MAM
Britannia paints a new picture with CEO Rakshit Hargave
MUMBAI: From paints to pastries, Rakshit Hargave is making a colourful career move. The outgoing CEO of Birla Opus Paints is set to take the helm at Britannia Industries as executive director and chief executive officer, beginning December 15, 2025.
The appointment marks one of the FMCG sector’s most talked-about leadership transitions this year. Britannia’s board approved Hargave’s induction as an additional whole-time director and CEO for a five-year term, subject to shareholder approval. He will report directly to managing director and chairman of Britannia Industries Varun Berry.
On the same day, Grasim Industries, the parent company of Birla Opus Paints, confirmed that Hargave had resigned from his role, effective December 5.
Grasim praised Hargave’s four-year stint, noting his instrumental role in transforming Birla Opus from blueprint to brand. Under his leadership, the company set up six integrated manufacturing facilities and built a robust distribution and supply chain network across India.
Hargave joined the Aditya Birla Group in 2021, leading Birla Opus through its ambitious entry into the competitive paints market. His move to Britannia now positions him at the centre of another storied Indian brand, one balancing legacy with innovation in an increasingly crowded FMCG landscape.
As Britannia eyes new categories and deeper market penetration, Hargave’s appointment signals a fresh layer of leadership ready to add both colour and consistency to the brand’s growth story.
MAM
Beacon Group appoints Dr Rajesh Patel as Group CEO
36-year healthcare veteran to lead Beacon Diagnostics, Vector Biotek, Biogeny.
MUMBAI: A new chief, a fresh diagnosis and a sharper prescription for growth. Beacon Group has appointed Dr Rajesh Patel as its Group Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1, 2026, signalling a decisive push to scale its presence in the diagnostics and IVD space. Patel steps into the role with 36 years of experience across the healthcare and diagnostics industry, bringing a career shaped by leadership roles spanning sales, marketing, business development and operational strategy. His mandate is both expansive and precise: to steer the group’s overall strategic direction while tightening coordination across its three core entities Beacon Diagnostics, Vector Biotek and Biogeny Diagnostics.
In practical terms, that means driving cross-company synergies, accelerating market expansion and strengthening organisational capability areas increasingly critical as diagnostic players compete for scale in a fragmented yet rapidly evolving healthcare ecosystem. The group is positioning itself to capture unmet demand across chain laboratories, key accounts and standalone labs, segments that remain underserved despite growing diagnostic needs.
The appointment comes at a time when the In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) sector in India is entering a more competitive and innovation-led phase, with companies focusing not just on product pipelines but also on service delivery, integration and customer-centric models. Beacon’s leadership appears to be betting that Patel’s execution-focused approach can help translate ambition into operational momentum.
Welcoming the appointment, Chairman Dr D K Joshi described Patel’s induction as a strategic move aligned with the group’s long-term vision, emphasising the role of leadership depth in navigating the next phase of growth.
For Beacon Group, the message is clear, in a sector where precision matters, leadership is the new differentiator—and this appointment is intended to set the tone for what comes next.
