200 gyms under this brand name. The Ranchi-based hockey team, which replaced the defunct <keyword id="4931806" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ranchi-rhinos" source="Orion">Ranchi Rhinos</keyword> in 2014, is also owned by Dhoni. Previously, it was owned by the Patel-Uniexcel Group. 8. Ranchi Rays The Ranchi-based hockey team, which replaced the defunct Ranchi Rhinos in 2014, is also owned by Dhoni. Previously, it was owned by the Patel-Uniexcel Group. 9. Chennaiyin FC He is the co-owner of the popular football Indian Super League (ISL), which is men’s football league, franchise Chennaiyin FC. The other co-owner is Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="http://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/elon-musks-spacex-teases-next-gen-satellites-reveals-company-on-track-meet-goal-of-52-60-launches-this-year/articleshow/92040368.cms">Elon Musk's SpaceX teases next-gen satellites, reveals company on track meet goal of 52-60 launches this year</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/indias-central-bank-denies-reports-that-it-is-replacing-mahatma-gandhi-with-tagore-and-kalam-on-currency-notes/articleshow/92037998.cms">India's central bank denies reports that it is replacing Mahatma Gandhi with Tagore and Kalam on currency notes</a>

M S Dhoni ventures into the world of drones — look at the other companies he invested in

<ul><li><keyword id="4610420" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="garuda-aerospace" source="Orion">Garuda Aerospace</keyword> announced the launch of a new camera drone named <keyword id="15210165" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="droni" source="Orion">Droni</keyword>, in partnership with its investor and brand ambassador, <keyword id="6354832" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ms-dhoni" source="Orion">MS Dhoni</keyword>. </li><li>The new drone is aimed at consumers and fit for surveillance purposes, the company said, noting that it will be available for purchase towards the end of 2022. </li><li>It also announced the launch of <keyword id="13082809" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="kisan-drone" source="Orion">Kisan Drone</keyword> aimed at farmers who want to spray pesticides. </li></ul>Former India cricket captain <keyword id="10138" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="mahendra-singh-dhoni" source="Orion">Mahendra Singh Dhoni</keyword> has partnered with Garuda Aerospace, a Chennai-based drone company to launch a new camera drone – called Droni – aimed at consumers. The new drone from Garuda that is banking on <keyword id="6397" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="dhoni" source="Orion">Dhoni</keyword>’s name sports a quadcopter design, useful for surveillance and will be available for purchase towards the end of 2022. The company has not revealed any details about its features or price yet. Apart from Droni, Garuda Aerospace also announced another drone aimed at farmers. Named Kisan Drone, it is a battery-powered device that can spray pesticides over a 30-acre land area per day. “Our Droni drone is indigenous and can be used for different surveillance purposes. It is efficient, seamless and high quality from a tech and build standpoint,” the company’s founder and CEO Agnishwar Jayaprakash said, without divulging the specifications of the product. It is worth noting that Dhoni is also an investor in the company, and its brand ambassador. Besides these two drones, Garuda Aerospace has several others already available for purchase, with each one of them aimed at addressing different needs like surveillance, mapping, solar panel cleaning, agricultural seeding, and an inspection drone – which is in use in Telangana. Garuda Aerospace has partnerships and contracts worth $1.2 billion and its clients include the <keyword id="6354416" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="indian-army" source="Orion">Indian Army</keyword>, MapyMyIndia and Swiggy, among others. Founded in 2015, the company was reported to be raising $30 million in Series A funding in June this year at a valuation of $250 million. Besides Dhoni, it counts Canada-based investment firm Ocgrow Ventures amongst its investors. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/telecom-sector-to-ring-in-stability-in-q2-jio-and-airtel-expected-to-grow-stronger-vi-weaker/articleshow/94709309.cms">Telecom sector to ring in stability in Q2 – Jio and Airtel expected to grow stronger, Vi weaker</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/paytm-reports-an-increase-of-over-21-in-average-loan-ticket-size/articleshow/94753614.cms">Paytm reports an increase of over 21% in average loan ticket size</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/banks-to-reap-rewards-of-interest-rate-hikes-in-q2-earnings/articleshow/94706875.cms">Banks to reap rewards of interest rate hikes in Q2 earnings</a>

