ITV News
Think9 acquires Whoppl, launches Nova9 for culture-led marketing
New unit blends creators, strategy and data to power fast-moving brand stories
MUMBAI: Think9 has acquired digital-first marketing firm Whoppl, marking a decisive step in its push to build culture-led, future-ready brands. The deal also signals the launch of Nova9, a new unit designed to help brands move at the speed of the internet with high-velocity storytelling systems.
Founded by Ashni Biyani, Avni Biyani, and Santosh Desai, Think9 is bringing together Whoppl’s creator-first approach with its own brand-building expertise. The result is Nova9, positioned as a cultural intelligence and storytelling engine aimed at navigating today’s fragmented and fast-shifting digital landscape.
Nova9 plans to operate at the intersection of creativity and data, combining strategic planning, meme fluency, cinematic storytelling, platform-native thinking and real-time analytics. The ambition is clear: to help brands behave less like advertisers and more like media companies that respond quickly to culture, communities and conversations.
Think9 Consumer Technologies co-founder and Futurebrands India CEO Santosh Desai, said the move reflects a broader shift in marketing. Brands, he noted, are moving away from one-off campaigns towards continuous, culture-led narratives that live and evolve across platforms.
The new unit will also scale its capabilities by hiring across disciplines, from cultural strategists and creative storytellers to meme specialists, community managers and ai-focused data analysts. The idea is to build teams that can decode cultural signals and turn them into stories that travel.
For Whoppl, founded in 2019 by Ramya Ramachandran, the partnership offers a chance to amplify what it already does best. Known for its work in content creation, influencer marketing and social commerce, the company has built a creator-powered ecosystem tailored for a more participative internet.
Whoppl founder and CEO Ramya Ramachandran, said brands today win attention not by broadcasting messages, but by creating stories people want to engage with, remix and share. With Nova9, she added, the aim is to scale that philosophy into a full-fledged storytelling engine.
Nova9 will also work closely with The Foundery, Think9’s platform that connects founders, operators and investors to build new-age consumer brands. With Ramachandran set to play a central leadership role, the unit is expected to act as a bridge between traditional brand-building and emerging, internet-led business models.
Together, the move positions Think9 to tap into a new marketing reality, one where relevance is earned in real time and storytelling is as much about participation as it is about persuasion.
ITV News
Marico hands Pawan Agrawal charge of international business alongside CFO role
The consumer goods company restructures its global operations, with two regional heads now reporting to Agrawal and losing senior management personnel status from April 1st
MUMBAI: Marico Limited has given its group chief financial officer a bigger brief. The consumer goods company has elevated Pawan Agrawal to the dual role of group CFO and chief executive officer of its international business, effective April 1st, 2026, the company disclosed in an exchange filing on Wednesday.
The expanded mandate puts Agrawal in charge of Marico’s global operations across all markets, adding to his existing oversight of the company’s international business in Southeast Asia and Bangladesh. Two regional heads will now report directly to him: Binjit Kadakapcedlikayal, executive vice president for the Middle East and North Africa, and Ryan Bartram, managing director of Marico South Africa. As a result of the restructuring, both executives will cease to be classified as senior management personnel from April 1st, 2026.
Agrawal is no newcomer to the Marico story. He joined the company in 2004 and has spent over 25 years building expertise across financial planning and analysis, corporate finance, treasury, investor relations, taxation and governance. He has been a central figure in Marico’s push into digital-first brands, with acquisitions including Beardo, Just Herbs, True Elements, Plix, 4700BC and Cosmix all bearing his fingerprints.
Before Marico, Agrawal spent four years at Eveready Industries. A chartered accountant, he holds a B.Com (Hons) degree from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, and was named CFO of the Year in the consumer sector at the CII CFO Excellence Awards 2023-24.
Twenty-five years in the making. Marico has clearly decided Agrawal has earned the keys to the world.
