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Over a year ago, Mahindra and Mahindra (M&amp;M) revamped its leadership structure, creating a CEO position for its automotive business as it sharpened its focus on both its traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) SUV operations and its emerging electric SUV portfolio.

Nalinikanth Gollagunta, who was appointed CEO of M&amp;M's Auto Division, took on this role during a pivotal period marked by both opportunities and challenges in India's automotive sector.

In an episode of Media Dialogues with Storyboard18, Gollagunta discussed his vision for driving accelerated growth for M&amp;M’s iconic SUV brands. He highlighted key areas of focus, including maintaining brand momentum, overcoming supply chain challenges, and scaling up production.

Gollagunta emphasised that the first six months were crucial for preparing the company for upcoming vehicle launches, ensuring that M&amp;M could continue meeting demand while positioning itself for future growth.

Under Gollagunta's leadership, M&amp;M aims to navigate these complexities while enhancing its position in both the ICE and electric vehicle markets.

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Consumers still ask kitna deti hai, but not just on mileage: Mahindra's auto biz CEO

Kotak Mahindra Bank has appointed Jyoti Samajpati as Executive Vice President. Samajpati announced this through her LinkedIn update. 

Prior to this, Samajpati was associated with Unilever for over 17 years. In her 20 years of corporate career, she has also worked with Lowe Lintas, Marico. Her last role at Unilever was Senior Global Brand Director - Close Up.

Samajpati started as Planning Manager in 2004 for advertising agency Lowe Lintas. Later, she moved to Marico as Brand Manager in 2005.

She joined Unilever in 2007 as Brand Manager - Taj Mahal and Lipton. in her stint with Unilever, she has worked for brands including Sunsilk as Senior Brand Manager, Lakme as Marketing Manager - Innovation, Dove as Global Brand Director and Close Up as Senior Global Brand Director. 



Kotak Mahindra Bank appoints Unilever's Jyoti Samajpati as Executive Vice President

Mahindra Logistics Limited unveils its new brand identity. The new identity introduces a bold and dynamic icon, symbolizing the aspiration to scale new heights and the relentless drive to rise. 


It symbolizes the company's deep association with customers, focussing on building customised solutions integrating all stages of the supply chain. The icon represents the unification of diverse services and solutions, with a sharp focus on technology, sustainability, and robust operating systems, stated the company.


Rampraveen Swaminathan, CEO & MD, Mahindra Logistics Ltd., said, “Our new identity is a reflection of our vision in our actions. It honours our past, celebrates our present and embodies our vision for the future. At the heart of this new brand identity lies the collective strength and growth of our employees, driving us to push boundaries and deliver agile, technologically advanced, sustainable, and future-ready end-to- end logistics solutions for our customers."


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/mahindra-group-gets-gst-notice-over-brand-name-use-by-group-firms-39092.htm">Mahindra Group gets GST notice over brand name use by group firms</a>

Mahindra Logistics unveils its new brand identity

In a significant leadership transition, Bhuwan Lodha has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the AI Division at Mahindra Group. This role marks a pivotal milestone in Lodha's distinguished career, which jhas been characterized by a focus on digital and technological transformation.

Before assuming this new leadership position, Bhuwan Lodha served as Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer for Mahindra's automotive sector. In this capacity, he was instrumental in driving digital transformation initiatives across the business, enhancing front-end channels, optimizing supply chain systems, and integrating emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). 

With over two decades of experience in the industry, Lodha's career trajectory includes key roles at prestigious firms. 

Prior to joining Mahindra, he held senior positions at McKinsey & Company as an Associate Partner in Digital, where he played a crucial role in launching large B2C products throughout Southeast Asia. His strategic insight in data architecture and digital transformation solidified his reputation as a key player in the technology sector. 

Additionally, Lodha contributed to product management and development at Nokia, enhancing its global market presence. 

As the new CEO of the AI Division, Bhuwan is set to spearhead the integration of AI technologies across Mahindra's diverse business verticals, which include automotive, real estate, and hospitality.

