MAM
Manoj Nair takes off as marketing director, India & subcontinent, at Saudi Tourism Authority
MUMBAI: Manoj Nair has been appointed marketing director for India and the subcontinent at the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA), marking a pivotal move in STA’s push to deepen its footprint across one of its fastest-growing outbound travel markets.
Nair was previously CEO of Sartha Global Marketing and Mileage Communications, where he represented marquee tourism boards including Brand USA, Visit California, Hong Kong Tourism Board, and TripAdvisor. With over 20 years of experience in the travel and tourism sector, his career has spanned brand-building, customer-centric innovation, and business growth.
Before his CEO innings, Nair led marketing at FCM Travel Solutions, the Indian arm of Flight Centre Travel Group, where he helped sharpen the brand’s edge in a crowded marketplace. His earlier stints with Thomas Cook and Kuoni further cemented his reputation as a marketer with a sharp global lens and local nuance.
A recipient of the Most Influential Marketing Leader title from the World Marketing Congress, Nair holds degrees from Mumbai University, IIM Kolkata, and an international MBA from Marketing Week London. He has also advised IIM Sirmaur, India’s only IIM offering a tourism-focused MBA programme.
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Brands
Rajiv Bajaj quits Bajaj Finance board ahead of July AGM
The managing director of Bajaj Auto will step down as a non-executive director of the private lender, ending a long association with the company
Rajiv Bajaj is clearing his desk at Bajaj Finance. The managing director of Bajaj Auto has told the private lender that he will not seek re-election at its annual general meeting scheduled for July 30, 2026, bringing to a close a board tenure that spanned one of the most eventful chapters in Indian consumer finance.
According to a regulatory filing, Bajaj will cease to be a non-executive director of the company upon completion of the AGM. The board of directors, taking note of his departure at its meeting on Wednesday, placed on record its appreciation for his long association and contribution to the company.
The exit is notable. Bajaj is not merely a board name at Bajaj Finance. He has been part of the broader Bajaj group for over three decades, cutting his teeth across manufacturing, supply chain, research and development, engineering and marketing before rising to lead Bajaj Auto. He also holds directorships across several Bajaj group companies, including Bajaj Holdings and Investment Ltd, Bajaj Auto Credit Ltd, Bajaj Auto Technology Ltd, Bajaj Sevashram Pvt Ltd, Kamalnayan Investment and Trading Pvt Ltd and Rupa Equities Pvt Ltd, among others.
Bajaj holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pune and a master’s degree in manufacturing systems engineering from the University of Warwick, and has been credited with steering Bajaj Auto’s global operations through years of aggressive expansion.
His departure from the Bajaj Finance board narrows his formal footprint in the financial services arm of the group, even as he remains the public face of its automotive engine. Whether it signals a broader consolidation of roles within the conglomerate or simply a tidying of board responsibilities, the group has not said.
Bajaj Finance, one of India’s most closely watched non-banking financial companies, will now need to fill the chair he leaves behind. That, at least, should not take long.
