Brands
BKT Named Official Tyre Partner of Six Nations Rugby
MUMBAI: There are companies which are better known globally because of their association with sports. Amongst them is: BKT or Balkrishna Tyres.
The Six Nations Rugby has announced a long-term partnership with BKT, a global leader in off-highway tyre manufacturing. The agreement designates BKT as the official tyre partner for both the Guinness Men’s and Women’s Six Nations Championships, commencing with the 2025 tournaments.
BKT, founded by Mahabir Prasad Poddar, makes a range of tyres and has been a sponsor of several sports events like Curling Canada (Title sponsor), Euroleague Basketball, United Rugby Championship, Monster Jam, Big Bash, Ligue2 BKT, Serie BKT, and LaLiga. It has been associated with some of these events for more than 10 years on a global basis.
The partnership with Six Nations Rugby kicked off with the Guinness Men’s Six Nations on 31 January 2025, and will be followed by the Women’s Six Nations on 22 March. BKT will also introduce a new award to recognise rising stars in international rugby, reflecting its commitment to fostering future talent in the sport.
The Six Nations Rugby CEO Tom Harrison expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration: “The Six Nations is rugby’s most loved annual competition. We are thrilled to welcome BKT as a partner and look forward to working closely with them to enhance the experience for fans and players alike.”
BKT Europe managing director Lucia Salmaso highlighted the alignment between rugby and BKT’s values: “Rugby embodies teamwork, physicality, fair play, and loyalty — values we hold dear. This partnership allows us to support both the prestigious Championships and the next generation of rugby talent.”
BKT, known for its extensive range of tyres for sectors including agriculture, construction, and mining, continues to strengthen its presence in the world of sports. The new partnership underscores its ambition to contribute to the growth of rugby on a global scale.
Brands
Boeing appoints Barun as head of FP&A for global engineering function
Seasoned finance leader to steer budgets and strategy across global centres
BENGALURU: Boeing’s finance cockpit has a new pilot, and he is no stranger to turbulence or transformation. Boeing has appointed Barun as head of FP&A for global engineering, placing him at the centre of financial strategy for its worldwide engineering and technology operations.
Based in Bengaluru, Barun steps into a role that is as expansive as it is critical. He will serve as the primary finance lead for Boeing’s Engineering and Technology Centers globally, working closely with executive leadership to shape financial decisions, manage complex budgets, and design scalable finance processes that support the company’s growing engineering footprint.
In a note announcing his move Barun said, “I’m excited to share that I’ve joined Boeing Global Engineering. This opportunity is incredibly meaningful to me not just from a professional standpoint, but also for what Boeing represents globally.” He added that he looks forward to contributing to an organisation that continues to shape the future of aerospace and innovation.
Barun’s mandate spans strategic financial leadership, operational oversight, and stakeholder engagement. From directing large-scale budgets and schedules to influencing long-term organisational goals, the role blends financial discipline with business foresight. He will also lead cross-functional teams and partner with finance colleagues worldwide to support engineering programmes across geographies, including India.
The appointment caps a long stint at Juniper Networks, where Barun spent over a decade, most recently as finance senior manager. There, he led FP&A for global product business units and G&A functions, driving budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning. He also played a key role in enterprise-wide transformation, including spearheading an Oracle to SAP ERP migration and building advanced analytics capabilities using tools such as Tableau and SAP Analytics Cloud.
His earlier career includes finance leadership roles at Sony India Software Centre, Cognizant Technology Solutions, and Mphasis, where he focused on financial planning, governance frameworks, and operational efficiency across global delivery centres.
A chartered accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Barun brings nearly two decades of experience across financial planning, digital transformation, and analytics-led decision making.
His appointment comes at a time when global engineering operations are becoming increasingly complex and distributed, requiring sharper financial oversight and agile planning. With Barun at the helm of FP&A for engineering, Boeing appears to be tightening its financial playbook as it looks to scale innovation with discipline.
