Brands
LT Foods signs Shah Rukh Khan to endorse Daawat rice
MUMBAI: It’s cooked up an endorsement agreement with the badshah of Indian cinema – Shah rukh Khan. As part of this, SRK will represent its premium basmati rice brand, Daawat. Sources told indiantelevision.com that the agreement is for three years, and is valued at about Rs 35 crore. No confirmation was coming from LT Foods or SRK’s management team.
The marriage is a match made in culinary heaven – one of Indian cinema’s finest actors and stars teaming up with one of the world’s finest basmati brands.
In true superstar fashion, Khan expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, declaring, “I’m delighted to join hands with aawat Their passion and commitment to excellence mirror my own, inspiring people to bring out their finest—be it in performances or on their plates.”
LT Foods’ managing director & CEO Ashwani Arora, was equally effusive, calling Daawat more than just a brand, but a purveyor of “moments of joy and togetherness.” With a flair for the theatrical, he added, “Shah Rukh Khan, being the finest global actor, embodies excellence—making him the ideal choice to represent Daawat. Together, we celebrate the art of bringing out your finest.”
LT Foods Ltd. is a global fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) powerhouse, specialising in high-quality rice and rice-based foods for over 70 years. With a presence in more than 80 countries, including India, the U.S., the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and beyond, LT Foods is on a mission to fill dinner tables—and stomachs—around the world.
Its flagship brands include Daawat a staple in Indian kitchens, and Royal, North America’s best-loved basmati brand. Not content with just ruling the rice world, LT Foods is also diving into the future of food, catering to millennials with organic offerings and supplying top businesses with high-quality ingredients.
With a revenue of around Rs. 7,822 crore as of FY’24, LT Foods has a ‘farm to fork’ approach, ensuring its rice travels in style—from well-entrenched distribution networks and automated processing units in India, the US, and Europe, to over 1,400 distributors worldwide.
Brands
HSBC names Gautam Anand to head global India private banking unit
The bank taps a 25-year veteran to run its franchise as the war for wealthy NRI clients heats up
MUMBAI: HSBC has handed Gautam Anand the keys to its global India private banking business, betting that a seasoned operator can squeeze more out of one of the world’s most lucrative pools of offshore wealth.
Anand, who joined HSBC Private Bank in December 2023 as global co-ordinator for Global India, the Middle East, North Africa and Europe, steps up to lead the franchise outright. He will run the operation across India and its key international outposts in Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Kingdom, putting him squarely in the middle of the corridors through which Indian money flows abroad.
The appointment is a signal of intent. HSBC only launched its global private banking business in India in 2023, pitching hard at high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients as part of a broader assault on Asian wealth management. The bank now wants Anand to turn that beachhead into a fortress.
He comes well-armed. Before HSBC, Anand clocked time at UBS, Credit Suisse, ANZ and ABN Amro, a CV that reads like a roll-call of the banks that have long competed to manage the fortunes of India’s affluent diaspora.
With Indian wealth exploding at home and spreading fast across global financial centres, the race to capture it is only getting fiercer. HSBC is backing Anand to make sure it does not finish second.