MS Dhoni launches camera drone Droni in partnership with Garuda Aerospace

New Delhi, Mar 17 () Business accounting app Khatabook on Tuesday announced that cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni has invested in the company, and has become its brand ambassador. Khatabook is aiming to onboard another 2 crore merchants over the next 12 months. The firm plans to use proceeds from the latest equity investment to expand its product portfolio and double down on its technology and capabilities. "Having grown up in small-town India, I saw friends and family struggle with outdated modes of doing business and tracking finances. Khatabook has had an outsized impact on the lives of India's small merchants and retailers," Dhoni said. * * * * *Fintech firm Fintso raises $2.6 mn in maiden round of funding* Fintech start up Fintso on Tuesday announced raising USD 2.6 million from a set of individual angel investors including top officials of Mankind, Einfochips and Deutsche Bank. "Fintso, a 3-month-old fintech startup, founded by Wealth Management industry veterans, George Mitra and Rajan Pathak, has raised USD 2.6 milliom from a set of individual Angel investors. Investors include Rajeev Juneja (CEO of Mankind Pharma), Pratul Shroff (Founder of Infochips) and Dilip Khandelwal (MD and Head of Technology, Asia Pacific, Deutsche Bank)," the company said in a statement.Fintso said it will use the capital to develop platform to help independent financial advisors and mutual fund distributors to nurture client relationships, enable seamless operations, and help them enhance productivity. PRS SHWSHW

MS Dhoni invests in biz accounting app Khatabook

<ul><li>Dhoni recently invested an undisclosed in <keyword id="4306161" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cars24">Cars24</keyword>, a used car marketplace. </li><li>Earlier this year he had also invested in sports tech startup Run Adams. </li><li>He is also a brand ambassador of India’s first gaming unicorn <keyword id="6214644" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dream11">Dream11</keyword>.</li></ul>Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni is hitting the ball out of the park off the field too! He has been actively building an investment portfolio and interestingly, the former skipper seems to have taken a liking for Indian <keyword id="6362513" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="startups">startups</keyword>. Here’s a look at the businesses where Dhoni has invested in or is a brand ambassador <div type="Slideshow" msid="70685410" hostid="261" title="MS Dhoni seems to be the favourite celeb for Indian startups" firstImageMsid="70685411" slideCount="5"></div>

MS Dhoni seems to be the favourite celeb for Indian startups

<ul><li>Cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni has invested in <keyword id="4306161" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cars24">Cars24</keyword>, in its series D round of funding.</li><li>Cars24, which had recently opened up to franchising, aims to have over 300 outlets in India in the next two years. </li><li>It had also received an NBFC licence from the RBI to offer loans for the purchase of used cars. </li></ul>Indian cricketer <keyword id="6354832" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ms-dhoni">MS Dhoni</keyword> has Ferrari 599 GTO, Hummer H2, the GMC Sierra cars in his stable. His most recent purchase was the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk SUV model that is estimated to cost over ₹87 lakhs in India. 
 
