MAM
Get your read on: ITC Hotels’ latest perk for guests
NEW DELHI: Keeping in view the new normal of today's times, ITC Hotels and select Welcome Hotels have enabled contactless ‘smart reading zones’ in association with Magzter. The guests will now have unlimited free access to 5,000+ popular magazines and newspapers on the Magzter app. ITC Hotels’ guests can enjoy reading the magazines and newspapers on their mobile devices while they are anywhere inside the hotel premises – whether it is the room, the restaurants, the conference hall, the lobby, or the spa. This facility can be accessed by anyone entering the property, including in-house guests, customers of other services, visitors and employees.
These magazines and newspapers also spread across 60+ widely spoken languages including English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati and Spanish. Some of the popular titles that can be read for free in these smart reading zones include The Times of India, Hindustan Times, Business Standard, The New Indian Express, India Today, Filmfare, Cosmopolitan, Forbes India, National Geographic Magazine, Lonely Planet Magazine India, and Tinkle.
ITC Hotels COO Anil Chadha stated, “We have pioneered sustainable practices in hospitality. The association with Magzter is a one-of-its-kind offering by ITC Hotels. It caters to people of all age groups and with diverse interests. While businessmen can stay updated with leading business magazines and newspapers, family travellers can relax by binge-reading popular fashion, lifestyle and entertainment magazines. Kids are sure to love reading their favourite comics in an exciting digital format too.”
Magzter Inc CEO Girish Ramdas stated, “We always strive to provide solutions to real-world problems with our product and innovative ideas. During these unprecedented times, we’re immensely pleased to partner with ITC Hotels and turn all their properties into smart reading zones. We firmly believe that guests will love indulging in unlimited reading on the Magzter app even as they enjoy the world-class hospitality of ITC Hotels.”
Brands
Muthoot FinCorp names Arun Kumar COO & Harjit Singh Takkar chief distribution officer
Leadership hires to boost operations and widen pan-India reach
THIRUVANANTHPURAM: Muthoot FinCorp has strengthened its top deck with the appointment of Arun Kumar B as chief operating officer and Harjit Singh Takkar as chief distribution officer, sharpening its focus on scale, speed and service as it pushes into its next phase of growth.
The flagship financial services arm of the 138-year-old Muthoot Pappachan Group, popularly known as Muthoot Blue, is expanding both muscle and mindset. With more than 3,750 branches nationwide and its digital platform, the Muthoot FinCorp ONE app, the company is betting on tighter execution and wider reach to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive lending market.
Arun Kumar B steps in with nearly two decades of experience cutting across financial services, technology transformation and customer analytics. He previously worked with CreditAccess Grameen, where he led enterprise-wide technology and data strategy initiatives and played a pivotal role during a major merger in the microfinance space. His work spanned integrating operations and products while scaling lending and non-credit offerings such as insurance and pensions.
At Muthoot FinCorp, Arun will steer operational excellence and strategic growth initiatives, aligning teams and processes to deliver sharper efficiency across the business. A gold medallist from Anna University and a postgraduate from IIM Indore, he also holds certifications in design thinking, Blue Ocean Strategy and business analytics.
Harjit Singh Takkar takes on the newly created role of chief distribution officer, reporting directly to the chief executive officer. The position is designed to energise the company’s distribution engine and bring greater governance and agility across its branch network.
Takkar brings over 28 years of retail banking experience, having held senior leadership roles at IndusInd Bank, Bandhan Bank, Yes Bank and ICICI Bank. Known for scaling branch networks and building high-performing teams, he combines distribution expertise with governance depth as a qualified company secretary with a master’s degree in finance and control.
In his new role, Takkar will oversee branch business and distribution channels, with a clear brief to expand reach, lift productivity and reinforce the company’s pan-India presence.
Commenting on the appointments, Muthoot FinCorp Ltd. chief executive officer Shaji Varghese, said the company continues to invest in leadership as it scales. “Our purpose is to improve the financial well-being of the common man. As we grow, strengthening leadership across key functions is important to ensure consistency in execution and customer experience,” he said.
With complementary strengths in operations and distribution now in place, Muthoot FinCorp appears set to move from steady expansion to sharper acceleration, backed by people, process and technology working in concert.
