MAM
Macromedia’s Max conference to be held in India
MUMBAI: Macromedia has announced plans to host its second annual Max conference in New Delhi from 14 – 15 March and in Bangalore from 17 – 18 March 17 -18 to explore the power and business impact of delivering great experiences in the digital world.
The conference will address the increasing need for businesses to differentiate products and services in the expanding digital world and will emphasise the powerful role great experiences play on the Internet. Designers and developers can sharpen their skills, learn techniques from industry experts, and get up to date on the latest technologies.
“Max is a great opportunity to gather industry experts and leading designers and developers in order to share ideas and help advance the business experience. As the digital world becomes more divergent, there is an increasing need for solutions that deliver great experiences across the many devices, platforms, and form factors,” said Macromedia India country manager Shriram Krishnamachari.
Max 2005 conference in India’s two day conferences in New Delhi and Bangalore will feature 25 sessions on four themes consisting of: Creating Rich Media, Developing Rich Internet Applications, Designing and Publishing for the Web and Mobile and Devices.
The sessions will focus on empowering designers and developers to deliver more effective web content and Internet applications across a diverging set of open and proprietary platforms from desktops to mobile devices.
These sessions will be conducted by eminent Macromedia speakers including: Macromedia chief instructor James Talbot, Macromedia chief web technologies evangelist Greg Rewis, Macromedia developer support content manager Bill Perry and Macromedia South Asia server product manager Chak Ming Fai.
Brands
Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail reshuffles top deck; Nikhil Modha to take over as CFO
Phased transition sees Marco Agnolin head OWND!, Nikhil Modha lined up as CFO as company readies next growth leg
MUMBAI: Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail is redrawing its leadership map, lining up a new generation of executives across key roles as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
The company has named Suraj Bahirwani as chief executive (designate) of Pantaloons, effective April 1, 2026, with a full transition to the top role slated for October 1, 2026. He will also be designated as senior managerial personnel.
A two-decade veteran of the Aditya Birla Group, Bahirwani joined as a group management trainee in 2002 and has since held a string of leadership roles across retail and manufacturing. His resume spans stints at Aditya Birla Retail, a tenure as chief operating officer of Pantaloons, and most recently, head of global sales at the group’s cellulosic fibres business, where he drove international expansion and strengthened value-added portfolios.
Academically, he holds a PhD from the University of Mumbai, a postgraduate management diploma from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, and is a chartered accountant. Over the years, he has picked up multiple chairman’s awards, including distinguished achiever, exceptional contributor and accomplished leader.
The transition at Pantaloons will be staged. Incumbent chief executive Sangeeta Tanwani will continue until September 30, 2026, steering the handover before moving into an advisory role to the managing director from October 1, 2026. She is set to retire on January 31, 2027, at which point she will step down as whole-time director and key managerial personnel.
Alongside, the company has brought in Marco Agnolin as chief executive of OWND! and senior managerial personnel, effective April 6, 2026. Agnolin arrives with over three decades of global experience, having held senior roles at Inditex, where he helped expand Zara in Italy, and later served as chief executive of Bershka and Diesel. His track record spans fast fashion, brand turnarounds and youth-focused retail.
On the finance side, Nikhil Modha has been appointed chief financial officer (designate) and senior managerial personnel from April 1, 2026. He will assume full charge as chief financial officer and key managerial personnel from January 1, 2027.
Current chief financial officer Jagdish Bajaj will oversee a phased transition until December 31, 2026, before retiring and stepping down from his roles.
The reshuffle signals a calibrated succession plan rather than a sudden overhaul, with the company staggering exits and appointments to ensure continuity even as it refreshes leadership across verticals.
As Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail juggles legacy brands and new-age formats, the message is clear: steady hands for the present, sharper ones for the future—and no pause in the push for scale.
