Brands
Gupta gets the nod as P&G’s health care chief bows out
MUMBAI: Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care Ltd has announced a changing of the guard in its health care division, with Maithreyi Jagannathan stepping down as category leader effective December 31, 2025, to pursue other interests. Stepping into her shoes: Tushar Gupta, a P&G lifer with deep roots in the Vicks brand and a regional design pedigree.
Gupta, an IIM Calcutta alumnus and engineer from Manipal Institute of Technology, cut his teeth as a brand manager on Vicks India, where he built a reputation for sharp brand-building and consistent business results. After climbing the ranks domestically, he decamped to Singapore to lead design across Asia, the Middle East and Africa—a sprawling remit that saw him shape visual identity and packaging for some of the region’s most recognisable consumer brands.
Currently senior director for brand design and communication for Vicks and Zzzquil across Asia-Pacific, Gupta has spent his career mastering the dark arts of health care marketing: consumer insights, communication strategies, media investments and innovation launches. His CV reads like a greatest-hits compilation of P&G’s playbook—strengthening product superiority, elevating packaging, polishing digital assets and executing with military precision.
The handover takes effect on 1 January 2026, giving Gupta a clean slate to stamp his authority on India’s fiercely competitive health care market. It’s a category where brand loyalty runs deep, where cold and cough season can make or break a quarter, and where the ability to balance innovation with trusted heritage is worth its weight in mentholated gold.
For Jagannathan, it’s the end of a chapter. For Gupta, it’s the beginning of one—armed with a regional perspective, a design-led mindset and an intimate knowledge of the brand that remains P&G’s health care crown jewel in India.
The baton has been passed, the transition telegraphed. Now comes the hard part: keeping the Vicks vapour rising in a market that waits for no one.
Brands
RR Kabel expands FMEG portfolio with kitchen appliances and air coolers
Company forays into mixers, cooktops and hand blenders under RR Signature brand.
MUMBAI: RR Kabel has just cooked up something new and it’s not just another wire. The leading wires and cables manufacturer has announced a significant expansion of its Fast-Moving Electrical Goods (FMEG) portfolio by entering the kitchen appliances segment and strengthening its air coolers range under the premium RR Signature brand. The company has introduced Mixer Grinders, Electric Cooktops (both Induction and Infra-Red variants), and Hand Blenders. These products mark RR Kabel’s strategic foray into everyday kitchen essentials, allowing it to reach deeper into Indian households beyond traditional electrical categories.
The Induction and Infra-Red Cooktops are seeing particularly strong demand amid global developments affecting LPG pricing and supply. Consumers are increasingly shifting to electric cooking for its energy efficiency, precise control, and safety features. RR Signature is reinforcing its ‘Aapke Kaam Ki Baat’ promise with best-in-class warranties across the range.
The company also plans to introduce additional kitchen appliance categories in FY26-27. In parallel, it has expanded its Air Cooler portfolio with new Industrial (Semi-Commercial) models featuring higher tank capacities and superior air throw, catering to both commercial users and households seeking powerful cooling during intensifying summers.
RR Kabel executive director Mahhesh Kabra said, “Our expansion into kitchen appliances allows us to connect with consumers at more touchpoints in their daily lives, while our expanded air cooler range addresses the rising need for effective cooling solutions. These launches reflect our continued focus on quality, innovation, and market relevance.”
By stepping into kitchen appliances and enhancing its cooling solutions, RR Kabel is wiring itself more deeply into Indian homes proving that even a cables company knows how to heat things up in the kitchen and keep things cool elsewhere. The move positions the brand for broader growth as it evolves from wires to a more complete home solutions player.