 
 
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 However, the former Indian captain is now making to make some money out of used cars by investing an undisclosed amount into car marketplace Cars24 and will now also be the startup’s brand ambassador. The investment is a part of the startup’s series D round of funding. “Besides being a fan of all things to do with cars, I am also a fan of new age companies that are disruptive, innovative and shaping the future. CARS24 is definitely one of these companies,” Dhoni said in a statement. Cars24, which was founded in 2015, has grown rapidly over the years and hoped to breakeven by December 2019. Cars24 sells over 13,000 cars every month through its platform and over 4 years has sold 1.6 lakh cars. The startup also recently opened up the doors for franchising, which will help it set-up 300 outlets in tier-2, tier-3 and tier-4 cities over the next two years. It also has the RBI approval to offer loans for the purchase of used cars. Currently present in 35 cities and 150 branches, Cars24 plans to be in 70 cities and 230 branches by 2019. “We only have 2% market share right now of the $30 billion used car market. In India, 5 million used cars are sold every year. Our objective is to take this number of 2% to 20% over the next 5 years,” co-founder and CEO Vikram Chopra had told Business Insider in an earlier interview. Dhoni’s money and brand will go a long way in supporting the dream.

MS Dhoni who splurges on fancy cars is now looking to make money from used cars

<ul><li><keyword id="163007" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="muthoot-finance" source="Orion">Muthoot Finance</keyword> is one of the largest <keyword id="130134" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gold-loan" source="Orion">gold loan</keyword> NBFC in India and it has been using its <keyword id="6354839" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="marketing" source="Orion">marketing</keyword> strategies effectively to make the brand a household name.</li><li><keyword id="9213956" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="abhinav-iyer" source="Orion">Abhinav Iyer</keyword>, GM, Marketing &amp; Strategy, Muthoot Finance tells us all the brand has been doing to not only grow its business but also to grow the category as a whole.</li></ul>It is no secret that Indians love gold. In fact, gold accounts for a large part of most Indian family’s wealth. While for years, securing loans against jewellery was looked at as a last resort, the last few years, especially the pandemic, has brought about an attitudinal shift in Indian consumers. Gold loans have been on a consistent rise over the last few years and this growth is coming from both micro enterprises and individuals. The pandemic hit many businesses and while things have been slowly moving towards normalcy, a lot of sectors still remain impacted, and people are still trying to find the balance. In such a scenario, gold loan has come up as both a convenient as well as a quick option to get cash. Over the years, there has been a shift in perception when it comes to taking a loan out on gold jewellery and one brand that has been trying to help the segment grow by trying to fasten this change is Muthoot Finance. Over the last few years, the brand has consistently stayed in the public consciousness with its marketing strategies. <keyword id="6357912" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="amitabh-bachchan" source="Orion">Amitabh Bachchan</keyword> has been a face of the brand for four years now. It has also been the Principal Team Partner for Chennai Super Kings, having turned it into a trusted, household name. <div type="Youtube" id="WZl9-VYIErY" title="Muthoot Finance - Haathi Pe Bharosa Karogey Toh Pakka Jeetogey - 2.5 Lakh Customers" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WZl9-VYIErY/mqdefault.jpg"></div> <div type="Youtube" id="ZpFUp9_P4X8" title="Muthoot Finance- Haathi Pe Bharosa Karogey Toh Pakka Jeetogey!" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZpFUp9_P4X8/mqdefault.jpg"></div> We recently caught up with Abhinav Iyer, GM, Marketing &amp; Strategy, Muthoot Finance to understand how the pandemic impacted the company’s business and the role the brand has been playing in not only educating consumers about the sector but also helping the sector grow. Muthoot Finance’s growth story While the pandemic was not kind to many sectors and businesses, Muthoot Finance was able to sustain its growth, Iyer tells us. The consolidated AUM has grown by nearly 80% in the last three financial years from 2017-18 to 2020-21. Its consolidated net profit has grown by 114% during the same period. In other words, it has more than doubled during the said period. “We have grown considerably when it comes to our book size in the last few years. This year too, we are looking at growing our book size by 15%. We have made similar growth in terms of percentages when it comes to our profitability too. We serve over 2.5 lakh customers every day through our network of over 5000 branches. Contrary to common perception that we are a South-based brand, we are today a national brand, and grown consistently over the last decade,” shared Iyer. The brand has also been on an expansion mode. Over the last 2-3 years, it has added over 200 branches across the country. “If stock prices are a testament, we have made a healthy northward stride. From every stretch of imagination, we have grown, in terms of our physical branch presence, our customer base and our profitability over the last two, three years. And our marketing strategies have contributed considerably to this healthy and sustained growth,” added Iyer. Creating a winning marketing strategy It is often said that during times of crises, marketing budgets are usually the first to get slashed. We saw a lot of brands that stopped communicating with