MAM
Kalyan Jewellers CMD honoured at 44th IAA World Congress
MUMBAI: Kalyan Jewellers founder chairman and managing director TS Kalyanaraman has been honoured with a special award at the 44th IAA World Congress being held in Kochi. The award bestowed by the International Advertising Association recognises the contribution of Kalyanaraman in building Kalyan Jewellers as a global endearing brand and taking it from a regional brand in Kerala to a national and international brand.
Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan who is also the national brand ambassador for Kalyan Jewellers graced the occasion to bestow the award to Kalyanaraman.
Receiving the award, Kalyanaraman said, “It is an honour to receive this award recognising Kalyan Jewellers excellence in marketing communication. I would like to dedicate the award to our customers without whose support we could not have reached the stage we are at today! As we grew from a single store in Kerala to other states in India as well as abroad, the evolution from a local to a global brand was on a foundation of the core value of trust, and it is this trust that has resonated with our customers. While maintaining a consistent messaging, the brand communication has always focused on the customer in each region, with tastes and choices specific to the local culture. I believe it is this approach that has led us to succeed in markets as varied as the country we live in, as well as in markets abroad.”
The award recognises the brand’s hyperlocal approach to advertising that is crafted specifically for the customer in each region. With brand ambassadors belonging to the states, taking the brand closer to the audiences and connecting in each region has been particularly successful. Regional celebrities like Nagarjuna, Prabhu, Shivraj Kumar and Manju Warrier, each with their unique fan following, enables the brand to build a strong bond with existing and potential customers. Of course, Amitabh Bachchan as the national brand ambassador is a strong push for the brand in the minds of the customers across the country.
MUMBAI: In India’s fast-moving payments race, Visa has just swiped in a new leader. The company has named Suresh Sethi as its India country head, marking a key leadership shift as it sharpens its focus on digital payments growth in the market. Sethi steps into the role following his recent exit from Protean eGov Technologies, where he served as chief executive officer. He succeeds Sandeep Ghosh, who has moved on after more than four years at Visa to pursue an external opportunity.
The appointment comes at a time when Visa is doubling down on its expansion strategy across India and the wider region, deepening partnerships and accelerating adoption in an increasingly competitive digital payments ecosystem.
Sethi brings with him a broad, cross-market perspective shaped by decades of experience across corporate banking, retail financial services, mobile money and large-scale government technology initiatives. He began his career at Citigroup, where he spent 14 years working across India, Africa, South America and the United States, focusing on transaction banking services within the corporate bank.
His appointment signals a blend of institutional experience and market familiarity qualities that could prove critical as Visa navigates a landscape where fintech innovation, regulatory evolution and consumer adoption are all accelerating at once.
As digital payments in India continue to scale rapidly, the leadership change underscores a simple reality, in a market where every tap, scan and swipe counts, who leads the charge can matter just as much as the technology itself.
