MAM
Outdoor industry bears brunt of rains
MUMBAI: The outdoor industry, an intrinsic element of Mumbai’s skyline, has also suffered the consequences of the rains that battered the city this past week.
Hoardings faced the full wrath of the hard-hitting rains and gusty winds.
Some of the campaigns that were affected: HDFC, Indian Express, Zee TV’s new show HouZee, Mukta Arts’ new movie Iqbal (directed by Nagesh Kukunoor) and Hindustan Times.
Some hoardings were damaged by the strong winds, some tore and some came off. Mobile hoarding vans, on the other hand, had to stay put at the place they were parked at on 26 June for as many as four days.
An official from Bright Advertising said that since there was no transport, there was a delay in collection of the flex and hence a delay in putting up hoardings. “The Indian Express hoarding that we put up last week split open and has been spoilt. Also, we had a lot of difficulty in putting up a 40×40 hoarding of Zee TV’s new show HouZee’s at the Bandra flyover. We somehow managed to put it up, but it came loose and we had to put it up all over again. HDFC’s hoardings in Andheri, Opera House and Santa Cruz were affected. Thankfully, the clients didn’t put pressure on us as they knew the gravity of the situation last week.”
Zenith Outdoor managing director Yash Gala said, “In South Mumbai we managed to change the on-going campaign of DNA during last week’s rains. There were a few hoardings of Hindustan Times that we managed to change. But overall, we did not have any vacant sites as all our sites were booked in advance. The new campaign of Indian Express was launched. No major campaign was affected as such. We faced some problems in Bandra Linking Road and Mahim Causeway. We weren’t working on Tuesday and Wednesday just like most others.”
M’cons Advertising assistant consultant (outdoor) Mohammed Reza informed that three of their hoarding vans were damaged. “However, the damage was not too grave. We had to change the oil of our three vehicles, which cost not more than Rs. 6000 – Rs. 8000. There was no serious technical damage to our vehicles.”
M’cons vans were repaired at the service center at Saki Naka (which was one of the worst affected areas). The water had affected the hydraulic system of the vans that prevented the lifting up of the displays. One van was stranded on the Bandra highway and the other two were near the airport.
The vehicles could not be moved for four days and the van drivers and other technicians had to work extra shifts.
The new HDFC campaign, which was supposed to be launched on 1 August was postponed by a day. “The client understood our problem and we have adequately compensated them because of the delay and also keeping in mind that we have to maintain a long term relationship with them,” said Reza.
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.
