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Tag: RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group

  • Viraj Chouhan hops onto RP-Sanjiv Goenka group in corporate affairs role

    Viraj Chouhan hops onto RP-Sanjiv Goenka group in corporate affairs role

    MUMBAI: In a splashy move that coincides with the festival of colours, corporate affairs  veteran Viraj Chouhan has jumped ship from PepsiCo to join the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group as its group corporate affairs officer. The announcement, dripping with Holi metaphors, marks the end of Chouhan’s nearly six-year innings with the fizzy drinks giant.

    “Just as Holi symbolises renewal, this opportunity marks a vibrant new chapter,” gushed Chouhan in a LinkedIn post.

    The alumnus of Nagpur University brings hefty credentials to the table, having previously served as vice president corporate affairs for PepsiCo’s APAC region. His CV reads like a who’s who of corporate India, with stints as chief communications officer at Ola and executive director of corporate communications at MTS India.
    Chouhan cut his corporate affairs and communications teeth during a five-year spell at Coca-Cola before switching allegiance to arch-rival PepsiCo. 

    The RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, which Chouhan now represents, boasts an asset base of US $7 billion (approximately Rs 58,000 crore) and revenue of US $4 billion (Rs 33,000 crore). The conglomerate has its fingers in numerous pies, from power and FMCG to retail and IT.

    Sports enthusiasts might recognise RPSG as the owner of IPL team Lucknow Super Giants and football club Mohun Bagan—giving Chouhan plenty of metaphorical playing fields for his corporate messaging.

  • Firstsource Solutions reports strong Q2 FY25 growth despite market headwinds

    Firstsource Solutions reports strong Q2 FY25 growth despite market headwinds

    Firstsource Solutions Limited, a prominent player in business process services under the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, delivered a commendable Q2 FY25 performance, showcasing resilience amid market challenges. The company reported a revenue of Rs 19,254 million (US $230 million) for the quarter ending 30 September 2024, marking a robust 25 per cent increase year-on-year. Profit after tax (PAT) rose by 9.3 per cent to Rs 1,382 million, underscoring steady profitability despite economic pressures.  

    The results reflect a consistent growth trajectory, with Firstsource raising its FY25 constant currency revenue growth guidance to 19.5-20.5 per cent, up from the previous 11.5-13.5 per cent estimate. Operating margins for the fiscal year are projected to stabilise between 11-11.5 per cent, excluding acquisition-related charges.  

    The company attributed its growth to strategic contract wins across sectors. These included a transformative multi-tower deal with a leading Australian telecom company and a five-year digital transformation engagement with a top five US mortgage provider. The healthcare vertical reported the addition of five new clients, expanding its reach in revenue cycle management. Communication, Media, and Technology segments also performed strongly, securing new clients, including a major US online marketplace.  

    Firstsource’s acquisition of Ascensos, a UK-based customer experience outsourcing company, was a significant highlight, further enhancing the company’s nearshore capabilities and expanding its retail sector footprint. This acquisition, valued at GBP 42 million, will contribute around 5 per cent to revenue growth over seven months of FY25.  

    The quarter saw EBIT reach Rs 2,081 million, growing 27.3 per cent YoY, with an EBIT margin of 10.8 per cent. This was achieved despite one-time charges, highlighting strong operational efficiencies. For the half-year ending September 2024, revenue rose 21.1 per cent YoY to Rs 37,165 million, while PAT climbed 8.3 per cent to Rs 2,735 million, reflecting the company’s ability to balance growth investments with profitability.  

    Employee benefits expenses rose to Rs 12,104 million in Q2, up from Rs 9,402 million in the same period last year, driven by increased headcount and talent investments. Attrition showed signs of improvement, falling to 31 per cent as a result of the company’s retention initiatives.  

    Amid economic uncertainty, Firstsource continued to outperform the market through strategic expansion and sectoral diversification. The banking and financial services segment delivered revenue growth to Rs 6,641.56 million, while the Healthcare division saw revenue surge 39 per cent to Rs 7,025.18 million.  

