MAM
Nestlé Munch launches IPL campaign
MUMBAI: One of India’s largest coated wafer brands, Nestlé Munch, strives to participate in the passion consumers have for music, movies and cricket by integrating it to the core of its communication.
In 2016, it was the Munch Macha campaign with Shruti Haasan as the brand ambassador along with the famous musical trio of Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy, followed by the mega thematic campaign with Baahubali 2 in 2017. This year, the brand is carrying out another category first by joining hands with three of the most popular T20 franchises–Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore–as the official crunch partner for IPL 2018.
To ‘crunch’ the T20 season, Nestlé Munch is launching a special campaign–Munch MyT20. Recognising the desire for today’s teens to express themselves and standout, the brand is giving out ‘attitude bands’ free with its Rs 10 packs. The attitude bands, designed in-house, are fashion accessories for both cricket and non-cricket enthusiasts. Available in seven designs, each band personifies a unique attitude and attempts to create a cool new lingo for teens to express themselves.
The Munch MyT20 TV commercial features Priya Prakash Varrier as the protagonist who gets “free ka attitude” with the MyT20 attitude bands.
Continuing with the trend of category-first initiatives, Nestlé Munch will be introducing a special Orange Spinner flavour variant celebrating India’s love for cricket. Priced at Rs 10, the new Munch Orange Spinner will hit the shelves in the middle of April pan-India.
Moreover, Munch is also launching a special Munch MyT20 MACHA box.
In a nation where music, movies and cricket lie in the hearts of millions, Nestlé Munch’s MyT20 campaign will ensure it continues to be loved as an exciting brand across the country.
Brands
Muthoot FinCorp names Arun Kumar COO & Harjit Singh Takkar chief distribution officer
Leadership hires to boost operations and widen pan-India reach
THIRUVANANTHPURAM: Muthoot FinCorp has strengthened its top deck with the appointment of Arun Kumar B as chief operating officer and Harjit Singh Takkar as chief distribution officer, sharpening its focus on scale, speed and service as it pushes into its next phase of growth.
The flagship financial services arm of the 138-year-old Muthoot Pappachan Group, popularly known as Muthoot Blue, is expanding both muscle and mindset. With more than 3,750 branches nationwide and its digital platform, the Muthoot FinCorp ONE app, the company is betting on tighter execution and wider reach to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive lending market.
Arun Kumar B steps in with nearly two decades of experience cutting across financial services, technology transformation and customer analytics. He previously worked with CreditAccess Grameen, where he led enterprise-wide technology and data strategy initiatives and played a pivotal role during a major merger in the microfinance space. His work spanned integrating operations and products while scaling lending and non-credit offerings such as insurance and pensions.
At Muthoot FinCorp, Arun will steer operational excellence and strategic growth initiatives, aligning teams and processes to deliver sharper efficiency across the business. A gold medallist from Anna University and a postgraduate from IIM Indore, he also holds certifications in design thinking, Blue Ocean Strategy and business analytics.
Harjit Singh Takkar takes on the newly created role of chief distribution officer, reporting directly to the chief executive officer. The position is designed to energise the company’s distribution engine and bring greater governance and agility across its branch network.
Takkar brings over 28 years of retail banking experience, having held senior leadership roles at IndusInd Bank, Bandhan Bank, Yes Bank and ICICI Bank. Known for scaling branch networks and building high-performing teams, he combines distribution expertise with governance depth as a qualified company secretary with a master’s degree in finance and control.
In his new role, Takkar will oversee branch business and distribution channels, with a clear brief to expand reach, lift productivity and reinforce the company’s pan-India presence.
Commenting on the appointments, Muthoot FinCorp Ltd. chief executive officer Shaji Varghese, said the company continues to invest in leadership as it scales. “Our purpose is to improve the financial well-being of the common man. As we grow, strengthening leadership across key functions is important to ensure consistency in execution and customer experience,” he said.
With complementary strengths in operations and distribution now in place, Muthoot FinCorp appears set to move from steady expansion to sharper acceleration, backed by people, process and technology working in concert.