Bhuwan Lodha takes the helm as CEO of AI Division at Mahindra Group

Abhimanyu Mathur, who led Mahindra Group as vice president - brand, has been appointed by Mahindra Lifespace Developers as chief marketing officer. 

Mathur began his career in advertising at Leo Burnett as an accounts supervisor, and went on to work across Rediffusion Y&R, MullenLowe Lintas and RP-SG FMCG.


As the executive vice president at MullenLowe Lintas, he headed a business development cell focusing on Commodities to Brands, targeting SMEs. He headed a business unit for the last five years. 


He managed many Hindustan Unilever Brands like Pepsodent, Pureit, Wheel, Fair & Lovely, Clinic Plus, Clear, Vim, Domex, Hamam and many more. He also worked on Swachh Bharat by World Bank, Aditya Birla Group (Corporate), Gyproc, ABP News and others.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/meet-the-lifers-indian-cxos-who-have-stuck-to-one-company-for-more-than-three-decades-43646.htm">Meet The Lifers: Indian CXOs who have stuck to one company for more than three decades</a>

Mahindra Lifespace Developers appoints Abhimanyu Mathur as CMO

Kedar Apte, who led Mahindra Group as chief of international operations - Farm Equipment Sector, has been elevated to the position of senior vice president and head of charging infrastructure (auto and farm sector) where his role will be effective from October 1, 2024.
 

Apte began his career as an area sales manager at Hindustan Unilever and went on to hold various roles in different capacities. As an area sales manager, he led a team of 15 HUL executives to manage distribution infrastructure (70 Distributors) to execute sales plan and meet the Sales targets.


As a marketing manager where he handled the popular soaps portfolio, he was responsible for the delivery of its market share and sales targets.


At Castrol India, as the vice president - marketing, he led Castrol India marketing for B2C as well as B2B. He led a team of 25+ marketing team members to develop and execute innovative marketing campaigns for consumers and influencers.


After stints at HUL and Castrol India, he joined bp as the chief marketing officer.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/tony-vinciquerra-to-step-down-from-ceo-role-at-sony-pictures-entertainment-ravi-ahuja-named-president-and-ceo-43642.htm">Tony Vinciquerra to step down from CEO role at Sony Pictures Entertainment; Ravi Ahuja named President and CEO</a>

Mahindra Group elevates Kedar Apte to Sr. Vice President & Head of Charging Infrastructure (Auto and Farm)

In a historic victory, both the Indian men and women teams secured their maiden gold at the 2024 Chess Olympiad on Sunday. Chess has seen tremendous growth in the country, especially post-COVID-19. The rise of sponsors and the global performance of Indian chess players has led to increased online viewership. Tech Mahindra’s Global Chess League (GCL) season one crossed 10 million viewers on Eurosport TV and JioCinema.

Interestingly, Tech Mahindra was one of the sponsors of the 2024 Olympiad held in Budapest, Hungary. The Tech Mahindra Global Chess League (GCL), a joint initiative between FIDE and Tech Mahindra, aims to promote chess worldwide. GCL is projected to create a value of $40 million within five years for all its stakeholders. Season 1 of GCL attracted 250,000 viewers on the GCL Metaverse and reached over 100 million on social media.

Gukesh Dommaraju, Arjun Erigaisi, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Vidit Gujrathi and Pentala Harkrishna held their nerves during tough situations on the board and managed to clutch gold for the country. While on the women's team Harika Dronavalli, Divya Deshmukh, Vaishali R, Vantika Agrawal and Tanya Sachdev showed immense skill set facing top teams including USA and China.

In an interview with Storyboard18, Peeyush Dubey, CMO of Tech Mahindra and Chairperson of the Global Chess League, discussed the growth of chess in India and plans to merge arena-based and online chess for broader reach. According to a report by VMR, the chess market was valued at USD 2.19 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow to USD 3.34 billion by 2030.

Dubey said, “The Indian chess team’s first-ever gold medal finish will definitely boost the sport's growth in India. The popularity is rising as Indian teams continue to perform on the international stage.”