    The company’s focus on automation and AI-driven solutions positioned it to meet clients’ evolving needs. This included launching new language models for mortgage processing and expanding digital collections platforms.  

    Looking ahead, Firstsource remains optimistic, guided by a strategy that emphasises client-centric growth, technology investments, and sustainable business practices. The company’s recent ESG report for FY24 and inaugural TCFD report further underscore its commitment to transparent governance and responsible growth.  

  • Switch to NPO – A tectonic shift in the snacking industry

    Switch to NPO – A tectonic shift in the snacking industry

    Mumbai: Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of healthier snacking options, as evidenced by the recent conversations and growing awareness about Non-Palm Oil (NPO) products. This is significantly influencing consumer behaviour and shaping new market trends.

    Too Yumm!, the flagship brand of Guiltfree Industries Ltd. owned by the RP-Sanjiv Goenka group, is a brand that has been offering innovative, disruptive, and healthier products since its inception. From introducing Multigrain Chips in unique flavours to being the first brand to bring in the technology of baked snaking products, the brand has been offering consumers better, healthier snacking options.

    Furthermore, their entire range of snacks has been with No Palm Oil since the beginning. This innovation has set new industry benchmarks in the snacking industry, inspiring others to follow suit in introducing No Palm Oil snacks.  marking a notable shift in the cultural shift in the snacking industry.

    To mark its pioneering position, Too Yumm! has launched a new campaign titled ” Switch to NPO (No Palm Oil), reiterating its position as a brand that has been the trendsetter with No Palm Oil in its snacks range. Through this integrated campaign, the brand aims to connect with consumers in driving the conversation on No Palm Oil snacks as healthier snacking options without compromising on taste.

    “At Too Yumm!, we have been at the forefront of driving positive change in the snacking industry from day one,” said Guiltfree Industries Ltd vice president of marketing Yogesh Tewari. “Our commitment to offering palm oil-free snacks, including our popular chips range has been unwavering. With the ‘No Palm Oil’ campaign, we aim to reinforce our position as the ‘OG of No Palm Oil Snacks’ and raise awareness about the importance of mindful snacking choices.”

    The campaign involves a multi-pronged approach, creatively utilizing digital platforms to emphasize the core messaging of No Palm Oil, including influencer marketing, social media campaigns through quirky posts, memes and on-ground activation across the country.

    Too Yumm!’s pioneering stance on avoiding palm oil has garnered widespread acclaim, positioning the brand as the innovator and inspiring industry peers and consumers alike to reevaluate their snack preferences.

  • RP- Sanjiv Goenka Group (FMCG) appoints KlugKlug as their influencer marketing tech stack platform

    RP- Sanjiv Goenka Group (FMCG) appoints KlugKlug as their influencer marketing tech stack platform

    Mumbai: RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group (FMCG), the renowned Indian multinational conglomerate with interests spanning across various sectors, announces a strategic partnership with KlugKlug, an influencer marketing tech SaaS platform, to bolster its influencer marketing outreach for its foray into the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry.

    RPSG Group, known for its diverse business portfolio encompassing power and energy, carbon black manufacturing, retail, IT-enabled services, FMCG, media and entertainment, infrastructure, and education, is taking this step in leveraging the power of influencer marketing for its FMCG ventures.

    KlugKlug CEO and co-founder Kalyan Kumar expressed his enthusiasm about this collaboration, stating, “The KlugKlug family is very excited to join hands with RPSG (FMCG) to drive their influencer marketing initiatives, a new focus area for them. Through a data-driven approach, we have harnessed the power of precise influencer searchability, enabling RPSG (FMCG) to connect with influencers who can authentically convey their brand’s story and drive sales. The role of luck is getting lesser everyday with the role of this happy tech of ours”

    KlugKlug, a New Delhi-based tech powerhouse, specializes in providing accurate and data-driven solutions for influencer marketing decisions. The collaboration with KlugKlug will empower RPSG (FMCG) to identify and partner with the most suitable influencers who can effectively communicate their FMCG brand messages to the intended audience.

