Brands
Hard Rock International cuts ties with JSM Corporation, ending a decade of cafe operations across India
Ten locations from Bengaluru to Kolkata go dark after the American brand formally terminates its operator agreements — only the Goa hotel survives
FLORIDA: One of the most recognisable names in global hospitality has just gone dark across India. Hard Rock International has formally terminated its agreements with JSM Corporation Private Limited and related entities, stripping them of the right to operate all Hard Rock Cafes and Rock Shops in the country. Every last one of them.
The termination sweeps across ten locations: Hard Rock Cafe Bengaluru, Bengaluru International Airport, Bengaluru Whitefield, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Hyderabad Hitech City, Kolkata, New Delhi and Pune. That is the entire footprint of the brand’s cafe and retail operation in India, gone in one fell swoop.
JSM Corporation, the Mumbai-based hospitality group that brought the Hard Rock Cafe brand to India and built it into a ten-city operation over the years, has lost the lot. Hard Rock International has not disclosed the reasons for the termination, nor has JSM made any public statement.
One outpost escapes the carnage. The Hard Rock Hotel in Goa, which operates under a separate arrangement and is not connected to JSM, will remain open and continues to trade as normal.
For the thousands of regulars who have spent evenings amid the guitars and memorabilia at any of the ten shuttered venues, the brand’s exit from the cafe and retail segment marks an abrupt and unceremonious end. Hard Rock came to India with considerable fanfare. It is leaving considerably more quietly.
Brands
FSS names Anand Krishnamurthi head of global digital delivery
Tech veteran to drive AI-first, cloud-led transformation in payments globally
CHENNAI: Financial Software and Systems (FSS), an AI-first payment infrastructure company, has appointed Anand Krishnamurthi as head of global digital delivery.
In his new role, Anand Krishnamurthi will lead FSS’s global digital delivery capabilities, focusing on AI-first and cloud-led transformation while ensuring predictable, high-quality outcomes for customers worldwide. He will be based in Chennai and report to V. Balasubramanian, CEO of FSS.
Bringing 28 years of experience in technology and digital transformation across banking, capital markets, financial services, and insurance, Anand has held senior leadership positions at Cognizant and NuSummit. He is recognised for scaling multi-geography delivery teams, leading mission-critical platforms, and embedding AI-driven automation in complex, regulated environments.
“What drew me to FSS is its deep payments expertise, strong product DNA, and the scale at which its platforms power real-world financial ecosystems,” said Anand Krishnamurthi. “I aim to strengthen delivery predictability, execution rigor, and engineering quality, building empowered teams that deliver measurable customer outcomes. FSS has a unique opportunity to create real-time, AI-infused payments infrastructure that is resilient, secure, and globally scalable.”
V. Balasubramanian added, “Anand’s track record in leading multi-geography delivery programs and AI-first operating models makes him the ideal leader for FSS as we accelerate our AI-driven digital payments business. His leadership will help us raise the bar for outcomes globally.”
This appointment is part of FSS’s broader push to build an AI-powered, cloud-native delivery organisation capable of meeting the evolving needs of banks, fintechs, and financial institutions worldwide.
