MAM
KFC hits two chickens with one stone
MUMBAI: Kentucky Fried Chicken – KFC – has flagged off an exciting contest to promote its ‘Bigger, Better Popcorn Chicken’.
Riding on the reality television wave, the Yum Brands owned KFC is asking its US based customers to create their own home spun, 30-second reality TV commercial spot and submit them by 23 September to qualify for a cash prize of $10,000 and a one-time airing of the commercial on prime-time television in early October.
Another $5,000 each has been set side for two runners-up to the contest. The winners will be declared at the end of the contest period on the KFC website – www.kfc.com.
Through the contest, which according to a Reuters report sprung from KFC’s public relations team, the fast food chain is not only harnessing the concept of reality television in this latest promotion drive but is also seeking to draw in direct audience participation, creating a fresh ideas bank in the process.
KFC’s new promo drive comes at a time when programmers and advertisers are taking up the idea of reality television like never before. And does it work? Closer home, our music channels stand the greatest testimony to that,Channel [V] ‘ s Popstars and MTV ‘s Bakra being the prominent examples.
Brands
IndiGo appoints captain Rohit Rikhye as head of operations control centre
Leadership change follows dgca penalties and december flight disruptions
MUMBAI: IndiGo has appointed Captain Rohit Rikhye as the new head of its operations control centre (OCC). The appointment, effective immediately following an internal announcement on Friday, sees Rikhye take over from Jason Herter. He will report directly to the chief operating officer (COO), Isidre Porqueras.
Captain Rikhye brings over 11 years of experience within IndiGo to the role. He previously served as chief pilot for standards, QA, and ops safety. In his new position, he is responsible for the airline’s central nerve centre, overseeing flight operations, including real-time coordination, planning, and dispatch; tracking and compliance, ensuring all flights adhere to air traffic control and safety regulations; and resource management, handling crew scheduling and rostering across the network.
The leadership transition comes after a period of significant operational challenges in December 2025. These lapses resulted in strict intervention from the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) in January 2026.
According to statements made by additional solicitor general Chetan Sharma on behalf of the civil aviation ministry, the regulator imposed penalties totalling Rs 22 crore on the airline. The regulatory response also led to the dismissal of a senior vice-president to address the systemic issues identified during the disruptions.
The OCC is critical to the airline’s daily performance, managing everything from flight paths to crew availability. By appointing a veteran from the safety and standards division, IndiGo aims to strengthen its regulatory compliance and ensure operational stability moving forward.