its consumers during the pandemic. However, Muthoot Finance is one brand that does not believe in this. In fact, it believes in staying in the public consciousness, staying constantly engaged. It has a half-yearly marketing strategy where it comes up with a high decibel campaign every six months, a strategy that has worked well for it. The brand recently launched its campaign ‘Hathi pe bharosa karoge toh pakka jeetoge’, featuring Amitabh Bachchan. The brand also recently launched the second season of its radio campaign called Muthoot Finance Sunheri Soch. At a time when more and more brands are steadily increasing their spends on Digital, while decreasing spends on traditional mediums, Muthoot Finance is one brand that has been consistently using mediums like Print, Radio and Outdoor. Speaking about its latest radio campaign, Iyer said, “Storytelling is the oldest form of teaching’ and we also believe that radio has always been seen as a credible and authentic medium of communication, hence we chose it as our primary medium of communication to reach out to our target audience and new customers. We also wanted to have a female voice this season and bring freshness to the table, hence this year we are extremely delighted to partner with <keyword id="6355846" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="madhuri-dixit" source="Orion">Madhuri Dixit</keyword> for Season 2. We have extensively researched and customized our series to be launched via radio alongside strong amplification across all prominent digital channels. We recorded a significant increase in our new customer acquisition and queries post the launch of Season 1. Thus, we did not hold back ourselves in investing again in radio and celebrating the art of <keyword id="282281" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="storytelling" source="Orion">storytelling</keyword>." On why the brand continues to invest on traditional mediums while also investing on newer mediums like Digital, Iyer added, “We are a national brand with around 5440 branches across India. More than 70% of our branches are in semi-urban and rural areas. We have served nearly 70 crore customer (including repeat customers) since our inception. So from all those parameters, we are a large, spread-out, national brand. So its important that some of these mass mediums are always there as part of our media mix. It would never be possible for us to do away with any of the mass mediums because the reach from mass media is critical for us. Meanwhile, digital is also a very important cog in the wheel. In the last three years, our digital and our IT teams have been working tirelessly to ensure the technological upgradation of our products and services. We launched our Gold Loan at home offering during the pandemic. That was a huge value-add from a technology perspective. There was a time you had to visit a branch to repay your loan interest. Today, you can do that using any digital payment platform, our chatbot or our WhatsApp business account. So today, it is not compulsory for people to visit the branch physically for availing loans or paying their interest. We are also investing substantially on digital marketing. Atleast 10% of our marketing budget is invested into digital marketing.” He also added that TV still makes for the largest chunk, between 40-45% of its marketing budgets. On what it got right when it comes to its marketing strategy, Iyer said it was a combination of a few things. “In the last few years, we have been on a marketing transformation journey. Firstly, partnering with Mr Bachchan has helped us cut across geographies, gender and age groups. Secondly, we partnered with Chennai Super Kings in 2018 when they were just coming back after a short break. <keyword id="6354832" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ms-dhoni" source="Orion">MS Dhoni</keyword> is also someone who enjoys almost the same stature that Mr Bachchan does in Bollywood. He’s a trustworthy, dependable and balanced individual. So our partnership with CSK helped us in the Tamil Nadu market where we have about 900-950 branches. We have also been using transit medium very effectively and The Greater Kailash metro station and the Nandanam station in Chennai have our branding and it has completely transformed the stations. We also came up with a unique initiative during the Kumbh mela when we created huge gold lockers to help devotees keep their valuables at a safe place. This campaign helped us win numerous awards. Lastly, over the years, we have created a culture of launching half-yearly campaigns, new communications to bring about an attitudinal change in the minds of people. We try to be present throughout the years on all major ATL and BTL mediums. I believe these strategies have helped us grow as we are also trying to grow the category.” Owing to its presence in smaller towns and cities, the brand also focuses a lot on regional communications. The brand puts out its communications in 11 languages to ensure its reach is far and wide. Future areas of focus In what the scope for the segment is in the future, Iyer said, “Overall there are around 25,000 tonnes of gold (household jewellery) in the country and less than 5% of it is monetized. So there’s a huge potential for growth, both for us and the industry as a whole. So the focus would be on getting new customers to try and opt for gold loans. Its also a very simple product, you only pay interest for the number of days for which you have availed the loan. There is a whole lot of customer benefits which can help people benefit from the product. So our primary objective, even from a marketing perspective would be to grow the category significantly and help the category prosper by itself. We will also constantly keep working on bringing about an attitudinal change in people through our marketing and communications,” concluded Iyer.

