Brands
Madhurendra Malu appointed genesis vertical head at Hyundai
Hyundai taps luxury veteran to steer Genesis debut and growth
GURUGRAM: Hyundai Motor Company India has appointed Madhurendra Malu as vertical head for Genesis, tasking the seasoned auto executive with leading the luxury marque’s official entry and long term growth in the Indian market.
Based in Gurugram, Malu will oversee the brand’s end to end mandate, from luxury positioning and network strategy to crafting a high touch customer experience. The role puts him at the centre of Hyundai’s push to establish Genesis as a serious contender in India’s elite automotive segment.
He joins Hyundai after a short but high impact stint at JSW MG Motor India, where he served as head of sales and earlier as head of CEM and network development. During his time there, Malu helped build the MG Select premium retail format from the ground up. The initiative saw the appointment of 13 dealer partners and the launch of 15 showrooms across 14 cities, with spaces designed to feel more like art galleries than conventional car outlets.
In a farewell note to his MG colleagues, Malu described the experience as a defining chapter. He said the role demanded constant sprints from day one, spanning dealer development, marketing, sales, planning, strategy and execution. Despite the intensity, he called the journey deeply fulfilling and expressed pride in helping lay the foundation of a premium automotive brand in India.
Before MG, Malu held senior leadership roles at Škoda Auto Volkswagen India, where he led business and brand development as well as network expansion. He also spent over 16 years at Maruti Suzuki, rising through multiple regional and national sales roles, including commercial business head for the Nexa network in the southern region.
With experience across mass, premium and near luxury segments, Malu’s appointment signals Hyundai’s intent to treat Genesis not just as another launch, but as a carefully curated luxury play. As the brand prepares to enter the Indian market, all eyes will be on how this new captain steers the flagship.
Brands
Dabur buys minority stake in Ras Beauty for Rs 60 crore
Dabur Ventures deal backs fast-growing luxury skincare brand
MUMBAI: Dabur India Limited has dipped into the world of luxury skincare, signing a definitive agreement to acquire a minority stake in Ras Beauty Private Limited for Rs 60 crore. The investment marks the first bet from Dabur Ventures, the FMCG major’s Rs 500 crore platform set up in October 2025 to back high-potential, new-age direct-to-consumer brands.
Founded in Raipur by Shubhika Jain, her sister Suramya Jain and their mother Sangeeta Jain, Ras Beauty has grown from a family-led passion project into a fast-scaling “Farm-to-Face” skincare label. Its range of face elixirs, serums and moisturisers blends essential oils with nature-derived actives, striking a balance between botanical purity and laboratory precision.
The numbers tell their own story. Ras has clocked a three-year Cagr of around 75 per cent and an annual run rate of approximately Rs 100 crore, all while maintaining strong gross margins. That growth has been fuelled by a digital-first approach, in-house R&D and manufacturing, and a sharp focus on clean, sustainable sourcing.
Dabur India executive director and group head corporate strategy Abhinav Dhall, said the company was drawn to Ras’s distinct positioning at the intersection of nature, science and luxury. He added that the premium beauty segment is poised for robust expansion over the coming decade, and that Ras is well placed to capture that opportunity.
For Ras, the partnership is as much about scale as it is about shared philosophy. Co-founder and CEO Shubhika Jain said Dabur’s 141-year legacy of building trusted, purpose-led brands makes it a natural ally. The capital infusion, she noted, will help accelerate the brand’s omnichannel footprint, deepen research capabilities and invest in team and brand building, with an eye on establishing Ras as a leading Indian luxury skincare name both domestically and overseas.
With this move, Dabur is not just investing in a skincare label. It is placing an early wager on India’s growing appetite for premium, conscious beauty, and signalling that heritage FMCG players are ready to play in the new-age D2C arena.
