MAM
Amrita Thapar named as CMO for Microsoft India
MUMBAI: Microsoft Corporation (India) has named Amrita Thapar as the new chief marketing officer (CMO). Thapar’s LinkedIn profile confirms her taking over the new role for the tech giant in January.
Thapar also headed India Communications at Amazon Web Services (AWS) before moving on to her new role.
Erstwhile India’s chief marketing officer, Hitu Chawla has joined into a new role at Microsoft, sources told Indiantelevision.com, while declining to disclose any further details.
Chawla has served 16 years at the American multinational technology corporation. Having started as a marketing & communications manager in 2006 and rose through the ranks to become a senior director (Partner Go-To-Market strategy) of the organisation in the US in 2017, before taking on the mantle of CMO at Microsoft India in May 2020.
A marketing and communications professional with nearly 25 years of experience, Thapar has worked at companies spanning broadcast television, media strategy, and professional services both big tech giants in India and globally. She also has worked in television programming, corporate strategy and sales before pivoting to marketing and communications.
Previously, Thapar served as vice president of marketing and communications at Genpact in a stint lasting over thirteen years. She has also worked in corporate strategy at The Times of India Group and served as a television producer at NDTV. She has reported and produced shows including ‘Night Out’, ‘Jeena isi ka naam hai’, ‘Moneywise’ and ‘IT: India Tomorrow’ at NDTV. She was also a member of the core response team for COVID-19 at Genpact in 2020 and AWS in 2021.
Armed with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Lady Shri Ram College at Delhi, Thapar lists her areas of expertise as brand storytelling, content and digital operations, mergers & acquisitions (M&A), reputation management, virtual collaboration, thought leadership, to name a few, to deliver business growth objectives.
Brands
Hard Rock kitchen appliances to enter India through EBG Group
Coffee machines and gadgets set to tap Rs 29,000 crore market
MUMBAI: EBG Group has partnered with Hard Rock International to bring a new range of Hard Rock branded coffee machines and small kitchen appliances to Indian consumers, marking the global brand’s entry into the country’s premium home appliance segment.
The partnership will see EBG Group design, develop, manufacture and distribute the appliances under a licensing agreement. The collaboration is backed by a planned investment of Rs 100 crore and is targeting revenue of Rs 500 crore over the next five years.
The companies are looking to tap into India’s fast growing premium home appliance market, estimated at around Rs 29,000 crore and expanding at an annual growth rate of about nine per cent. Their aim is to capture roughly five per cent market share in the coming years.
Globally, Hard Rock has built a strong presence across hospitality, entertainment, retail and lifestyle merchandise. The new venture extends the brand’s music inspired identity into everyday household products, bringing its distinctive design language to modern kitchens.
EBG Group founder and chief executive officer Irfan Khan said the collaboration blends brand appeal with product performance. “Hard Rock represents energy, authenticity and a globally aspirational lifestyle. Through this partnership we aim to introduce a differentiated portfolio of premium coffee machines and kitchen appliances that combine design, reliability and strong brand experience,” he said.
The upcoming product range will pair Hard Rock’s bold aesthetics with high performance technology and premium materials. The first phase of the launch will focus on key metropolitan markets, followed by expansion into other major cities.
Products will be available through leading retail chains, major e commerce platforms and select premium distribution channels, targeting urban consumers looking for appliances that deliver both performance and lifestyle appeal.
