Brands
Wellness with a star glow as Mrunal Thakur joins EBG’s Carlton journey
MUMBAI: When wellness meets star power, the spotlight shifts from indulgence to intention. EBG Group has onboarded Mrunal Thakur as brand ambassador for Carlton Wellness, marking a strategic step in its push to build a regulated, premium wellness-hospitality platform in India. The partnership comes into effect from FY 2025–26 and will anchor Carlton’s next phase of brand building and expansion.
Under the association, Mrunal Thakur will front Carlton Wellness’s brand films, digital narratives, experiential campaigns and flagship property launches, which will roll out in phases across the country. The move signals EBG Group’s intent to position Carlton Wellness at the intersection of preventive healthcare, longevity and conscious luxury.
Announcing the partnership, EBG Group chairman and founder Irfan Khan said the actor’s public persona aligns closely with Carlton’s philosophy of balance, authenticity and mindful living. The brand, he added, is focused on building a scalable wellness ecosystem that blends clinical depth with experiential wellbeing rather than superficial luxury.
Carlton Wellness is being developed as an integrated platform spanning wellness resorts, destination retreats, city and hotel-based spas, and wellness-led residences. Its model combines Ayurveda, naturopathy, mindfulness and hydrotherapy, adapting global wellness standards to Indian lifestyles with a clear focus on preventive care and long-term quality of life.
Several Carlton Wellness spa formats are already operational within premium hospitality and real-estate developments, while flagship retreat and resort projects are at advanced stages in Ahmedabad, Indore and Manipal. Expansion plans are also underway across Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Surat, Lucknow, Bengaluru and Manipal, strengthening the brand’s metro and Tier-1 presence.
Looking ahead to 2026, the roadmap becomes more ambitious. Carlton Wellness plans 20–30 new urban spas, 4–6 destination retreats, 2–3 boutique wellness resorts, and 1–2 luxury wellness residential or vacation home projects across Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and select NCR markets.
Backed by this pipeline, the EBG–Carlton platform is projecting revenues of Rs 80–120 crore in FY 2025–26, scaling to Rs 180–250 crore in FY 2026–27, driven by spa operations, memberships, retreats, licensing models and managed wellness residences.
Over the next five years, the alliance aims to cross 50 wellness touchpoints nationwide by 2027–28 and position itself by 2029–30 as India’s largest regulated wellness network, with international forays planned into GCC and Southeast Asia.
With Mrunal Thakur as its public face, Carlton Wellness is signalling a shift in how wellness is sold in India less about fleeting luxury, more about longevity, credibility and scale.
Brands
FSS names Anand Krishnamurthi head of global digital delivery
Tech veteran to drive AI-first, cloud-led transformation in payments globally
CHENNAI: Financial Software and Systems (FSS), an AI-first payment infrastructure company, has appointed Anand Krishnamurthi as head of global digital delivery.
In his new role, Anand Krishnamurthi will lead FSS’s global digital delivery capabilities, focusing on AI-first and cloud-led transformation while ensuring predictable, high-quality outcomes for customers worldwide. He will be based in Chennai and report to V. Balasubramanian, CEO of FSS.
Bringing 28 years of experience in technology and digital transformation across banking, capital markets, financial services, and insurance, Anand has held senior leadership positions at Cognizant and NuSummit. He is recognised for scaling multi-geography delivery teams, leading mission-critical platforms, and embedding AI-driven automation in complex, regulated environments.
“What drew me to FSS is its deep payments expertise, strong product DNA, and the scale at which its platforms power real-world financial ecosystems,” said Anand Krishnamurthi. “I aim to strengthen delivery predictability, execution rigor, and engineering quality, building empowered teams that deliver measurable customer outcomes. FSS has a unique opportunity to create real-time, AI-infused payments infrastructure that is resilient, secure, and globally scalable.”
V. Balasubramanian added, “Anand’s track record in leading multi-geography delivery programs and AI-first operating models makes him the ideal leader for FSS as we accelerate our AI-driven digital payments business. His leadership will help us raise the bar for outcomes globally.”
This appointment is part of FSS’s broader push to build an AI-powered, cloud-native delivery organisation capable of meeting the evolving needs of banks, fintechs, and financial institutions worldwide.
