MAM
Ajay Khurana takes the wheel at ECL Finance to drive MSME lending shift
MUMBAI: ECL Finance has just swapped gears in its leadership engine. As of 1 April 2025, Ajay K. Khurana officially took charge as managing director, armed with four decades of no-nonsense banking muscle and a mandate to turbocharge the company’s pivot to MSME lending. Following the Reserve Bank of India’s nod, ECL has pulled the trigger on a leadership move that blends governance grit with digital flair.
Khurana isn’t just another pinstripe suit in a boardroom. With heavyweight stints at Bank of Baroda, Syndicate Bank and Vijaya Bank, he’s been elbows-deep in consumer banking, risk management and digital transformation. He’s also no stranger to shaping the financial plumbing of the country, having served on boards like NPCI and Indo Zambia Bank, and chaired Baroda Global Shared Services and Baroda Sun Technologies to push tech-led banking upgrades.
ECL Finance is currently steering its strategy away from its old-school wholesale roots. Over the last five years, the company slashed its wholesale lending book by a staggering 85 per cent and trimmed its debt by 80 per cent, opting instead for a leaner, cleaner, retail-focused model. Now, it’s going all-in on asset-light MSME lending, betting on agility over bulk.
With Khurana at the helm, the game plan is clear: scale sustainably, innovate boldly, and bring some digital dazzle to the often-boring world of finance. And given his track record, it looks like ECL Finance may finally be ready to play offence rather than just defence.
MAM
Deepraj Hegde joins Publicis Groupe as SVP, strategic solutions
Data-led marketer takes on growth mandate, blending analytics and creativity
MUMBAI: Deepraj Hegde has joined Publicis Groupe as senior vice president, strategic solutions, marking a return to the fast lane after a brief career break.
In his new role, Hegde will be tasked with driving strategic growth, sharpening data-driven marketing capabilities, and deepening client partnerships across the organisation. His mandate centres on blending analytics, consumer insight and digital innovation to deliver measurable business outcomes in an increasingly competitive landscape.
“Thrilled to join Publicis Groupe as senior vice president, strategic solutions. Looking forward to working with brilliant people as we turn data, creativity, and strategy into measurable outcomes. Let’s make great work together,” Hegde said in a statement.
Hegde brings over a decade of experience across data, analytics and digital strategy. Most recently, he served as chief strategy officer at Ethinos, where he led strategic frameworks to drive client acquisition and revenue growth, while also building proprietary tools such as a brand positioning study and a digital asset valuator. He also represented the company at industry forums hosted by Google and Meta.
Prior to that, he was head of customer success and consumer insights at Ethinos, and earlier spent over six years at MediaCom, where he worked across roles including senior business director and business director, insights and analytics. There, he focused on social intelligence, business intelligence solutions and data-led campaign optimisation.
His career also includes stints at Everymedia Technologies as VP strategy and analytics, and at Hansa Cequity, where he handled analytics, campaign strategy and client delivery for major accounts. He began his journey in business intelligence roles at Hungama and Robust Designs.
With a career rooted in data but shaped by creativity, Hegde’s move signals Publicis Groupe’s continued push to fuse insight with impact as brands chase sharper, faster and more accountable marketing outcomes.
