As part of this partnership, Tendulkar will serve as the face of Sugar.fit and represent its overall diabetes management program.

Sugar.fit, a health-tech startup has announced the onboarding of the cricketer Sachin Tendulkar as its brand ambassador. This strategic partnership with Tendulkar will aid Sugar.fit in its journey as a force in the battle against Type 2 diabetes.

Madan Somasundaram and Shivtosh Kumar, co-founders of Sugar.fit, said, “We are deeply honoured to welcome Sachin Tendulkar as our brand ambassador and equity partner. His unwavering commitment to fitness and healthy living resonates with our mission. At Sugar.fit, we see the struggles of those battling diabetes every day, and it is our passion to help them regain control of their health. With Sachin by our side, we believe we can inspire more people to take charge of transforming their lives.”

This alliance is an alignment of Sugar.fit’s commitment to providing effective, sustainable solutions for diabetes reversal and management along with Tendulkar’s vision of a fitter and healthier India. As part of this partnership, Tendulkar will serve as the face of Sugar.fit and represent its overall diabetes management program, the company stated in a press release.

Sharing his thoughts on the partnership, cricketer Tendulkar said, “Sugar.fit is a brand that shares my vision for a fit and healthy India. Their aim to change how people perceive diabetes and help them take preventive or even curative care will certainly help to battle diabetes that affects millions in India and I am truly happy to be part of their mission. Together with Sugar.fit, I hope to inspire people to make lifestyle changes that can lead to a healthier India”.

This collaboration strengthens Sugar.fit’s brand image in the digital health space and solidifies its market presence as a reliable and consumer-focused diabetes care brand, it added.

VMPL

New Delhi [India], September 13: With an aim to empower young students, Spreading Happiness InDiya Foundation (SHIF), a collaboration between cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar (through Sachin Tendulkar Foundation – STF) and Schneider Electric India, a leader in digital energy management and next-generation automation, have reached a major milestone in their mission to empower young minds in rural areas through digital education. Through the flagship SMITA program, the Foundation has positively impacted 60,000 students across 300+ schools in India. Inspired by the success and in celebration of World Literacy Day, SHIF has committed to revitalising 500 rural government schools by 2025. It aims to touch the lives of more than 100,000 young learners across aspirational blocks of India.

At the heart of the SMITA program are ‘Digital’ classrooms, designed to bring digital education to rural areas while promoting sustainability. Till date, SHIF has equipped 300 schools with Digital classrooms, situated in some of the remotest corners of the country, also serve as hubs for fostering a community of ‘Green Ambassadors’ who are empowered to take proactive climate action. These classrooms, powered by renewable energy sources like solar, offer cutting-edge infrastructure and virtual training opportunities, helping schools reduce operational costs and expand access to quality education through virtual training.

Highlighting the importance of expanding digital education access, Sachin Tendulkar expressed, “The Spreading Happiness InDiya Foundation is dedicated to narrowing the digital gap by granting students access to high-quality education, while also imparting the significance of sustainability. SMITA program signifies our dedication to cultivating a generation of responsible and knowledgeable citizens who will guide us towards a sustainable future. Through the foundation, we are working to ensure that every child, regardless of their location, possesses the resources necessary to thrive in the contemporary world.”

Access to quality education is an integral pillar for achieving holistic sustainable development. The evolving digital world has necessitated the timely modernisation and upgradation of educational infrastructure for keeping the students ahead of the learning curve.

In line with this goal, Deepak Sharma, Zone President – Greater India, MD & CEO, Schneider Electric India, stated, “Schneider Electric is an impact-driven company, and education is fundamental for creating a lasting, sustainable impact. We believe that access to energy and education is a fundamental human right. Our Digital classrooms exemplify our commitment to leading energy and environmental conservation to empower rural communities. We have already positively impacted 60,000 children in 300 schools and aim to transform 500 schools by 2025. We are honoured to partner with Sachin Tendulkar to educate and empower our next generation, driving actions on climate change and sustainability.”

The SMITA Program is committed towards nurturing an ecosystem of ‘Green Ambassadors’ through its interactive learning program on Environment and Energy conservation. This program is tailored to inform and educate students to make judicious and eco-friendly choices in their daily lives.

The innovative SMITA program by SHIF is making a positive impact on government schools in 12 states like Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Karnataka including some aspirational district blocks. The Foundation is dedicated to ensuring uninterrupted learning by making education available to students in regional languages.

