Brands
Jio Platforms Limited appoints Dan Bailey as president to drive its international business
London-based telecom veteran joins the executive committee, and will report to Akash Ambani
MUMBAI: India’s digital disruptor is sharpening its global claws. Jio Platforms Limited has appointed Dan Bailey as president to drive its international business, signalling that the next leg of its growth story will be written well beyond Indian shores.
Based in London, Bailey will report to Akash Ambani, chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, and take a seat on Jio Platforms’ executive committee. His mandate: translate Jio’s domestic dominance into global heft.
Announcing the appointment, Akash Ambani said: “We are delighted to welcome Dan to Jio. Dan has been a trusted advisor to us for many years, and his counsel has been invaluable as we have grown and evolved.”
He added: “He has spent his career at the centre of the global telecom and technology ecosystem and brings deep relationships, strategic insights, and a strong understanding of the industry’s complexity. Just as importantly, he shares our ambition and energy for what lies ahead. I look forward to working closely with him.”
Bailey brings more than 35 years of experience across consulting and investment banking. He has held senior leadership roles at Schroders/Citi, Morgan Stanley and HSBC, and most recently served as chairman of Deutsche Bank’s TMT practice. Over the decades, he has advised some of the world’s largest corporates and financial sponsors on transformative transactions, including several of the most consequential telecom deals in history.
On taking up the role, Bailey said: “I have long admired what Jio has built in India — the scale, the speed, and the genuine impact on people’s lives. The chance to help take that story global is the kind of opportunity you don’t think twice about. I am delighted to be joining Akash and the team and cannot wait to get started.”
The move follows signals from Jio Platforms’ most recent annual general meeting that its next chapter lies beyond India. Over the past decade, Jio has built digital platforms and technologies that have reshaped connectivity and access for over a billion people. Armed with a defined roadmap, strong partnerships and hard-won scale, it is now preparing to export that playbook to global markets.
If India was the proving ground, the world is now the arena.
Brands
Malaika Arora launches accessories brand Maejoy
The Bollywood star’s lifestyle brand, built with Myntra and Exceed Entertainment, promises aspirational fashion without the high price tag
MUMBAI: Malaika Arora is not the first Bollywood star to put her name on a brand, and she will not be the last. But Maejoy, the accessories label she has launched in partnership with Myntra Jabong India Private Limited (MJIPL) and talent outfit Exceed Entertainment, at least has a sharper pitch than most. The brand drops with 250-plus styles spanning handbags and lab-grown diamond jewellery, two categories that sit squarely in the sweet spot between aspiration and affordability, and lands on Myntra’s platform from day one, putting it in front of millions of shoppers without breaking a sweat.
The handbag range covers the full gamut: crossbody bags, structured shoulder bags, bucket bags, totes, workwear classics, backpacks and clutches, rendered in synthetic leather, raffia, braids, satin, rhinestone and metallic finishes. The jewellery line runs to rings, earrings, pendants, bracelets and tennis bracelets in silver, gold and rose-gold tones, set in 925 sterling silver with IGI and GCI certified lab-grown diamonds. The brand’s guiding philosophy, “The Joy of Being Me,” stakes its claim on individuality and self-expression; its three brand pillars, Authentic, Empowering, Accessible, are the usual suspects, though the lab-grown diamond bet is savvier than it sounds. Lab-grown stones now sell at a fraction of the price of mined ones, and the category is growing fast in India as younger buyers wise up to the arbitrage.
“Maejoy is a labour of love. Throughout my career, whether on screen, in business, or through my personal style, I’ve championed the idea that fashion should be empowering yet effortless. The brand aims to democratise global fashion trends while offering women something that extends the feeling of luxury every day, be it a lab-grown diamond or a perfectly crafted handbag,” said Malaika Arora, founder of Maejoy
MJIPL, the B2B wholesale arm of Myntra, is putting its design and brand-building muscle behind the venture. Suman Saha, chief experience officer and head of house of brands at MJIPL, was bullish on the tie-up.
“Maejoy brings together Malaika Arora’s distinctive style perspective with a strong proposition in the accessible yet elevated accessories space. We believe the brand’s fashion-forward designs and thoughtful positioning will connect strongly with discerning consumers.”
Suman Saha, chief experience officer, head of house of brands, MJIPL
Afsar Zaidi, chief executive of Exceed Entertainment, the talent management firm that helped broker the deal, has worked with MJIPL before and was characteristically direct about what makes Arora an unusually bankable partner.
“Building celebrity-led brands requires a delicate balance of authenticity and market viability. Malaika is a rare talent who commands equal respect as a fashion icon and a savvy businesswoman. We are proud to facilitate this partnership that brings together her creative clout and Myntra’s brand-building excellence,” said Zaidi
Celebrity fashion brands live or die on one question: does the star actually wear it, or is the cheque the only thing they signed? Arora, who has spent three decades as one of Bollywood’s most-watched style references, has at least built a plausible case. Maejoy is live now on www.myntra.com and the Myntra app. The real test, whether shoppers buy the handbag or just the hype, starts today.