Here’s how Muthoot Finance is bringing about a perception change around gold loans with its marketing initiatives

<ul><li>Shah Rukh Khan topped the report in 2019 and <keyword id="6354832" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ms-dhoni">MS Dhoni</keyword> was at No. 1 in 2020.</li><li>As per IIHB’s report, Dream11 was the most spontaneously recalled brand in this year’s survey.</li></ul>Versatile actor <keyword id="106133" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ranveer-Singh">Ranveer Singh</keyword> versus Captain Cool MS Dhoni? Well, both seem to have done equally well in the annual IPL ad recall research of the Indian Institute of Human Brands (IIHB) conducted ten days after the start of the League this year. The research polled 879 respondents in the age-group of 18-35 years (M=481, F=398) across India. The interviews were conducted telephonically. Dream11 was the most spontaneously recalled brand in this year’s survey, which possibly also helped enhance both the brand equity and recall of MS Dhoni who anchored the 12-ad series for the brand as its ambassador and protagonist. Jio Fiber, with multiple IPL teams featured with an effervescent Ranveer Singh gyrating with a sing-song brand message, came in second on recall in the research, also helping the celebrity endorser to considerably strengthen his personal recall. Byju’s was the most spontaneously recalled brand on the IPL last year; though its celebrity endorser Shah Rukh Khan trailed behind other celebrities. Virat Kohli, as expected, did well on recall too, and came third in the recall rankings. Salman Khan did surprisingly well in this year’s survey and came in at No. 4, ahead of Rishabh Pant, Rahul Dravid, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Saurav Ganguly who followed in that sequence. Ajay Devgn, Sachin Tendulkar, Shikhar Dhawan, Shah Rukh Khan, Boman Irani, Kareena Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Ayushmann Khurrana and Akshay Kumar, on the other hand, had very few mentions and scored very poorly on respondent recall. There were sporadic mentions of Virender Sehwag and Priyanka Chopra too. In the last survey conducted in October 2020, MS Dhoni had the highest spontaneous recall as a celebrity endorser. Virat Kohli was a not-so-close second. Akshay Kumar was at rank 3; Ayushmann Khurrana at rank 4. “MS Dhoni and Ranveer Singh had a disproportionate share of visibility and recall in the IPL research we just conducted. This was in sync with the ultra-high recall of the brands they respectively endorse”, said Dr. Sandeep Goyal, Chief Mentor of IIHB. “It is interesting nevertheless to note that brands without celebrities like Phone Pe, Byju’s and others too have done well wherever media investments are heavy”. IIHB team used its proprietorial CELEBAR tool based on Celebrity Brand Association &amp; Recognition to assign a metric score to each celebrity and associated brand. The tool takes into account: <ul><li>Spontaneous recall of the brand</li><li>Spontaneous recall of the celebrity</li><li>Association between brand &amp; celebrity together </li><li>Recency of communication </li><li>Media weight behind campaign</li><li>Solus versus multiple brands using the celebrity</li></ul>MS Dhoni had a CELEBAR score of 87, up from 82 at the last IPL. His spontaneous recall was an unusually high 82%. His association with Dream 11 was also very constant at 79% from the last edition. He got 9% association with IPL/Star TV, 8% brand association with Indigo Paints, 6% with Orient Fans for Orient Fans and Livfast Solar. 