    RPSG Group vice president marketing – personal care Deepak Pant said, ‘’RPSG evaluated KlugKlug and having seen its capabilities and testimonials from leading brands and E-commerce platforms, we decided to onboard KlugKlug after being convinced about how it can help RPSG scale its IM efforts with data led optimization. Audience-based filtering of Influencers towards ROAS was an eye-opener. KlugKlug insights will be invaluable in helping us build our Influencer scale-up program.”

    Through KlugKlug’s technology and real-time insights, RPSG (FMCG) anticipates achieving significant efficiencies in its influencer marketing campaigns on day one, and do away with audience losses of 20% to 80% most Brands currently face. This partnership ensures that RPSG (FMCG) can make informed decisions swiftly, resulting in more effective influencer marketing strategies.

    Looking ahead, KlugKlug’s recently launched very comprehensive Real Time Automated Reporting has set it above most competitors globally, and roadmap includes the development of newer features that knows the future of growing Influencer anywhere in the world. The platform aims to facilitate transparent collaboration between influencers and brands by offering a comprehensive suite of services for campaign management, performance monitoring, and data analysis. In response to the burgeoning interest in influencer marketing, KlugKlug plans to expand its services to new markets and social media platforms.

  • Bombay Shaving Company appoints Varun Gupta as senior vice president – growth

    Bombay Shaving Company appoints Varun Gupta as senior vice president – growth

    MUMBAI: Personal care brand, Bombay Shaving Company has appointed Varun Gupta as senior vice president – growth. With this appointment, the Delhi based grooming and hair removal brand further strengthens its executive leadership to deliver on its mission of “of reaching two crore bathrooms, with five products per bathroom, creating ten minutes of happiness”, in the next 12-16 quarters, the company said in a statement.  

    The Company will rely on Gupta’s D2C-to-Omnichannel expertise to stitch together consumer experiences with solid, long-term business outcomes going forward, as it aims to become IPO ready soon.

    Gupta was the founding member of ‘Too Yumm!’ & ‘The Gift Studio’ during his time at the RP – Sanjiv Goenka Group, having led the launch network for their FMCG business with ‘Too Yumm!’. He has also had stints at Unilever and Pepsico.

    “Varun brings a wonderful blend of technology understanding, customer centricity, entrepreneurial zeal and large business pedigree – qualities that will take Bombay Shaving Company into the future. Right through his career, he has demonstrated a remarkable ability to navigate complexity and uncertainty to shape sustainably profitable businesses, making him a truly valuable addition for us,” Bombay Shaving Company founder & CEO Shantanu Deshpande said.

    “Direct to Consumer space gives an opportunity to engage with past and future audiences in ways that are richer and non-transactional. Online channels, on the other hand, address customers with immediate intent. With unconventional channels like Quick Commerce taking rapid strides, the opportunities are immense. I look forward to building on the great work done by the team across D2C and other channels; and make BSC’s vision in the country a reality!” Varun Gupta said on his appointment.

  • Credenc.com launches its first IPL ad spot with LSG team

    Credenc.com launches its first IPL ad spot with LSG team

    Mumbai: Credenc.com, an education lending fintech platform  on Saturday launched its new ad campaign with the punchline  ‘Potential Hai Toh Possible Hai,’ as part of being the associate sponsor of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The campaign aims to highlight the platform’s brand promise of believing in each individual’s potential and encouraging them to fulfill their aspirations.  

    The ad campaign will air during Tata IPL 2022 on Disney+ Hotstar featuring three marquee LSG players: KL Rahul, Quinton De Kock and Manish Pandey. The players will be seen discussing the importance of identifying one’s potential to grow by drawing a parallel between how LSG based the decision of picking players for their team based on the player’s potential, Credenc.com also basis its decision to offer education loans to students based on their merit and potential.

