Deepak Gupta is Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Bombay Shaving company .Prior to BSC, he has 10+ year reach experience with Colgate-Palmolive wherein he lead the strategic efforts across Sales, Marketing and Supply Chain. He brings with him experience of working with the world’s most penetrated brand with 3.5+ billion daily active users. Gupta also spent more than two years In China and headed sales operations and strategy for entire Mainland China there and witnessed the tremendous mushrooming of brands which launched online and quickly scaled offline. Deepak is IIT-Bombay alumnus with key expertise in Sales& strategy, Analytics and people science. He loves reading and travelling with eye for history .
Board Member Category: Speaker 2026
PUNEET GUPT
Puneet Gupt spearheads Times Internet, the digital powerhouse of The Times of India Group, as its Chief Operating Officer. With over two decades of experience in the digital sector, Puneet drives the strategy, vision, and execution across all internet and mobile properties of the group.
A seasoned digital product and business leader, Puneet’s expertise extends beyond his role at Times Internet. He actively contributes to India’s startup ecosystem as:
- Mentor at Tventures
- Angel Investor, notably in PregBuddy
- Advisor to multiple Indian startups
Prior to joining Times Internet, Puneet led product development at hCentive in the USA and helmed Internet Broking for Unicon Investment Solutions upon his return to India.
An alumnus of prestigious institutions, Puneet holds degrees from IIT-Delhi and IIM Calcutta, further solidifying his credentials in technology and management.
Bhaskar Ramesh
Bhaskar Ramesh is a growth leader and digital pioneer recognized for building the platforms that define how India consumes media. He has a track record spanning two decades of scaling multi-billion-dollar ecosystems at the intersection of technology, content, and commerce. As the Business Head of Entertainment [Digital] Revenue at JioStar, he is currently redefining the commercial engine for India’s largest OTT platform, JioHotstar. In an era defined by AI and data-led precision, Bhaskar is responsible for building a modern advertising framework that translates massive scale into measurable business outcomes for brands.
A 13-year Google veteran and a core member of their India leadership team, Bhaskar was a primary architect of YouTube’s revenue growth in the region and was a key bridge between traditional businesses & digital transformation journeys in India. He led the monetization and product strategies that transformed YouTube into a dominant media force. His career is marked by many “firsts” — from building Google’s CPG practice from the ground up to pioneering omnichannel digitization strategies for the CPG, Retail, Auto, M&E and Finance sectors.
Recognized as one of IMPACT Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40,” Bhaskar is a trusted advisor to CXOs navigating AI transformation and also an active angel investor with early stage startups. A frequent keynote speaker at global & India forums, he remains a passionate advocate for how data-driven creativity can revolutionize the future of streaming and commerce.
He is an alumnus of SP Jain Institute of Management & Research & also recipient of Highly commendable award for Post Graduate Leadership at AMBA & BGA 2026 global awards.
BABITA BARUAH
With over 25 years of leadership in marketing and communications, Babita is the Chief Executive Officer of VML India, where she leads a powerhouse of more than 1,400 brand, commerce, and technology professionals across six major cities.
Under her leadership, VML India has delivered globally recognized work, including Coca-Cola’s ‘The Girl Who Played the Tutari’ for Coke Studio Bharat, which won a Silver Lion at Cannes Lions 2025. The campaign, featuring Nilaksha Borhade – the first woman to publicly play the Tutari, a traditional Indian wind instrument – was lauded for its innovative storytelling and bold stand on gender equality. Similarly, The Times of India’s ‘Unplastic India’ initiative earned international acclaim for its creativity and social impact.
Babita’s vision is to shape VML India into a future-focused agency, seamlessly integrated across brand experience, customer experience, and commerce. She has built the agency into a destination for ambitious brands and exceptional talent, driving innovation at the intersection of creativity, culture, and technology.
Her career within WPP’s global network has been equally distinguished. She led the Ford International Market Group, overseeing multi-market operations across Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, India, the Middle East, and South Africa. Concurrently, she served as Executive Director at VMLY&R Thailand, where she expanded the agency’s client base and strengthened its strategic capabilities.
Beginning her career as a management trainee at JWT India, Babita went on to lead iconic brands including PepsiCo, Nestlé, Unilever, Kellogg’s, Godrej, Reliance, Kotak Mahindra, and Aditya Birla Group – cementing her reputation as a trusted advisor to leading marketers across industries.
Notable Achievements & Recognition
- Featured speaker on agency innovation and the future of marketing at Goafest 2024 alongside India’s top creative leaders
- Honoured in The Pulse Magazine – Superwomen Edition, celebrating visionary women redefining advertising leadership
- Jury member, Millennial Achievers Awards 2024, recognizing her mentorship and forward-looking leadership
- Chairperson, Grand Jury of Afaqs! Marketers’ Excellence Awards 2025
- Regular voice at forums like Adgully’s CMOs’ Charcha on marketing transformation and cultural evolution
- British Chevening Scholar (2004) – Women & Leadership, UK
- Invited speaker at Harvard Business School and the Women Economic Forum (Geneva)
- Super Mentor, WPP Stella India; Former Global DEI Council Member at Wunderman Thompson
Leadership & Impact
- Champion of Gender Equity: Revived SheHour, an initiative for women professionals to collaborate beyond hierarchy—sharing ideas, networking, and building support systems
- Commitment to Inclusivity: Driving a culture of optimism and productivity through initiatives such as VML Inspire (external thought-leader sessions), Safe Room conversations, and inclusive townhalls
- Youth Empowerment: Introduced a Young EXCO, giving an alternate voice to senior leadership
- Global Leadership Continuity: Continues to lead as Regional Client Lead for Ford International Market Group (APAC, AMEA, ANZ), steering multi-cultural teams towards growth-driven solutions
Babita resides in Mumbai with her family. She’s a firm believer that kindness matters above all and she’s a lover of the forests and the wild and all things green. Babita is also a proud mom to 4 adopted dogs and 5 adopted cats.