About Spreading Happiness InDiya Foundation (SHIF)

Spreading Happiness InDiya Foundation (SHIF) is a collaboration between Sachin Tendulkar (https://sachintendulkar.com/), through Sachin Tendulkar Foundation,(STF) and Schneider Electric India (https://www.se.com/in/en/), the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation. Sachin Tendulkar Foundation is the Tendulkar family’s philanthropic platform, aimed towards creating a better world for children, through interventions in health, education and sports. These institutions have come together to provide Energy Autonomy to rural India through Renewable Energy. With a vision to “Spread Happiness” and build a sustainable tomorrow, SHIF is presently involved in providing access to energy, solar-powered “Digital” classrooms, and creating awareness about the judicious use of resources in rural communities of India.

About Schneider Electric

Schneider’s purpose is to create Impact by empowering all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. At Schneider, we call this Life Is On.

Our mission is to be the trusted partner in Sustainability and Efficiency.

We are a global industrial technology leader bringing world-leading expertise in electrification, automation and digitization to smart industries, resilient infrastructure, future-proof data centers, intelligent buildings, and intuitive homes. Anchored by our deep domain expertise, we provide integrated end-to-end lifecycle AI enabled Industrial IoT solutions with connected products, automation, software and services, delivering digital twins to enable profitable growth for our customers.

We are a people company with an ecosystem of 150,000 colleagues and more than a million partners operating in over 100 countries to ensure proximity to our customers and stakeholders. We embrace diversity and inclusion in everything we do, guided by our meaningful purpose of a sustainable future for all.

As anyone who watched the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the ongoing T20 World Cup can confirm, it is almost as if Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni are still playing. Their latest ad campaign for the Association of Mutual Funds of India (AMFI), which also features Rohit Sharma, is a hit among viewers with content creators sharing clips of the ad film on their social media handles.

Sameet Ali Soni, executive cre-ative director at VML, the agency behind the ad, said they have been using Dhoni and Tendulkar in AMFI ads, but it’s the first time that the three cricketers have come together fora campaign. “It is a slice-of-life film that doesn’t look like an ad. It is a light-hearted take on a serious subject like retirement planning. Tendulkar is already retired and Dhoni is on the threshold of retire-ment,” Soni said.

To be sure, AMFI isn’t the only campaign featuring either Tendulkar or Dhoni, the former Indian cricket team cap-tain and erstwhile captain of the IPL team Chennai Super Kings. The two batsmen are still prized by brands, with Sachin Tendulkar endorsing Apollo Tyres, Gillette, Livpure and Ratio while Dhoni appears for State Bank of India, Mastercard, Indigo Paints and Homelane, among others.

There are other retired cricket-ers who do appear in ads, of course, but Tendulkar and Dhoni are different, jostling with (and often ahead of) today’s stars. Their rankings in the latest edi-tion (for 2023) of Kroll’s annual list of most valuable celebrity brands released last week proves their enduring appeal. Among the top 25 film and sports celebrities by brand value, in 2023 Sachin Tendulkar held on to his number 8 position of 2022 though Dhoni dropped a notch from number 6 in 2022 to 7 in 2023. However, between 2022 and 2023, Ten-dulkar’s brand value rose from $73.6 million to $91.3 million and from $ 80.3 million to $ 95.8 mil-lion for Dhoni.

This means they have added new brands to their portfolio and have seen an increase in their endorsement fee. “For 2023, we noticed an at least 6-7% jump in the endorse-ment fee of the top 10 celebrity brand ambassadors over 2022. This was flat in 2022 over the pre-vious year,” said Aviral Jain, man-aging director, valuation advisory services at Kroll. Celebrity brand value is bawd on the earnings from their endorsement portfo-lios. For filmstars, it also takes into account their box office earnings and for sports celebrities, their on-field performance.

In Kroll’s 2023 report, Virat Kohli has returned to number one position after being displaced by actor Ranveer Singh in 2022. Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya are the only other cricketers in the top 25- at 18 and 19 respectively. Jain said Tendulkar endorses fewer brands but that his endorse-ment fee is high. He is choosy, works closely with brands and prefers longer term deals, he added. Lloyd Mathias, angel inves-tor, business strategist and former marketer at PepsiCo, said Sachin Tendulkar’s association with Pepsi lasted more than 15 years. Tendulkar has 15 full-fledged brand endorsements in his portfo-lio and another 2-3 social media promotions totalling about 18 brand deals, Kroll’s Jain said. “However, his fee is just a tad lower than that of Virat Kohli at crore per brand, given his position in the market,” said Jain. In recent years, Tendulkar has added JioCinema, Savlon and Tanishq to his brand portfolio. Dhoni endorses 35 brands and including the digital deals, the total number would be 45, Jain said. But his fee is lower than Sachin’s at 5.5-6 crore per brand. Currently, these cricketers are seen in ads for categories such as food and beverages, personal care products, banking and financial services and consumer durables. But what makes MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar tick among brand owners?

