MAM
Kantar launches FMCG out of home consumer panel in India
Mumbai: Marketing data and analytics company Kantar has launched a FMCG panel that tracks out of home purchases in India. The panel has already been up and running across ten countries around the globe before finding its way to India in June 2022.
This in-depth panel will track and report purchases made for a total of 13 out of home (OOH) categories which include 11 F&B and two QSR categories. Within the QSR categories (pizzas and burgers) not only out of home, but in-home orders/consumption will also be captured.
The panel will cover 11,000 individuals aged between 15-49 years across both genders, covering NCCS A, B, and C amongst 10L+ population Indian towns.
The data will be captured in real time at the purchase occasion itself through a 100 per cent self-filling application. Since the consumer will fill the survey live, it will be actual purchases being recorded and not re-called ones. The reporting of the data will however be done at a monthly level to keep it in line with Kantar’s already existing and successful in-home panel. Eventually, the panel will be able to provide a 360-degree view of the consumer purchases- both from an in-home and OOH perspective.
Important key highlights from the inaugural leg: Firstly, the out of home chocolate market is worth Rs 1.1 billion with more than 40 per cent of the population buying in a quarter. The quantity purchased over a quarter of 370 grams is purchased per person. Secondly, two-third of individuals purchasing salty snacks consumed out of home opt for potato chips and lastly, chocolate and not vanilla is the dominant flavor consumers opt for ice creams, with 25 per cent volumes being contributed for out of home consumption.
Speaking on this launch, Kantar managing director – Worldpanel division K. Ramakrishnan said “We are very excited at the launch of India’s only robust FMCG OOH panel. This panel will collect consumer data in real time and provide extremely actionable insights to the FMCG companies who operate in India and help them make informed marketing decisions.”
MAM
Beacon Group appoints Dr Rajesh Patel as Group CEO
36-year healthcare veteran to lead Beacon Diagnostics, Vector Biotek, Biogeny.
MUMBAI: A new chief, a fresh diagnosis and a sharper prescription for growth. Beacon Group has appointed Dr Rajesh Patel as its Group Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1, 2026, signalling a decisive push to scale its presence in the diagnostics and IVD space. Patel steps into the role with 36 years of experience across the healthcare and diagnostics industry, bringing a career shaped by leadership roles spanning sales, marketing, business development and operational strategy. His mandate is both expansive and precise: to steer the group’s overall strategic direction while tightening coordination across its three core entities Beacon Diagnostics, Vector Biotek and Biogeny Diagnostics.
In practical terms, that means driving cross-company synergies, accelerating market expansion and strengthening organisational capability areas increasingly critical as diagnostic players compete for scale in a fragmented yet rapidly evolving healthcare ecosystem. The group is positioning itself to capture unmet demand across chain laboratories, key accounts and standalone labs, segments that remain underserved despite growing diagnostic needs.
The appointment comes at a time when the In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) sector in India is entering a more competitive and innovation-led phase, with companies focusing not just on product pipelines but also on service delivery, integration and customer-centric models. Beacon’s leadership appears to be betting that Patel’s execution-focused approach can help translate ambition into operational momentum.
Welcoming the appointment, Chairman Dr D K Joshi described Patel’s induction as a strategic move aligned with the group’s long-term vision, emphasising the role of leadership depth in navigating the next phase of growth.
For Beacon Group, the message is clear, in a sector where precision matters, leadership is the new differentiator—and this appointment is intended to set the tone for what comes next.
