Marketing professionals in India launch CMO Fellowship for mid-senior talent

A group of marketing professionals in India has introduced the 'CMO Fellowship,' an advanced marketing programme aimed at upskilling mid-senior level professionals. It is a three-month program focused on addressing real-world marketing challenges. 

The initiative is led by Shahbaaz Mohammed, head of marketing at Cult, along with Sindhu Biswal and Sushant Sadamate from Buzzlab, a content-led growth consulting firm. They have partnered with Shawrya Mehrotra, Rajan Luthra, and Ayush Srivastava from Metvy, a platform that offers mentor-led educational experiences, including the VC Fellowship by HireVC.

The curriculum will be taught by marketing professionals from companies like Cult, Ajio, Paytm, Landmark Group, and Unacademy. The goal is to prepare mid-senior marketing professionals for leadership roles in an evolving industry.

One of the program's key elements is the Zeta framework, developed by Biswal, chief mentor of the fellowship. This framework has been instrumental in the growth of brands such as Filter Copy, Finance with Sharan, and the Raj Shamani Podcast.

"We believe people should learn from those they aspire to be like, through high-quality fellowships," said Metvy founders, Shawrya Mehrotra and Rajan Luthra. "This programme allows participants to learn directly from top CMOs with personalized guidance. Sindhu, Shahbaaz, and Sushant share this vision and bring valuable expertise to the table."

Mohammed noted the importance of marketing that delivers results. "Marketing needs to perform, build the brand, and meet business goals. Many current approaches are outdated or fragmented, and this fellowship aims to address that," he said.

Biswal and Sadamate of Buzzlab emphasised the need for practical, hands-on learning. "You can’t teach marketing in a short video course. It requires real engagement and continuous learning, which is why we’re offering this program," they stated.

The CMO Fellowship will offer mentorship sessions, live projects, and direct interaction with senior marketing professionals. The winter batch is set to begin on January 2, 2025.