MAM
Kajal Malik to head Sakal’s brand solutions cell
MUMBAI: Sakal Media Group has roped in Kajal Malik to head its brand solutions cell.
Malik moves from Lintas Media Group where she headed the planning business of ITC foods.
Says Sakal Media Group MD Abhijit Pawar, “I believe Kajal with her expertise and ability will bring to life multiple opportunities for brands to engage with consumers in Maharashtra. Sakal is a credible paper and the association will deliver sustainable value for the brand. Sakal in the last 2 years has become the fastest growing Marathi paper. We would like Sakal to be a bridge between brands and consumers in Maharashtra.”
Adds business head LS Krishnan, “Sakal Media Group have unique platforms to tap various TG be it kids, women,and youth to the other end of rural spectrum with “Agrowon” (the only agricultural daily in the country). We feel the potential has been hitherto underutilized by brands and therefore the decision to set up “Brand Solutions Cell” which would clearly understand the brand task and then create media opportunities from within the Sakal media group offering and at times beyond.”
In her career spanning over 18 years Malik has been involved in strategic planning, media buying of various brand and media researches spanning across varied categories including FMCGs (ITC, Nestle, Dabur, Hamdard), consumer durables, automobiles and telecom among others.
Says Malik, “Today‘s fragmented market is driving most advertisers to find customized solutions to connect best with their consumers. This drive serves as an exciting opportunity to create brand window beyond the obvious. Sakal with its multimedia offering is a great platform to deliver in one of the most critical market – Maharashtra. It bring forth a creative media solution for various advertisers which I always enjoy being part of.”
Brands
Dabur buys minority stake in Ras Beauty for Rs 60 crore
Dabur Ventures deal backs fast-growing luxury skincare brand
MUMBAI: Dabur India Limited has dipped into the world of luxury skincare, signing a definitive agreement to acquire a minority stake in Ras Beauty Private Limited for Rs 60 crore. The investment marks the first bet from Dabur Ventures, the FMCG major’s Rs 500 crore platform set up in October 2025 to back high-potential, new-age direct-to-consumer brands.
Founded in Raipur by Shubhika Jain, her sister Suramya Jain and their mother Sangeeta Jain, Ras Beauty has grown from a family-led passion project into a fast-scaling “Farm-to-Face” skincare label. Its range of face elixirs, serums and moisturisers blends essential oils with nature-derived actives, striking a balance between botanical purity and laboratory precision.
The numbers tell their own story. Ras has clocked a three-year Cagr of around 75 per cent and an annual run rate of approximately Rs 100 crore, all while maintaining strong gross margins. That growth has been fuelled by a digital-first approach, in-house R&D and manufacturing, and a sharp focus on clean, sustainable sourcing.
Dabur India executive director and group head corporate strategy Abhinav Dhall, said the company was drawn to Ras’s distinct positioning at the intersection of nature, science and luxury. He added that the premium beauty segment is poised for robust expansion over the coming decade, and that Ras is well placed to capture that opportunity.
For Ras, the partnership is as much about scale as it is about shared philosophy. Co-founder and CEO Shubhika Jain said Dabur’s 141-year legacy of building trusted, purpose-led brands makes it a natural ally. The capital infusion, she noted, will help accelerate the brand’s omnichannel footprint, deepen research capabilities and invest in team and brand building, with an eye on establishing Ras as a leading Indian luxury skincare name both domestically and overseas.
With this move, Dabur is not just investing in a skincare label. It is placing an early wager on India’s growing appetite for premium, conscious beauty, and signalling that heritage FMCG players are ready to play in the new-age D2C arena.
