MAM
Planet Sports opens Bangalore outlet, unveils campaign
Bangalore: “Planet Sports – your sports lifestyle store” is the new print and outdoor campaign launched by sports retail outlet Planet Sports. The campaign was unveiled on the occasion of its Bangalore outlet opening.
Tania Zaetta of AXN’s ‘Who dares wins” show inaugurated the showroom. The store houses brands including Puma, Speedo, Nike, Adidas, Prince, Callaway (Golf equipment and accessories), Converse, Lotto, Tommy Hilfiger and Sketchers.
The company is planning to launch another two outlets in Bangalore, along with its plans for Chennai and Hyderabad.
“We are positioning ourselves as a sports-lifestyle store – not a purely sports goods store, nor a fashion store. As the average Indian is becoming more sports conscious and health conscious, we feel that there is a space for this new category,” says Planet Sports marketing manager Sanjay Salwan.
Commenting on the Pantaloon’s recent 49 per cent stake in Planet Sports, Sanjay said “This is a strategic tie-up – in terms of synergies – we have the expertise in getting international brands into India, Pantaloon know the India market – they are the largest retailers n the country. Synergies of both the brands are being leveraged to help both expand, to grow.”
The new campaign is targeted towards the sports-lifestyle mindset of consumers who are neither totally into pure sports nor into pure fashion. The ad budgets for 2005-2006 is pegged at Rs.30 million to Rs 40 million. While Percept handles the creative, Carat handles the media business. The company is also toying with the idea of brand ambassadors from tennis and cricket. Puma, for which Planet sports has an exclusive license, will be launching its cricket gear soon.
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.
