Brands
MRF Tyres launches Biking community for passionate bikers
MUMBAI: Leading Indian Tyre manufacturer MRF Tyres on Friday announced the launch of a one of a kind riding community ‘Ride Along with MRF.’
During the ICC Cricket World T20, MRF launched an initiative to add Thrill to the lives of two-wheeler owners across India. With over three lakh riders participating, it was a highly successful campaign. It also gave MRF an insight into the latent needs of bikers across India. So MRF decided to cater to these needs and fuel the passion of the riders.
This fan run portal launched by MRF aims at making group riding a more accepted phenomenon. Two-wheeler owners across India have the passion for riding, but most feel that it is a very daunting task. MRF aims at not only catering to the rising need but also making ‘going on rides’ a safe, enjoyable activity that any two wheeler owner can set out to do. The idea is to create a place where a rider, with any bike or biking experience, can come and fuel his/her passion for riding.
Additionally, MRF will also galvanise fellow riders to join the monthly ‘Ride for a Cause’ promoting a social cause or celebrating an occasion. These will be special rides which aim to raise awareness about cause across India.
Commenting on the eve of the launch of this unique initiative, MRF Tyres marketing- EVP Koshy Varghese said, “Most biking communities in India are for hard-core bikers. They are either started by Bike Brands or a set of enthusiastic riders of a particular kind of bike. Our vision is to get every bike owner in India to explore India on two-wheels. All they need is a passion for riding. So we have created a platform that helps organise and plan weekend trips that anyone can do. We want 3 or 4 friends with bikes to set simply out on rides, armed with information, support and fun ideas while being fully prepared and safe. And above all, we want to create ride stories for everyone to remember and share with their friends and family.“
While the community will start off with MRF Ride Ambassadors in 9 cities across India namely – Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Pune, Nagpur, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Dharmashala.
Some of the key features of the community are – find exclusive Ride ideas, curate ride stories across the country for the larger public, meet and network with fellow bikers, etc.
Brands
UltraTech Cement appoints Jayant Dua as managing director
Dua will succeed K. C. Jhanwar after his term ends in December 2026
MUMBAI: UltraTech Cement, the flagship cement arm of the Aditya Birla Group, has elevated Jayant Dua as managing director, effective 1 April, 2026.
The company’s board also approved his appointment as additional director, managing director and key managerial personnel, effective 1 January, 2027, following the completion of the current managing director K C Jhanwar’s term on 31 December, 2026, according to a regulatory filing.
Dua will serve as managing director for a four-year term from 1 January, 2027 to 31 December, 2030.
A veteran executive with more than 37 years of professional experience, Dua joined the Aditya Birla Group’s cement business in 1996 and spent nearly a decade in various functional and leadership roles.
Over the past two decades, he has held several profit-and-loss and chief executive responsibilities across multiple group businesses, including insulators, insurance, Century Cement and the chlor-alkali segment. In 2023, he was elevated to lead the group’s renewables and textiles businesses.
Within the group, Dua has received several internal honours, including the chairman’s individual award for exceptional contribution in 2002, the outstanding leader award in 2009 and the leader of leaders recognition in 2022.
He holds an engineering degree from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, an MBA from International Management Institute and has completed the advanced management programme at Harvard Business School.