    The underlying message showcased in the commercial is that all students with potential can benefit from Credenc.com’s potential based education loan.

    “Believing in students’ potential has been at the heart of our brand’s core offering, which we have tried to reflect through our first ad film,” said Credenc.com co-founder  Mayank Batheja. “The punchline ‘Potential Hai Toh Possible Hai’ highlights Credenc.com’s brand promise of ensuring aspirants with potential will not be starved for funds for their higher education goals.”

    “The campaign is an organic extension to our brand strategy, which is centered around “Basing their loan decision on student’s potential and not their parental income,” he further said.

    “The film is an expression of situations that many of us may have faced in our lives, when someone gave us a chance by simply believing in our potential that’s it, and nothing else,” shared Credenc.com co-founder Avinash Kumar. “This campaign gave us the opportunity to reinforce in our customers the belief that they can depend on themselves.”

    Credenc.com is among one of the key sponsors of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group owned LSG team for IPL 2022, where the team will sport the brand’s logo on the jersey sleeves.

  • Hrishikesh Shende joins RP Sanjiv Goenka Group as COO – sports

    Hrishikesh Shende joins RP Sanjiv Goenka Group as COO – sports

    Mumbai: Hrishikesh Shende has joined Kolkata-based multinational conglomerate RP Sanjiv Goenka Group as its chief operating officer – sports, according to his LinkedIn update.

    In a career spanning 17 years, Shende is a sports industry professional with experience in brand marketing, consumer product marketing, sports market, sponsorship sales, and contract negotiations. Under RP Sanjiv Goenka Group, he will be managing the sports brands Lucknow Super Giants (IPL franchise), RP-SG Mavericks (table tennis), and ATK Mohun Bagan Football Club.

    His previous assignment was sports lead at RoundGlass, an Indian NGO based in Punjab. He was associated with adidas for eight years and was business director sports – emerging markets before he moved on from the sports giant in 2021. He also had a stint with IMG Reliance as general manager – football. Prior to that, he was working at Liverpool Football Club.

    Shende has completed his MBA in the football industry from the University of Liverpool and LLB from Government Law College, Mumbai.

  • RP Sanjiv Goenka Group picks 51% stake in Vikram Chandra’s Editorji

    RP Sanjiv Goenka Group picks 51% stake in Vikram Chandra’s Editorji

    NEW DELHI: Editorji founder Vikram Chandra announced on Twitter this morning that RP Sanjiv Goenka Group has acquired the majority stake of 51 per cent in his online personalised news platform. 

    Chandra will continue to hold his MD position, while Airtel and HT will remain investors in the platform, which he had started in September 2018, after spending 24 years as a television journalist. 

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    RP Sanjiv Goenka had recently signed a deal with Fortune Media group as well, to publish the magazine in India. 

  • Virat Kohli promotes multigrain chips

    Virat Kohli promotes multigrain chips

    MUMBAI: Guiltfree Industries Limited, the FMCG division of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group launched IPL’s longest ad this year for its healthy snacking brand Too Yumm! 

    Endorsed by the Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli, the ad unveils the latest addition to Too Yumm!’s healthy snacking portfolio – multigrain chips. The campaign cleverly leveraged India’s most watched television property, the IPL and the Indian captain’s huge fanbase through an engaging film that kept the audience at the edge of their seats. 

    The campaign went live during the strategic timeout in the CSK vs KXIP IPL match, simultaneously positioning Too Yumm! as the perfect guilt-free binge and an ideal IPL snack. The one-minute brand film unveiled Too Yumm!’s multigrain chips and instantaneously put rumours of Kohli’s unhealthy eating habits to rest. 

    The campaign rests on the notion that chips are associated with being an unhealthy snacking option. The objective was to break this myth by creating national buzz around fitness advocate, Kohli, doing the unthinkable by munching on chips during the nail-biting IPL season. Kohli finally made the big reveal on 20 May in IPL’s longest ad this year.