Discussing this growth, Dubey noted, “COVID-19 brought a revolutionary change in how chess is viewed as a sport in India. Today, it generates excitement with multiple teams, both men and women, competing, along with young prodigies bringing added interest. Tech Mahindra’s Global Chess League ties many of these elements together in a single league.”

Expanding on the topic of shorter format games broadcasted live on TV, Dubey said, “India will host games played in arenas with live audiences. Shorter formats will make the game more engaging for viewers on TV and streaming platforms like YouTube.”

He added, “For hosting games in front of live audiences, we’ll create an exclusive, intimate setting where people can closely observe the games. Combining this with online chess will definitely enhance the sport's reach.”

On chess growth in India, Dubey said, “When Viswanathan Anand became world champion, it gave chess new recognition. Now, with prodigies winning globally, there’s no turning back. People are looking at chess and chess influencing as careers, which has changed due to the sport’s growth and the rise of online platforms in India.”

He continued, “Our Indian prodigies are now playing top-level chess against the world’s best. This growth has been gradual, and I believe India’s future in chess is very bright. Chess will soon be one of the top ten sports in India.”

Speaking on the role of corporates in growing chess in India, Dubey said, “At Tech Mahindra, we believe that sports sponsorship is an excellent way to promote our brand while supporting chess. As an entrepreneurial company, we partnered with FIDE to start a chess league that brings global players to India, builds teams, and grows the world of chess.”

Dubey concluded, “We’re seeing more corporates entering the chess scene. With growing popularity, we’re expecting nearly 100% revenue growth for the league this year.”

GCL is scheduled from October 3rd to October 12th in London. With first edition held in Dubai, the format of the game is similar like IPL which is franchise based.


'Shorter chess game formats on TV: A reality in India,' says Peeyush Dubey of Tech Mahindra

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd announced that its overall auto sales for the month  of August 2024 stood at 76,755 vehicles, including exports.  

In the Utility Vehicles segment, Mahindra sold 43277 vehicles in the domestic market, a  growth  of  16%  and  overall,  44670  vehicles,  including  exports. The  domestic  sales  for  Commercial Vehicles stood at 21092.  
 
According to Veejay Nakra, President, Automotive Division, M&M Ltd., “We sold a total  of 43,277 SUVs in August, a growth of 16% and 76,755 total vehicles. India’s  Independence Day holds a significant place for us at Mahindra and this year we celebrated  the day with the launch of the much-awaited THAR ROXX – ‘THE’ SUV.  With Thar ROXX,  we're setting our sights on making the Thar franchise the No. 1 SUV franchise (>12.5 Lakh segment) by volume within the next 3 to 5 years”.

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd said on May 16 it will invest Rs 12,000 crore in its electric vehicle (EV) unit, Mahindra Electric Automobile, over a period of three years up to March 31, 2027.

Mahindra Electric Automobile Limited, a subsidiary of M&M, has been incorporated on October 25, 2022 in India. Total Income of MEAL for the year ended March 31, 2024 was Rs 56.96 crores.

Net worth of MEAL as on March 31, 2024 stood at Rs 3,207.14 crore. The revenue from operations of MEAL for FY24 was nil.

Mahindra Auto sells 43,277 SUVs, a 16% growth in August 2024

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has received a goods and services tax (GST) notice over the use of the 'Mahindra' brand name by various group companies, ET reported. The show-cause notice asks M&M why it should not pay GST on the services it provides to its subsidiaries by allowing them to use the flagship brand and logo. The notice is for 2017-2023 period.

The notice raises questions about if the GST authorities are widening the interpretation of the law, applying the tax to “related party transactions” even when no consideration is exchanged. This scrutiny follows similar notices issued to several builders in Mumbai earlier this year for brand and trade name use in transactions with subsidiaries and joint ventures.

It is to be noted that corporates are concerned about the repercussions for many business houses as tax officials feel that GST should apply to the royalties or fees.

It is not the first time M&M has a row with the GST officials. 