2% recall came from SunFeast Yippee. So, most of Dhoni’s brand goodness got hijacked by Dream 11, much like last year. If Dhoni had only been endorsing Dream 11, his CELEBAR score would have been near 100, given his strong association with that one brand, to almost the relative exclusion of the other brands he endorses. Ranveer achieved a CELEBAR score of 86, empirically almost equal to that of MS Dhoni. But his association was more democratically spread with Jio Fiber at 56%, JD mart at 48%, My11 Circle at 22% and Bingo at 18%. Names of some other brands were mentioned by respondents but these were filtered out as they were not part of the IPL broadcast. Both MS Dhoni and Ranveer gained massively also on account of their main brands spending disproportionately large amounts of media monies which made them exponentially more visible than other competing celebrities. Virat Kohli trailed far behind the Top 2. His score of 45 on CELEBAR is mostly derived by his 94% association with MRF tyres. Bluestar is in low single digits on association. Salman Khan at a CELEBAR of 38, owes 82% recall to Rajshree elaichi and the balance to Pepsi. Rishabh Pant climbed up interestingly to No. 5 on the strength of his JSW appearances. Varun Dhawan had 76% of his recall from Lux Cozi and much lower from Frooti. Alia owed most of her recall also to Frooti with scattered mentions of Dark Fantasy. Interestingly, the IPL seems to be running no/few ads with Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, and even with cricketers Rohit Sharma or KL Rahul or Hardik Pandya, or the media weightages behind those ads were too insignificant to be noticed by viewers. The Cred ad for Rahul Dravid was spontaneously recalled by 17% respondents but only 2% remembered Jackie Shroff and only 1% mentioned Kumar Sanu for the same brand. Mutual Funds (AMFI) ads had 22% recall but most respondents got the protagonists mixed up, with the most attributing the messaging to Dhoni and Kohli. Dream 11’s association with multiple cricketers was mentioned by many respondents but most were not sure if they remembered current creatives. Only the connect with MS Dhoni was unambiguous. Despite heavy media weights, Vimal elaichi ad featuring Ajay Devgn and Shah Rukh Khan had only an 8% recall. Netmeds with Kareena Kapoor and Renuka Shahane had a good 9% recall. Priyanka Chopra’s Appy Fizz and Katrina’s Slice were almost not recalled. Hema Malini managed 3% recall on Kent RO. Randhir Kapoor’s Asian Paints managed 4% while Kareena Kapoor’s and Pankaj Tripathi’s Berger creatives both got below 1%. Ayushmann was remembered by less than 1% in Urban Company. Gajaraj Rao was mentioned in less than 1% for Voltas. Unacademy featuring Sunil Gavaskar and Harsha Bhogle too scored poorly at 2%. Gamezy featuring KL Rahul got less than 1% recall. On the ads without celebrities, the most remembered were Phone Pe (32%), Byju’s (31%), Vivo (22%), One Plus (21%), Groww (20%), Upstox (20%), Kia (19%), MPL (18%), Bisleri (11%), PharmEasy (11%), Thums Up(9%), Coca Cola (6%), Renault Kiger (6%), Tata Safari (6%), Skoda (3%), Ajio (3%), Dark Fantasy (2%), LikedIn (2%), Raymond (2%) and Tuborg (1%). As more gets added to the broadcast as the IPL progresses, both standings of celebrities and recall of brands may change.