“In terms of longevity and rele-vance, what works for them is their superstardom,” said Lloyd Mathias. “Pepsi was the first mega brand to sign up a very young Sachin even before Mark Mascar-enhas’ WorldTel started repre-senting him,” he said. Tendulkar – who broke many records – became a global super-star and Dhoni towered above others when he won the ICC World Cup for India in 2011. What endears them to brands is the fact that both have been rel-atively neutral and controversy free, Mathias said. “Despite their huge popularity, they haven’t got into any kind of scandals. Though Sachin was a Rajya Sabha MP for six years, Dhoni has remained free from politics and created a youth brand franchise with his association with CSK,” Mathias said.

Tendulkar has kept himself rel-evant through his involvement with the cricket administration and being a mentor to IPL team Mumbai Indians. “His accom-plishments are such that clients gravitate towards him,” said VMI:s Soni. Not just that, he is affable on social media putting out interest-ing content that GenZ can relate to, Soni said, adding that young people are familiar with him since his cricket records area point of discussion during matches. Kroll’s Jain said cricketers !lice Dhoni and Tendulkar have been increasing their social media followers by 5-10% every year. Rajdeepak Das, chief creative officer, Publicis Groupe South Asia and chairman, Leo Burnett India, believes that their agency has done some of the best work with M S Dhoni for Mondelez brand Oreo and for Frito Lay’s. The agency got Dhoni to re-launch Oreo in 2022 to coincide with the World Cup. “What we implied was that Oreo was launched in 2011 when India won the World Cup under Dhoni’s cap-taincy. So, we launch Oreo again and bring the World Cup back in 2022,” Das said.

The ad was an important mile-stone for Oreo as the brand moved from being one for house-holds with children to all cricket households. “It was a big shift,” Das said, adding that the agency had earlier created Oreo ad films with brand ambassador Dhoni and his daughter Ziva. Das’ agency has worked with Tendulkar for DBS Bank He said both cricketers are fit and still in demand. But do any of the younger cricketers enjoy similar brand equity? IPL has democratised cricket and players like Surya Kumar Yadav and Shublunan Gill are household names today, said Das. Brands talking to GenZ will be interested in the younger crick-eters, “but legends are not created overnight,” he said.

The younger crop of cricketers is yet to prove itself, agreed Mathias. None has achieved sig-nificant success just yet, he added. Kroll’s Aviral Jain said Shubhman Gill is knocking on the door to get into the top 25 list of most valued celebs. With 17-18 brands under his belt, his endorsement portfolio has become meaty even though his performance has been a bit erratic, he said. Rishabh Pant, too, is back with a bang, after his accident. But brands may wait to see if he can perform without injury for the next one or two years, said Jain. The current Kroll list has Virat Kohli on top as the most valued celebrity. Mathias said Kohli has metamorphosed from a brash young cricketer to a mature one. “He is politically correct, doesn’t endorse colas anymore and is a health icon. There is a good chance that his popularity could extend beyond his cricketing years. It will be interesting to see him 5-10 years from now.” Thanks to Dhoni and Ten-dulkar, he has a ready template to follow.

Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale, a revered name in Indian namkeen, sweets, and snacks, celebrates the start of its 75th anniversary this year, with an exciting collaboration with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. This partnership heralds a new chapter blending timeless tradition with star power.

Established in 1950, by the visionary Late Bhausaheb Chitale and then joined by the Late Rajabhau Chitale, they laid a foundation of culinary excellence that has become a cherished staple of countless households.Their commitment to quality and tradition has solidified Chitale Bandhu’s reputation, making it a household name across India and beyond. Having grown from a modest sweets store to an internationally renowned brand known for its rich quality and delicious products, Chitale Bandhu has expanded its offerings to a wide array of premium as well as pocket friendly range of namkeen, sweets and snack delights.

