Sridhar Balakrishnan

Shibin Chulliparambil Appointed Head of IT at Malabar Group. Shibin Chulliparambil has taken charge as the Head of Information Technology at Malabar Group, one of India’s largest and most respected retail conglomerates. Known for innovation, scale, and customer-first strategies, Malabar continues to redefine excellence across sectors. 1. 20+ years of IT and digital transformation leadership across global and Indian enterprises. 2. Former Head of IT at Blue Star Limited and CIO at Mafatlal Industries Limited, with parallel CEO roles at Vrata Tech Solutions (India & UAE). 3. Held diverse tech leadership positions at Cipla, from Software Engineering to IT Strategy & Solution Architecture. 4. Recognized with honors like Most Inspiring CIO of India, Security Icon, and Innovative CIO Award. 5. Strong academic mix: MBA in Cybersecurity, BCA, and executive programs from ISB and IIT Bombay. At Malabar Group, Shibin will lead secure digital transformation, tech-enabled growth, and IT innovation aligned with global expansion goals. As retail and tech converge, what role will cybersecurity and cloud innovation play in shaping customer trust and scalability? #Leadership #DigitalTransformation #RetailTech #Cybersecurity #ITLeadership #Innovation #MalabarGroup #CareerMoves #CIO #TechStrategy #EnterpriseIT #TechnologyLeadership #DigitalRetail #CloudComputing #DataSecurity #Omnichannel #SmartRetail #ITStrategy #AwardWinningCIO #ScalableTech #ExecutiveLeadership

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Reliance Retail Acquires Kelvinator: Forging a New Era in India's Consumer Durables Market Mumbai, July 18, 2025: Reliance Retail today announced a landmark acquisition of Kelvinator, a strategic move poised to significantly amplify its leadership in India's fast-growing consumer durables sector. This acquisition is a testament to Reliance Retail's unwavering commitment to shaping the future of the consumer durable sector in India by delivering unparalleled value and choice to consumers, nationwide. Kelvinator, a brand synonymous with trust and innovation for over a century, pioneered electric refrigeration for home use globally. In India, it achieved iconic status in the 1970s and 80s with its memorable tagline, "The Coolest One," and continues to be revered for its cutting-edge technology, superior performance, enduring quality, and exceptional value. This acquisition strategically aligns with Reliance Retail's vision of democratizing aspirational living. By integrating Kelvinator's rich legacy of innovation with Reliance Retail's expansive and unparalleled retail network, the company is set to unlock substantial consumer value and accelerate growth in the rapidly expanding premium home appliances market across India. This synergy will ensure that high-quality, globally-benchmarked products are accessible to every Indian household, enhancing their daily lives. "Our mission has always been to serve the diverse needs of every Indian by making technology accessible, meaningful, and future-ready," stated Isha M Ambani, Executive Director, Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL). "The acquisition of Kelvinator marks a pivotal moment, enabling us to significantly broaden our offering of trusted global innovations to Indian consumers. This is powerfully supported by our unmatched scale, comprehensive service capabilities, and market-leading distribution network." With Kelvinator now firmly integrated into its formidable ecosystem, Reliance Retail is strategically positioned to accelerate category growth, deepen consumer engagement, and unlock substantial long-term opportunities within India's dynamic consumer durables market. This move reinforces Reliance Retail's ambition to not only anticipate but meet the evolving demands of the Indian consumer, solidifying its position as the undisputed leader in the retail landscape.

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Spykar Lifestyles Pvt. Ltd. has announced the appointment of Nipun Dhingra, former manager at Kearney, as its new Chief Transformation Officer. In this leadership role, Dhingra will drive initiatives focused on innovation, operational excellence, and sustainability for the fashion and lifestyle brand. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g_WA8JqK #retail #business #news #market #update #appointment #spykar #expansion Sanjay Vakharia| Rajesh Sharma| Gautam Jain| Khushboo Ahuja| Arun Sharma| Ronak Dedhia| Varun Chamoli| Nagendra Singh| Deepali Katyal Mathur| Pooja Goel| Diksha Gupta| Yumna Vaqar| Twinkle Roy| Biki Gupta