Ranveer Singh and MS Dhoni are the most recalled brand ambassadors this IPL: IIHB Report

<ul><li>Gulf Oil recently completed 10 years of its association with <keyword id="13886" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chennai-Super-Kings">Chennai Super Kings</keyword>.</li><li>Its association with IPL as well as <keyword id="6354832" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ms-dhoni">MS Dhoni</keyword>, has helped the brand grab a bigger market share over the years, today it holds the No. 2 spot in the <keyword id="6447139" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lubricants">lubricants</keyword> industry.</li><li>We talk to <keyword id="288344" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ravi-Chawla">Ravi Chawla</keyword>, MD &amp; CEO, Gulf Oil Lubricants about what his expectations from this year's IPL is and how the league has helped it grow over the years.</li></ul>A brand new season of the <keyword id="6354831" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-premier-league">Indian Premier League</keyword> (IPL) was kicked off over the weekend and as always, cricket has again been able to make people forget about the bigger troubles outside our doors. Over the years, IPL has become a cricketing tournament that has not just kept audiences glued to their screens, it has also helped brands accelerate their growth by giving them tremendous visibility. One such brand that has associated with the league, and has been able to grow its presence and popularity over the years is Gulf Oil. While it started its IPL journey by associating with King’s XI Punjab, it moved to partnering with Chennai Super Kings in 2011, a relationship it has kept for the last 10 years. The brand also has MS Dhoni as its face. Globally, the brand has associated with motorsports, announced a multi-year partnership with <keyword id="64813" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="McLaren">McLaren</keyword> covering Formula 1 and luxury supercars. It also invested on football by getting into a long-term partnership with <keyword id="6034" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Manchester-United">Manchester United</keyword>. However, in India, when they wanted to increase their market share, cricket became the obvious choice, considering it is much more than a sport here. “We started our IPL journey with KXIP, we did a sponsorship for them for a couple of years and grew our business quite well from 2008. Later, CSK approached us and we joined them in 2010. We chose cricket because the aim was to take a sports platform which is like a religion in India and has a huge mass appeal. Over the years, IPL has not only captivated the youth, it has also become one of the biggest cricket tournaments in the world. It has a following that has only grown year-on-year. Our association with the league has really worked well for us. We have gathered from studies of AC Nielsen that tracked our investments on IPL, CSK and Dhoni that the associations have given us an ROI which we believe has been industry-leading. It has really helped us grow. Around 2007, we were in the sixth or seventh position but since our association, we have now reached the top two position in the lubrication industry,” explained Ravi Chawla, MD &amp; CEO, Gulf Oil Lubricants. The brand has also come up with various campaigns and has used Dhoni effectively. The brand’s current campaign showcased the long-haired Dhoni having a heart-to-heart with today’s Dhoni. The campaign was well-received and was talked about a lot. Speaking about the campaign, Chalwa said, “We recently upgraded our flagship 2-wheeler engine oil, Gulf Pride 4T. While previously the brand promise was about “Insta pick-up”, and it resonated strongly with bikers across the country, we improved the product to be able to now deliver ‘Consistent Insta Pick-up’ over thousands of kilometres and many years. As brand Gulf, we are already no. 2 when it comes to important consumer mind measures (or brand health measures). With this new launch and campaign, we intend to strengthen that spot further in terms of market share as well.” <div type="Youtube" id="-d024S5dd4U" title="Gulf Pride Presents Dhoni X Dhoni" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-d024S5dd4U/mqdefault.jpg"></div> “IPL and Dhoni, as a strategy, have worked very well for us. Whenever we come up with any communication, when it involves Dhoni and CSK, the traction gets multiplied. We have seen much higher trial rates from people who liked the product, and are also fans of Dhoni and CSK. So this is an association that will continue for us for the next few years too,” added Chawla. IPL is a big investment for most brands. For Gulf Oil, which spends between Rs 80-90 crore on advertising annual, IPL takes away a big chunk, nearly 15-20%. Most of its investments however goes on below-the-line activities. Recently, it also came up with an exclusive edition MS Dhoni tribute pack under its Pride engine oil range for a limited 2 months period which also saw a good uptake from its target audience. However, when it comes to this year's IPL edition, with no spectators allowed at stadiums, is he worried about the ROI? “Last year when IPL happened in September, we knew that it was going to be the soothing balm for the country. Everybody was at home with their families and it provided people with the entertainment that they would look forward to at the end of each day. In terms of numbers, Covid cases are increasing again which is a matter of concern. However, we know that people are eagerly waiting for this season to come too. We have already released our campaign and are hoping to catch a lot of eyeballs this year,” said Chawla.

