MAM
Pantaloon wears passion this World Cup
MUMBAI: Keeping World Cup fervour in mind, Pantaloon has launched Passion Wear, a specially designed range of World Cup apparel and accessories. Pantaloon Retail India is the sole retail for ICC World Cup merchandise in India. These rights allow Pantaloon to use Dazzler, the ICC World Cup mascot as well as to design, manufacture, distribute and market the World Cup Cricket 2003 merchandise.
The apparel range includes Replica T-shirts (exact replica of T-shirts worn by Sachin Tendulkar, Virendra Sehwag and Saurav Ganguly and others from the Indian cricket team), Message T-shirts (having amusing anecdotes of cricket & films, one-line jokes on cricket etc.), Dazzler T-shirts (Officials Mascot of the ICC World Cup), sweatshirts, sweat pants, track pants, socks and select designs for ladies like short tops etc.
The accessories range includes bats – memorabilia, crazy balls, stress relief balls, key chains, Dazzler key chains- Flat & 3 D Caps Ties-with ICC logo. Hankies, mugs etc. also form part of Pantaloons ICC collection, which have the image of the mascot printed on them. The apparel and accessories are available at all Pantaloon Retail outlets.
Director, Pantaloon Retail India Rakesh Biyani said, “ The two things Indians are most passionate about are films and cricket. Cricket is not a game in India it is a religion hence our World Cup range is known Passion Wear. We have chosen the World Cup to launch our cricket accessories and apparels. The range caters not only to children and men but also to women.”
Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited has over 15 superstores in the country.
MAM
Indigo appoints Aloke Singh as Chief Strategy Officer
Air India Express MD joins to steer global growth and operational efficiency.
MUMBAI: Indigo just recruited its next big strategist from the rival camp because when you’re chasing the skies, sometimes the best way to fly higher is to borrow the pilot who already knows the route. InterGlobe Aviation, parent company of IndiGo, announced on 23 March 2026 that its board has approved the appointment of Aloke Singh as Chief Strategy Officer. Singh, who most recently served as managing director and CEO of Air India Express, will lead enterprise-wide strategic planning, operational efficiency initiatives and the airline’s aggressive push into international routes.
Reporting initially to managing director Rahul Bhatia and later to Indigo’s incoming CEO Singh brings over three decades of experience across strategy, operations and commercial functions in aviation. At Air India Express he drove network expansion and performance turnaround, earlier roles at Air India and Oman Air sharpened his focus on long-term planning.
“Aloke brings an exceptional blend of strategic vision and operational depth,” Bhatia said. “His experience will be critical as Indigo seeks to build a more agile, resilient and future-ready organisation.”
The appointment arrives at a pivotal moment. Indigo, India’s dominant domestic carrier, has faced intense scrutiny after operational disruptions in December 2025 thousands of cancelled and delayed flights due to crew scheduling misalignments with new pilot fatigue norms triggering fines, passenger chaos and regulatory heat. Former CEO Pieter Elbers resigned in March 2026 citing personal reasons, though his exit followed sustained pressure from those setbacks and rising costs.
Singh described joining Indigo as “a pivotal moment” for both the airline and Indian aviation, as the carrier accelerates beyond its domestic stronghold into a more competitive global arena.
In an industry where turbulence is measured in both altitude and headlines, Indigo isn’t just hiring a strategist, it’s recruiting a steady hand to navigate from domestic dominance to international takeoff, one calculated flight plan at a time.