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What DMart - Avenue Supermarts Ltd announced yesterday is unprecedented, given their history of slow expansion. India's biggest value retailer, known for its calibrated, cluster-based expansion strategy, is now set to accelerate its growth by opening more stores than its usual pace. They plan to double down on expansion now. In their annual call, Neville Noronha confirmed that over the next 6 to 8 months, he would personally be focusing his time on expansion in India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, which is a new cluster market for them with huge potential. He also admitted that if there’s one thing he could have done better during his tenure, it would have been increasing the store count to around 600–650 by now, compared to 426 today. This will now be the key focus area for the incoming CEO, Anshul Asawa, who emphasized that the business needs to scale across more geographies. From an investor’s perspective, this shift brings fresh energy and could accelerate the path to greater value creation for shareholders. At Finding Outperformers, we recently turned positive on the stock from a medium- to long-term perspective. Market may have overestimated the impact of Q-commerce on its business model, while value retail continues to be a large, untapped opportunity. Read our full thesis in the blog posts shared in the comments below⬇️ (do own research before investing)

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One of the most tangible ways to create impact is by closing the gap between skills and employability. With 14+ new VLCC School of Beauty institutes, our footprint grows to 106+ centres; scaling an industry-first promise of 100% placement for eligible students, backed by scholarships of up to 100%. This is an ecosystem designed to enable confidence, financial independence, and entrepreneurship, especially for youth and women in Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns where opportunities are often limited. Over the years, VLCC School Of Beauty has trained over 1 lakh professionals, and with our expansion, we are reinforcing our role as a key partner in India’s skilling and vocational mission. Proud of the team driving this initiative and building not just institutes, but meaningful career pathways that support an #AtmanirbharBharat.

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Bengaluru-based Asaya, a research-driven skincare brand, has raised ₹28 crore in pre-Series A funding led by RPSG Capital, with participation from Dot & Key Skincare founders Suyash Saraf and Anisha Agarwal Saraf, along with existing investors OTP Ventures and Huddle Ventures. Founded by Neeraj Biyani, along with two FMCG and consumer industry veterans with over 23 years of experience each, Asaya focuses on solving hyperpigmentation through its patented molecule MelaMe™, clinically proven to deliver results in 14 days. The brand has achieved 400% YoY growth and 5x revenue growth in the last year. The funds will support a new innovation center and the launch of six skincare products over the next 12 months, strengthening Asaya’s position in India’s science-backed beauty market. Read Full Article: https://lnkd.in/gNmMhUdA #RPSGCapital #OTPVentures #HuddleVentures #Skincare #Funding #Innovation #asaya

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Panel: Managing Margins While Scaling — What Retailers Should Focus On 💬 “Growth is exciting, but survival depends on discipline.” Moderator: Avnish Kumar, Chairman, RAI Telangana Chapter & Managing Director, Neerus India Panelists: Arshad Dhamani, Director, Kumar Shirts Avinash Chukkapalli, Managing Partner, Popular Shoe Mart Milind Agarwal, Managing Director, Balaji Hosiery XLU Rakesh Tiruveedhula, Chief Project and Information Officer, RSB Retail India Ltd. Vikash Hisariya, Director, Vishal Peripherals Govardhan Reddy YS, Co-Founder & CEO, BEAUTE&NUTRIE Top takeaways: 🔹 Price Parity & Brand Collaboration – For multi-brand retailers, matching online offers through brand partnerships and pushing private labels helps protect margins without losing customer trust. 🔹 Value Beyond Price – Regional tech retailers stressed that after-sales service, education, and customer engagement can outweigh discounts in driving loyalty. 🔹 Category-Specific Differentiation – In niche categories like lingerie, experience, comfort, and staff training are margin builders; not all competition is about price. 🔹 Tech & Data Discipline – Chain retailers are using analytics, AI, and hyperlocal assortments to cut waste, optimise stock, and run profitable promotions without eroding brand value. 🔹 Customer Education – Wellness and beauty players are investing in expert-led in-store consultations and visual merchandising to build trust in premium SKUs. 🔹 Practical Growth Advice – Panelists agreed on the need for: • Patience and long-term vision • Unit economics before expansion • Scalable, adaptable technology • Hyperlocal marketing and influencer strategy • Viewing failure as learning fuel 💬 “Margins aren’t saved in the discount line — they’re built in everyday discipline, smart buying, and knowing exactly who you serve.” National Mart - India Ka HyperMart | Ratnadeep #RAI #HyderabadRetailSummit #RetailGrowth #ScalingSmart #RetailLeadership #Margins

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