MAM
BARC appoints Partho Dasgupta as CEO
Mumbai: It has been in the making for around three years now. But the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) – the Indian media sector‘s riposte to the government‘s irritation with ratings agency TAM – finally seems to be gathering some momentum. It today announced the appointment of Partho Dasgupta as its first chief executive officer.
The announcement was made by BARC chairman and Zee MD and CEO Punit Goenka. He said: “We are delighted to have Partho on 
board. BARC is moving ahead aggressively with its plans. Partho has an excellent background in leadership, in successful start-ups, in broadcast, in research, in consumer products and in other industries. He will help us put the organisation in place and roll out BARC’s services in a tight time frame.”
On his appointment Dasgupta said, “The foot is on the pedal – we have to just start accelerating. On a serious note, I am happy to do another start-up in broadcast and media. The Board is full of friends from the industry and I am looking forward to working with them and make BARC happen.”
A general management professional having experience in diverse consumer industries and media management experience in print, television and out of home.
A keen observer of consumer and media trends, Dasgupta is now in the leadership team of Educomp,an education company. His career has been in media and consumer industries where he did large and small startup media projects.
He also had an entrepreneurial stint where he cofounded a media company. He also advised media startups and venture firms and their invested companies on brand strategies earlier.
Dasgupta has led startup teams and management teams of Times Now, Future Media, The Economic Times and Times Multimedia.
IPG Mediabrands India CEO Shashi Sinha is the chairman of the technical committee of BARC.
BARC was officially launched in March 2012. It aims to set up a transparent and credible television audience measurement system in India, which is expected to give out its first report by March 2014.
It would be the umbrella body and television audience measurement service providers like TAM Media Research, a joint venture of Nielsen and Kantar, will function under it for the purpose of providing ratings.
BARC is 60 per cent owned by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) and 20 per cent each by the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA).
MAM
Raymond Lifestyle appoints Kalpana Singh as CMO
20-year HUL veteran to lead marketing and brand growth from 5 March 2026.
MUMBAI: Raymond Lifestyle just stitched a marketing masterstroke because when your profits are feeling the pinch, you bring in someone who knows how to make brands irresistible. Raymond Lifestyle Limited has appointed Kalpana Singh as chief marketing officer (CMO), effective 5 March 2026. She will report to the CEO and join the senior management team, leading marketing strategy, brand development and customer engagement across the company’s fashion and lifestyle portfolio.
Singh brings 20 years of experience in brand building, consumer insights and category strategy, largely from Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL). Most recently she served as marketing director at HUL, driving integrated campaigns to strengthen brand positioning and customer engagement. Her earlier roles at HUL included Personal Care Business Group Director for the Middle East, Turkey and North Africa region, and Brand Development Director for the Middle East, North Africa, Russia and Turkey. She holds a Master of Arts in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University.
The appointment arrives as Raymond Lifestyle navigates a challenging quarter. Consolidated net profit fell 33 per cent year-on-year to Rs 42.86 crore in Q3 FY26 (from Rs 64 crore in Q3 FY25) and dropped 44 per cent sequentially from Rs 75 crore in Q2 FY26. The company cited headwinds in its international business, particularly garmenting and B2B exports, due to higher US tariffs causing deferred orders and margin pressure.
The company is focusing on brand repositioning, innovation in marketing and deeper consumer connections to support growth in India’s fashion and lifestyle market.
In an industry where every thread counts, Raymond Lifestyle isn’t just adding a CMO, it’s weaving fresh vision into the fabric, hoping the right marketing stitch turns the tide one campaign at a time.