Last year, the company was imposed a penalty of over Rs 14.3 lakh for incorrect input tax credit availed during the transition from the excise regime to the GST regime by erstwhile Mahindra Vehicle Manufacturers Ltd, which has been merged into it.

Mahindra Group gets GST notice over brand name use by group firms

Keep up with all the key people movements in the brand marketing ecosystem in Storyboard18’s CXO Moves. Here’s a round-up of the executives who've moved jobs, got bigger roles, switched industries and more.


<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/2024/07/Untitled-design-2024-07-22T082301.313-2024-07-166505291330e887d23c8148b95c4f12.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="500" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37588" />


Manjari Upadhye


Previous: Chief executive officer, Welspun World


Present: Chief marketing officer - automotive division, Mahindra & Mahindra


Manjari Upadhye has been appointed by Mahindra & Mahindra as chief marketing officer - automotive division.


Upadhye started her career at Colgate Palmolive as senior product manager, and went on to work across Ocean Spray Cranberries, PepsiCo, Mondelez International, Danone Dairy and Amazon.


<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/2024/07/Untitled-design-2024-07-22T081038.449-2024-07-1c21a272a56223a79f3eddf7df9be7f8.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="500" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37585" />


Brian Lesser


Previous: Chairman and CEO, InfoSum


Present: Global CEO, GroupM


Brian Lesser, who served as the chairman and CEO of InfoSum, has been appointed by WPP as the GroupM's global CEO.


He succeeds Christian Juhl, who is stepping down after five years in the role. Juhl will take up a new position with WPP as President, Corporate Development.


Lesser spent 10 years with WPP including as CEO of GroupM in North America from 2015 to 2017. He will rejoin WPP and begin his new role with GroupM in September 2024. 


<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/2024/07/Untitled-design-2024-07-22T081551.161-2024-07-204df73226d21848a6571caf55de791b.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="500" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37586" />


Adam Warner


Present: Vice president - global sports and entertainment partnerships, PepsiCo


PepsiCo has promoted Adam Warner to the position of vice president - global sports and entertainment partnerships.


Warner began his career at PepsiCo as a senior brand manager and went on to hold various roles in different capacities. He holds a bachelor's degree in commerce from the University of Birmingham.


Pranav Mishra 


Previous: Head of Liabilities, ICICI Bank


Present: Head of distribution, Kotak Mahindra Group


Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited unveiled its new Distribution structure as part of its growth strategy. 


This is aimed at bringing together all the ways in which our customers interact with the Bank and to deliver an omni-channel seamless experience across all Group products and services, thereby elevating service standards and operational efficiency. 


Anirban Mozumdar


Previous: Chief strategy officer, Havas Group India


Anirban Mozumdar, who led Havas Group India as chief strategy officer, has stepped down from his position.


Mozumdar began his career at Rediffusion DY&R, and went on to work across Leo Burnett, Mudra Communications, Publicis India, chlorophyll brand & communications consultancy and 82point5.


<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/2024/07/Untitled-design-2024-07-22T081907.261-2024-07-45c0fd8ec04285aa60794823bf1c38d3.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="500" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37587" />


Harsh Bhutani


Previous: Vice President - Finance, India & Southwest Asia Operating Unit, The Coca-Cola Company.


Present: CFO, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages 


Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd. (HCCB) today announced the appointment of Mr. Harsh Bhutani as its Chief Financial Officer. Bhutani will be responsible for leading HCCB’s financial operations, including Business Transformation, Mergers & Acquisitions, Tax, Treasury, Audit, Accounting & Controls, Reporting and Analysis, and Risk Management.


Anuj Arora


Previous: Chief marketing officer, Symphony Limited


Present: Global chief marketing officer and business head, Symphony Limited


Anuj Arora, who led Symphony Limited as chief marketing officer has been elevated to the position of global chief marketing officer and business head.


Arora, who began his career at Godrej Consumer Pvt Ltd, went on to work across Reliance Retail, A.W. Faber Castell, Piramal Enterprises and Welspun Group.


Compiled by Kashmeera Sambamurthy

MAHINDRA