The second generation of leadership, comprising Madhav Chitale, Shrikrishna Chitale, and Sanjay Chitale, has laid the foundation of a strong business network. They have supported and grown the business by establishing robust retail and distribution channels and also made significant strides in social responsibility and community engagement. Their efforts have further cemented Chitale Bandhu’s reputation as a beloved brand.

With Sachin Tendulkar joining as the new brand ambassador, Chitale Bandhu will unveil a fresh lineup of snacks and savouries. These new offerings will be inspired by consumers’ favourite flavours and crafted with the same dedication to taste and excellence. The collaboration between Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale and Sachin Tendulkar is more than just a partnership; it’s a celebration of shared values, legacy and the spirit of excellence that defines both icons.

“As someone who values tradition and excellence, I am pleased to partner with Chitale Bandhu, a brand that has been a cherished part of so many lives, including mine, for generations,” said Sachin Tendulkar. “I’m excited to join them as they celebrate their 75th-year milestone and continue to bring joy to families across the globe.”

“Sachin Tendulkar’s values of dedication and excellence mirror those of our founders, and we are thrilled to welcome him as our brand ambassador. We look forward to creating new memories with our customers through this collaboration”, said Indraneel Chitale, Partner, Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale. “Celebrating 75 years is a significant achievement for us, and we are excited to share this moment with our customers and team members,” added Kedar Chitale, Partner, Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale.

In 1976, the company introduced the Maharashtrian Bakarwadi, a distinctive and popular snack that quickly became a favourite among its customers. Recognizing the growing demand for this unique treat, Chitale Bandhu became the first company to pioneer in machine production of the new people’s favourite.

With the adoption of machine-produced Bakarwadi in 1996, Chitale Bandhu set a new benchmark for consistent quality and taste, effectively addressing the surging market demand. From the bustling streets of Pune to households in the United States, Europe, the Gulf, and beyond, Chitale Bandhu and Chitale Bandhu Americas have become staples of countless celebrations, offering a diverse range of over 250 products, spanning from sweets to savouries and more. Chitale Bandhu is inviting distributors across Maharashtra to join in the mission of spreading its delicious offerings.

As Chitale Bandhu reflects on its storied history, the company remains steadfast in its commitment to excellence, looking forward to delivering exceptional products and experiences. The launch of its 75th anniversary celebration, in partnership with Sachin Tendulkar, heralds a new chapter in the brand’s legacy. This milestone blends tradition with modernity and paves the way for continued success and growth.

Tendulkar endorses Apollo Tyres, Gillette, Livpure and Rario while Dhoni appears for SBI, Mastercard, Indigo Paints and Homelane, among others.

As anyone who watched the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the ongoing T20 World Cup can confirm, it is almost as if Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni are still playing. Their latest ad campaign for the Association of Mutual Funds of India (AMFI), which also features Rohit Sharma, is a hit among viewers with content creators sharing clips of the ad film on their social media handles.

New York: In response to a special request from Merlin Entertainment’s Madame Tussauds New York, Sachin Tendulkar, a name synonymous with cricketing glory, happily agreed to help create an incredible moment for his fans. Marking the arrival of his wax figure in NYC, the cricket icon greeted his globally popular touring wax figure just ahead of the highly anticipated ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India vs. Pakistan match on June 9 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. Fans were delighted as Tendulkar stood side-by-side and was reunited with his impeccably crafted wax figure, which originally debuted in 2014.

Symbolizing his enduring impact on the sport and its fans worldwide, Tendulkar’s illustrious career has been recognized by the world’s greatest wax museum more than once, dating back to his first figure at Madame Tussauds London in 2009. Since then, five more figures have been created in his honor.

Tendulkar, affectionately dubbed the “Master Blaster,” has won over cricket aficionados globally with his unparalleled prowess and sportsmanship and he is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. With an international career spanning over two decades, Tendulkar holds numerous records, including the most runs scored in both Test and One Day International (ODI) cricket. He is also the only player to have scored one hundred international centuries, making him a true icon of the sport. Throughout his illustrious career, Tendulkar has garnered immense respect and admiration from fans and fellow cricketers alike, cementing his legacy as a true cricketing legend.

From Monday, June 10, through the World Cup Finals on Saturday, June 29, Tendulkar’s wax figure will be free for fan interaction and photos in the lobby of Madame Tussauds New York before taking its permanent place in the museum alongside the wax figures of other sports icons.

Visakhapatnam: With an objective to empower underprivileged children by providing them grassroots-level basketball programme, Hi5 Youth Foundation has partnered with Sachin Tendulkar Foundation (STF) to construct basketball courts in Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh. These will be the fifth and sixth basketball courts to be developed with the support of STF.

