Brands
Banaja Samal appointed head visual merchandiser at Skechers South Asia
Former Puma executive to lead retail presentation and in-store experience
MUMBAI: Skechers South Asia Pvt. Ltd. has appointed Banaja Samal as head visual merchandiser, strengthening its focus on in-store storytelling and retail presentation across the region.
In her new role, Samal will lead the visual merchandising strategy and execution for Skechers’ South Asia operations. She will focus on enhancing the in-store brand experience while ensuring consistent retail presentation across the company’s growing network of stores.
Samal brings more than a decade of experience in retail design and visual merchandising across leading fashion and lifestyle brands. She joins Skechers after an eight-year stint at Puma Group, where she most recently served as visual merchandise manager.
During her time at Puma, she also worked as visual merchandiser and LFR concept manager, and earlier as assistant manager overseeing visual merchandising for regions including Karnataka and Mumbai.
Prior to this, Samal worked with Blackberrys Menswear as a visual merchandiser, managing multiple eastern markets including Kolkata, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. She also served as a concept designer at StudioJ, developing window displays and in-store concepts for various brands.
Samal began her career as a textile designer with Universal Textile Mills and Jaipuria Silk Mills, gaining early experience in surface techniques, prints and design development.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in design from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, India.
Brands
Hyundai launches updated Ioniq 5 with 84 kWh battery, 690 km range
Priced at Rs 55.7 lakh, adds design, tech and safety upgrades.
MUMBAI: Charge it up, stretch it out, Hyundai’s latest electric upgrade is going the distance, quite literally. Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has introduced an updated version of its Ioniq 5, packing in a larger 84.0 kWh battery that delivers a claimed range of up to 690 km (ARAI-certified), marking a significant leap in everyday usability for its flagship electric SUV.
Built on Hyundai’s Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), the refreshed IONIQ 5 aims to balance performance with practicality, reducing range anxiety while making long-distance electric travel more viable. The upgrade builds on a model that has already secured global recognition, including the World Car of the Year title.
The changes aren’t just under the skin. On the outside, the SUV gets a sharper, more futuristic look with redesigned front and rear bumpers, new skid plates, sporty alloy wheels, a revised rear spoiler and updated V-garnish lighting, all while retaining its signature Parametric Pixel design.
Inside, Hyundai has focused on making the experience more intuitive. The cabin now features a redesigned three-spoke steering wheel with illuminated pixel elements, dual 12.3-inch displays, and a reworked wireless charging pad integrated with physical controls for seat functions small tweaks that aim to improve day-to-day usability.
On the tech front, the IONIQ 5 gets Hyundai’s Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC), Controller Over-the-Air (C-OTA) updates, and now supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. New additions such as Active Sound Design and in-car payment integration for EV charging reflect a push towards a more seamless, connected ownership experience. Remote immobilisation via Bluelink has also been introduced as an added security layer.
Safety sees incremental upgrades too, with features like Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist (Rear) and side parking distance warnings enhancing manoeuvrability in tight urban spaces.
The updated IONIQ 5 is available in four colour options Gravity Gold Matte, Midnight Black Pearl, Titan Grey and Optic White with an Obsidian Black interior theme.
Priced at Rs 55.7 lakh (ex-showroom), the new IONIQ 5 positions itself as a more rounded offering, less about futuristic promise, and more about making electric mobility fit seamlessly into everyday life.
