Brands
SPH Aviation to showcase homegrown drones to Army, J&K Police
MUMBAI: If the skies had a heartbeat, it would be thumping a little louder this month. SPH Aviation is preparing to put its latest homegrown drones through their paces for the Indian Army in Spiti Valley and for the J&K Police at TCIL, marking a fresh chapter in India’s race to build its own defence UAV ecosystem.
The company plans to demonstrate two of its newest creations, a fixed wing kamikaze drone and a high altitude multicopter UAV, both designed and built in India. The upcoming trials are expected to underline the country’s growing confidence in indigenous defence technology at a time when demand for tactical drones is rising across the forces.
This push has already gathered momentum. Earlier in November, SPH Aviation unveiled five new Indian made drones at Haryana Bhawan in New Delhi in the presence of Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, turning the spotlight on the state’s growing role in shaping India’s aerospace ambitions.
The company has also delivered its Hawk training drones to the 02 Maratha LI Regiment to support field training and on ground preparedness.
SPH Aviation chairman Deep Sihag Sisai, said the company’s mission is driven by a simple idea. “We want India to stand on its own feet in defence technology. The vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat belongs not just to the government but to every Indian innovator. We are committed to building drones that serve our forces with speed, precision and reliability. We will keep pushing until India takes the lead in global UAV innovation.”
Behind the scenes, the company is strengthening its research engine through collaborations with IIT Kanpur, IIT Ropar, Becil and ITI. These partnerships support advanced R&D, prototype development and scaled manufacturing pathways.
With its DGCA certification and a strong track record of training hundreds of drone pilots across the country, SPH Aviation is now expanding confidently into tactical UAVs. The move signals India’s readiness to field more indigenous drone systems across its armed forces and security agencies, while giving a timely boost to the Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat missions.
Brands
Rohini Laya Venkateswaran named executive director at Gillette India
P&G veteran with two decades of experience steps into leadership role
NEW DELHI: Rohini Laya Venkateswaran has been appointed executive director at Gillette India Pvt. Ltd., bringing with her more than two decades of experience across sales, strategy and brand leadership within the consumer goods sector. In her new role, she will help steer the company’s strategic direction and growth while strengthening its footprint in the grooming and personal care category.
Venkateswaran joins the board after a long career at Procter & Gamble, where she spent nearly 21 years shaping sales strategy, building brands and driving market expansion across India and international markets.
Most recently, she served as chief sales officer for India at P&G. Prior to that, she was vice president and country manager for east gulf markets, overseeing operations in Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar while also guiding sales strategy across the Gulf region, including the UAE.
Earlier in her career, she led sales strategy and planning for India while serving as marketing leader for brands such as Olay and Old Spice. During this stint, she focused on reshaping go-to-market channels and building awareness through digital, social and influencer-led campaigns to drive growth.
Her journey at P&G also included roles such as director sales strategy and planning leader India, associate director modern retail and ecommerce, regional manager for Delhi and Rajasthan, and several key account and trade marketing roles across the country. She also spent time in the United States working on the P&G Walmart international team, collaborating on global retail initiatives.
Venkateswaran holds an MBA in marketing from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from RV College of Engineering.
With her mix of sales acumen, brand-building experience and global exposure, Venkateswaran’s appointment signals a sharpened focus on growth and market leadership for Gillette India.
