Brands
TVS and BMW Motorrad hit 2 lakh milestone as new F 450 GS enters production
BENGALURU: TVS Motor Company and BMW Motorrad have crossed the 2 lakh unit production mark under their twelve-year partnership, strengthening one of the most successful Indo-German alliances in the sub-500cc motorcycle segment. The companies marked the milestone with the start of manufacturing for the new BMW F 450 GS at TVS’s Hosur plant.
The two-wheeler makers joined hands in 2013 and have since co-developed models that now sell in more than 100 markets. Their jointly engineered G 310 R, G 310 GS and G 310 RR have become global volume drivers for BMW Motorrad, lifting its presence in entry and mid-capacity categories.
TVS Motor Company director and chief executive KN Radhakrishnan said the partnership had combined engineering depth with shared values. He added that the rollout of the F 450 GS, showcased at EICMA 2025, marked a new phase in TVS’s ability to build high-end motorcycles at scale.
BMW Motorrad chief executive Markus Flasch called the 200,000 unit milestone proof of the alliance’s strength. He said the G 310 series had become a pillar of BMW’s global growth and that the new F 450 GS would carry forward the momentum.
Both companies are now investing in new platforms and technologies, aiming to meet rising demand across urban and premium mobility. Their future models will continue to build on a decade of shared innovation, performance and manufacturing discipline.
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Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
