Brands
MRUC adds Andhra Pradesh data to IRS Q3 2019 report
MUMBAI: Media Research Users Council (MRUC) on Monday released an updated report of Indian Readership Survey (IRS) for the third quarter of 2019 that includes data from Andhra Pradesh too. The quarter three report was already published on 27 December 2019 sans Andhra Pradesh’s data in the view of the sample short.
The report mentioned that Andhra Pradesh has sustained its level at 16 per cent in Q3, same as that in Q2 2019, in the category 'To Understand and Read the English Language Content', whereas it had marginally increased in Q1.
With respect to total readership and average issue readership, Andhra Pradesh reported a decreased performance at 26 per cent and 11.1 per cent respectively in Q3 against 28 per cent and 12.5 per cent in quarter two of 2019.
Since the southern state’s data was yet to incorporate in the Q3 report, the industry had to refrain from the comparative analysis and from publishing their all India numbers/rankings.
The IRS 2019 Q3 report is rolling average of the last quarter of 2017 and subsequent three quarters of (Q1+Q2+Q3) of 2019. The fieldwork covers between August 2019 and November 2019.
The report earlier had also failed to add the fieldwork data from Jammu and Kashmir affected because of administrative and political developments in the region.
The IRS Q3 report includes data of all India ranking for dallies, magazines and radio stations.
Brands
Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail reshuffles top deck; Nikhil Modha to take over as CFO
Phased transition sees Marco Agnolin head OWND!, Nikhil Modha lined up as CFO as company readies next growth leg
MUMBAI: Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail is redrawing its leadership map, lining up a new generation of executives across key roles as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
The company has named Suraj Bahirwani as chief executive (designate) of Pantaloons, effective April 1, 2026, with a full transition to the top role slated for October 1, 2026. He will also be designated as senior managerial personnel.
A two-decade veteran of the Aditya Birla Group, Bahirwani joined as a group management trainee in 2002 and has since held a string of leadership roles across retail and manufacturing. His resume spans stints at Aditya Birla Retail, a tenure as chief operating officer of Pantaloons, and most recently, head of global sales at the group’s cellulosic fibres business, where he drove international expansion and strengthened value-added portfolios.
Academically, he holds a PhD from the University of Mumbai, a postgraduate management diploma from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, and is a chartered accountant. Over the years, he has picked up multiple chairman’s awards, including distinguished achiever, exceptional contributor and accomplished leader.
The transition at Pantaloons will be staged. Incumbent chief executive Sangeeta Tanwani will continue until September 30, 2026, steering the handover before moving into an advisory role to the managing director from October 1, 2026. She is set to retire on January 31, 2027, at which point she will step down as whole-time director and key managerial personnel.
Alongside, the company has brought in Marco Agnolin as chief executive of OWND! and senior managerial personnel, effective April 6, 2026. Agnolin arrives with over three decades of global experience, having held senior roles at Inditex, where he helped expand Zara in Italy, and later served as chief executive of Bershka and Diesel. His track record spans fast fashion, brand turnarounds and youth-focused retail.
On the finance side, Nikhil Modha has been appointed chief financial officer (designate) and senior managerial personnel from April 1, 2026. He will assume full charge as chief financial officer and key managerial personnel from January 1, 2027.
Current chief financial officer Jagdish Bajaj will oversee a phased transition until December 31, 2026, before retiring and stepping down from his roles.
The reshuffle signals a calibrated succession plan rather than a sudden overhaul, with the company staggering exits and appointments to ensure continuity even as it refreshes leadership across verticals.
As Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail juggles legacy brands and new-age formats, the message is clear: steady hands for the present, sharper ones for the future—and no pause in the push for scale.
