MAM
Orient Electric reasserts presence in smaller towns, rural areas
NEW DELHI: Orient Electric, part of the diversified $2.4 billion CK Birla Group, has expanded its fans range with new variants in line with robust demand coming in from tier-3 and 4 markets and rural parts of the country. The company has introduced two new fans – Summer Breeze Pro and Rapid Air – and has further plans to refresh an existing fan named Twister as well as augment the range in the base, economy and decorative segments in the coming months. The launch is part of the company’s plans to cash in on the positive rural sentiments to increase its fans market share in the next 12 months.
The uptick in demand for fans from smaller cities and villages is stemming from reverse migration, favourable monsoon, and the government’s fiscal stimulus measures, said Orient Electric VP Atul Jain.
“With increased buying power, India’s rural consumers are becoming more aspirational, looking for branded and high-quality products. In order to take advantage of the rapidly growing opportunity in rural India and to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage, we are working aggressively to ramp up our distribution network and make our fans available at most retail counters in tier-3, tier-4 and rural markets. We will continue to introduce new fans featuring advanced technologies and alluring designs catering to the rising aspirations of emerging rural Indian consumers,” he added.
The new models Summer Breeze Pro and Rapid Air are high-speed, value for money fans which come with a strong and durable motor, superior paint finish and stylish designs. These fans are available in different sweep sizes and colour options to suit different spaces and preferences.
Orient Electric has a well-organised distribution network reaching 1,25,000 retail outlets and a strong service network covering more than 450 cities. It currently holds close to 20 per cent market share in the organised fans sector and manufactures 10 million units per annum at its Faridabad and Kolkata plants.
MAM
Beacon Group appoints Dr Rajesh Patel as Group CEO
36-year healthcare veteran to lead Beacon Diagnostics, Vector Biotek, Biogeny.
MUMBAI: A new chief, a fresh diagnosis and a sharper prescription for growth. Beacon Group has appointed Dr Rajesh Patel as its Group Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1, 2026, signalling a decisive push to scale its presence in the diagnostics and IVD space. Patel steps into the role with 36 years of experience across the healthcare and diagnostics industry, bringing a career shaped by leadership roles spanning sales, marketing, business development and operational strategy. His mandate is both expansive and precise: to steer the group’s overall strategic direction while tightening coordination across its three core entities Beacon Diagnostics, Vector Biotek and Biogeny Diagnostics.
In practical terms, that means driving cross-company synergies, accelerating market expansion and strengthening organisational capability areas increasingly critical as diagnostic players compete for scale in a fragmented yet rapidly evolving healthcare ecosystem. The group is positioning itself to capture unmet demand across chain laboratories, key accounts and standalone labs, segments that remain underserved despite growing diagnostic needs.
The appointment comes at a time when the In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) sector in India is entering a more competitive and innovation-led phase, with companies focusing not just on product pipelines but also on service delivery, integration and customer-centric models. Beacon’s leadership appears to be betting that Patel’s execution-focused approach can help translate ambition into operational momentum.
Welcoming the appointment, Chairman Dr D K Joshi described Patel’s induction as a strategic move aligned with the group’s long-term vision, emphasising the role of leadership depth in navigating the next phase of growth.
For Beacon Group, the message is clear, in a sector where precision matters, leadership is the new differentiator—and this appointment is intended to set the tone for what comes next.