It may be noted that Hi 5 Youth Foundation and STF have been collaborating to build sports infrastructure in schools since 2020.

The new basketball court venue would be APSWR school in Chittoor, which is also known as Dr BR Ambedkar Gurukulam. The school is home to aorund 400 girl students from grades five to 10. Andhra Pradesh basketball association conducts state camps and prepares teams for national tournaments here.

Speaking about the collaboration, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar said sports is a powerful tool that not only keeps children physically fit but also builds character, self-esteem, and confidence.

“It empowers children from marginalised backgrounds with the required skills that can help them succeed in all fields of life. The expansion of our association with Hi 5 Youth Foundation to develop two more basketball courts for children in tribal communities and girls, in particular, is one more step in our vision to transform India from a sports-watching nation to a sports-playing nation,” said Tendulkar.

Hi 5 Youth Foundation founder Usha Sundar said they are excited about partnering with STF in their mission to promote sports and empower youth. “Creating inclusive spaces will help young talents thrive and bring communities together. STF currently supports 300 children at its tribal centres in Maharashtra. The foundation has built two half-courts and one full court in a remote village in Gujarat and another full court at the Parivaar Education Society campus in West Bengal,” she said.

Apart from Chittoor, the second court will be built at RKM School in Aalo, Arunachal Pradesh. Established in 1966, this school focuses on uplifting the underprivileged tribal community in the north-eastern state through education, healthcare, and livelihood initiatives.

​​The film underscores the versatility and relevance of life insurance products across all age groups, reinforcing the message that it’s never to early or late to secure one’s future, the right time is whenever one chooses to act. The campaign sheds light on the significance of early financial planning for parents through the lens of Tendulkar’s debut.

Ageas Federal Life Insurance, India’s private life insurer, has introduced its latest brand campaign film, “Cradle to Crease,” an initiative that drives home the message that while the future might be exciting, evolving and uncertain, by focusing on financial planning and investing in life insurance, one can face the future with optimism, hope and confidence.

In today’s rapidly evolving landscape, a child’s future isn’t as distant as it once seemed. Recognising this, the campaign sheds light on the significance of early financial planning for parents through the lens of Tendulkar’s debut.

Speaking about the brand film, Erum Kidwai, senior vice president and head- marketing at Ageas Federal Life Insurance, remarked, “With “Cradle to Crease,” we aim to redefine the narrative surrounding financial planning and insurance. Sachin Tendulkar’s journey serves as a powerful reminder that there is no fixed age or time to prioritise financial security. Through this film, we seek to inspire individuals to take charge of their future fearlessly and embrace a proactive approach towards financial planning through insurance.”

Commenting on the brand’s use of innovative technology when it comes to marketing campaigns, Kidwai added, “Be it our Young Sachin campaign, The Boy Who Dreamed, SachinVerse campaign or the present Cradle to Crease Ad, we are proud to be the first brand in the BFSI sector in India to integrate Gen AI and Deep Fake positively to educate audiences about the necessity of Life Insurance in a way that is relatable to today’s tech savvy audience. These campaigns also ensure that they appeal to the entire spectrum of our target audience from all age groups”

Building on the long-term brand philosophy of #FutureFearless, the brand reminds people that with timely investment through life insurance, they can be adequately prepared for any uncertainties or disruptions that life throws at us, the company stated in a press release.

The film underscores the versatility and relevance of life insurance products across all age groups, reinforcing the message that it’s never to early or late to secure one’s future, the right time is whenever one chooses to act.

Mukund Olety, chief creative officer of VML, shared, “After a very successful Young Sachin campaign, we have created Cradle to Crease. The film features Sachin walking through the tunnel of life as he reaches the pitch. Using technology, we’ve created a hyper-realistic rendition of 16-year-old Sachin to recreate the moment he made his international debut. With the power of Gen-AI, we’ve told a story that could not have been told 5 years ago. We are constantly pushing boundaries and using technology to make storytelling richer and better. We’re sure seeing Sachin walk up to his debut shall inspire a lot of parents to plan better.”

The 360 campaign will be amplified across social media platforms, including sports, news and finance channels and OOH and digital OOH across 6 cities including Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Kolkata, Kerala (Cochin, Kottayam, and Trivandrum) to effectively engage its target audience, amplifying its message of prudent financial planning.

Sachin Tendulkar honoured with the Master of Creativity award