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Our Journey
Founded in Mumbai in 2014, Zest Outdoor began as a large-format outdoor advertising infrastructure company focused on high-visibility urban assets. In 2019, Zest expanded beyond conventional OOH by integrating renewable energy into its infrastructure, developing solar-enabled billboard systems suited for dense urban environments. This model scaled across Mumbai through projects with Central and Western Railways, enabling renewable power generation alongside outdoor media. In 2023, Zest achieved global recognition with a Guinness World Record for installing 84 solar panels on a single billboard - the first instance worldwide of green energy generation through outdoor advertising at this scale. While similar efforts had been attempted previously in other countries, none matched the scale or validation of Zest’s execution. Today, through its Archimedes collaboration, Zest operates at the intersection of outdoor advertising and renewable engineering, delivering infrastructure-led visibility with measurable sustainability outcomes.
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VISION
Our Foundation
Innovation is the foundation of long-term relevance. At Zest, our vision is to continuously evolve outdoor advertising through forward-looking solutions that contribute positively to the environments in which they operate.
MISSION
Our Mission
Our mission is to challenge conventional outdoor advertising by developing solutions that solve real-world problems, supported by responsible and sustainable practices.
Founder’s Desk
Turning bold ideas into lasting impact
Mustafa Akolawala, the Founder of Zest Outdoor, is a deeply unconventional thinker who chose the harder path of building sustainability into outdoor advertising. He believes strongly that profitability and societal impact must coexist, and that long-term value is created when businesses serve both people and purpose. Regarded as “Maverick” by his team, Mustafa Akolawala is known for thinking differently, taking bold decisions, and executing what others consider difficult or improbable. He has a rare ability to translate vision into action by making teams believe in what he believes in. People and projects hold equal importance in his leadership style. Guided by principles of integrity, kindness, and long-term thinking, inspired by Shri Ratan Ji Tata, an inspiration to many of us, his approach continues to shape Zest’s future-ready direction.
Meet the CEO
Rajneesh Bahl
CEO, Zest
Rajneesh Bahl is the Chief Executive Officer of Zest Outdoor. Over the past four years, he has led the company through a phase of accelerated scale and expansion. With over three decades of experience across advertising, brand communication, media, and infrastructure, Rajneesh translates Zest’s long-term vision into disciplined execution and governance. He oversees the annual budgeting process and creates multi-year financial models for new site acquisitions, digital conversions, and transit media tenders. He has played a pivotal role in scaling the company’s culture, asset base, and renewable-led initiatives, positioning Zest as a credible, future-ready advertising infrastructure organization.
Meet the CFO
Shabbir Akolawala CFO, Zest
CFO, Zest
Shabbir Akolawala is the Chief Financial Officer and has been with the company since its inception. He brings a unique blend of traditional financial stewardship and industry-specific expertise in managing high-value physical assets, complex lease negotiations, and emerging Digital OOH (DOOH) metrics. Shabbir oversees the company’s fiscal health while driving growth through capital-efficient expansion of media assets. He balances high upfront CAPEX for new billboard and LED installations with aggressive yield management to ensure rapid ROI.
Leadership
Excellence
Excellence
Meet the leaders guiding Zest’s strategy, scale, and long-term direction.
Our Team
People Of Zest
The people behind Zest, combining experience, ownership, and
a shared commitment to impact.