The ROI we've got from associating with IPL, Chennai Super Kings and MS Dhoni has been industry-leading: Ravi Chawla, Gulf Oil India

<ul><li><keyword id="3372154" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPLomania">IPLomania</keyword>, a syndicated study by <keyword id="198934" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hansa-Research">Hansa Research</keyword> aims to provide a unique perspective at who his successor in all these roles could be.</li><li>The study looks into image associations across various parameters that reveal a very interesting facet of each player.</li></ul>Indisputably the greatest ‘Finisher’ in the modern game, <keyword id="6354832" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="ms-dhoni">MS Dhoni</keyword> has already finished his international career. The search for his successor, both as a player and as a captain, have been talked about since even before there was any inkling on when he might hang up his boots. As a captain, the search did not go beyond a very popular choice in <keyword id="6354486" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</keyword>. But as a player, there are numerous contenders like <keyword id="6355454" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="kl-rahul">KL Rahul</keyword>, <keyword id="3142448" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rishabh-Pant">Rishabh Pant</keyword>, Sanju Samson. The verdict is still out on who could fill the huge boots that Dhoni just hung up. And we might never find out. After all, we never managed to find a new Tendulkar; we unearthed a new Virat instead. But let’s go back to the seemingly unanimous choice of the Captain. Let’s not undertake a role of the selector for ourselves, and stay true to our character as a fan of the game. The selectors might have had their deliberations while picking Virat. But we, as fans, are also invested enough to have our discernment. IPLomania— a syndicated study by Hansa Research provides a unique perspective from the fan’s point of view. Image associations across various parameters reveal a very interesting facet of each player. <div type="image" title="Dhoni" msid="79059611" hostid="261"></div> Apart from the obvious ‘Young Rising Star, Dhoni’s association across all the image parameter are by far higher than both Virat and Rohit. But the delta between the scores of Rohit and Virat can be compared to Dhoni– as a Player, as a Captain, and as a Celebrity. The cult celebrity status of Dhoni has an able successor in Virat, is superlative performances across all formats makes him the greater entertainer, his consistency has helped him transform from just a great player to a Star, much in line with what Dhoni achieved. As players, both Rohit and Virat are at par. They have distinct roles within the team, but both are considered as dependable and seen to be rising when the team needs them. However, the big reveal emanates from the attributes where the fans have rated Rohit more than Virat. Guiding and promoting youngsters, staying calm under pressure, leading from the front, belief in instincts, taking risks, good relationships — all the attributes of a good leader. While treating the <keyword id="6354312" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword> as a benchmark of leadership skills at International level is wee bits over-kill 4 trophies as against none, also cannot be denied. And we do have comparisons at the international arena as well! Rohit has captained India (in T20s &amp;ODIs) at times when Virat has been rested. Rohit has not captained any Tests yet, but is captaincy record in the limited overs format (albeit limited) certainly merits consideration. <div type="image" title="Dhoni 2" msid="79059647" hostid="261"></div> If we allow the IPL to be treated as a surrogate for limited overs cricket, Virat as the captain has been shuffling the team structure frequently, sans trophy; Whereas Rohit as the leader has been bringing together the seemingly right combinations and making them click. The numbers are self-explanatory, but is India ready to split the captaincy?

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