MAM
Sharmila Malekar returns to Mudra as senior VP
MUMBAI: Mudra India has appointed Sharmila Malekar as senior vice president for Mudra West. This is Malekar‘s second innings at Mudra, having earlier worked as VP in 2004.
Malekar moves in from Mind Mirror, a research & strategic consultancy, where she was designated as managing partner.
In her new role, she will report in to Mudra West president Arijit Ray and will help strengthen brands on businesses like ITC, Jyothy Laboratories, Electrolux, Kalpataru,
Emami, HPCL and Godrej.
Malekar comes with over 18 years of experience in brand building and consumer research. She started her career with Lintas where she worked on brands like Liril and J&J feminine hygiene for their Stayfree, Carefree range, among others.
She has also worked with Ogilvy and Mather and Publicis Ambience Advertising.
“Malekar comes on board with a rich experience of overseeing a wide spread of brands in the FMCG, automotive entertainment and beverages space, across few of the best agencies of the country like Ogilvy, Lowe and Publicis. We are looking forward to her experience in consolidating and building on some of our most important client relationships at Mudra West,” Ray said.
MAM
Time brings TIME100 Next franchise to India with Reliance
List to spotlight 100 emerging leaders, gala set for December 2026 in Mumbai.
MUMBAI: It’s about time India’s next wave got a global spotlight and now, it’s on the list. New York-headquartered Time is expanding its TIME100 Next franchise to India, partnering with Reliance Industries Limited to launch TIME100 Next India, its first international extension of the rising leaders platform. The announcement was made at the Time100 Gala in New York by Jessica Sibley and Nita Mukesh Ambani, signalling a strategic push to tap into India’s growing influence across sectors.
The India edition will recognise 100 emerging leaders from the country and the global Indian diaspora, spanning business, science, sports, arts and social impact. The list will be curated by Time’s editorial team and published online, continuing the franchise’s focus on identifying individuals shaping the future.
The initiative will culminate in a gala event scheduled for December 2026 at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, anchoring the platform within India’s cultural and business ecosystem.
TIME’s broader Time100 franchise has steadily expanded its global footprint since 2021 through events and impact-led initiatives. Executives noted that India’s growing pool of influential voices and innovators made it a natural next step for the platform’s international ambitions.
For Reliance, the partnership aligns with its broader push to support emerging talent and ideas on a global stage. For Time, it marks a timely bet on India not just as a market, but as a talent engine shaping the next chapter of global leadership.
