MAM
PUMA India partners with Indian Olympic Association
Mumbai: Sports brand PUMA India has announced its partnership with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as their official footwear partner for the Indian contingent to the Paris Olympics and also launched a mega outdoor campaign to celebrate the champions of the game.
Over 100 Indian athletes, as part of this partnership, will receive podium and travel footwear, trolleys, backpacks, sippers, yoga mats, headbands, wristbands, socks and towels, designed to maximise their training and comfort during the 2024 Summer Olympics. To add, 45 out of the 100 plus Indian athletes across sporting disciplines comprise the PUMA contingent at the Paris Olympics, making the largest squad representing a brand in the country this year.
PUMA India MD Karthik Balagopalan shared his perspective on this collaboration and campaign launch, stating, “PUMA is dedicated to empowering athletes to surpass their limits and achieve their full potential. Through our partnership with the Indian Olympic Association, we will provide athletes with best in-class footwear and sports accessories, aiming to support their pursuit of excellence at the Paris Olympics. Additionally, we aim to bring to the fore and recognize the milestones achieved by athletes of our country through this campaign. I hope our efforts to celebrate our champions will not only inspire others to give their best but also encourage many young and aspiring athletes to take up Olympic sports in India.”
This strategic partnership with the IOA, the governing body of Olympics in India, not only affirms PUMA’s commitment to cultivating a vibrant sports culture but also serves as a catalyst for nurturing the growth, progress, and achievements of both current and upcoming generations of athletes in the country.
“Our partnership with PUMA is pivotal in our mission to elevate the capabilities of our athletes. Equipped with PUMA’s top-quality shoes and accessories, our athletes will be primed to compete at the highest level. The IOA is deeply committed to enhancing India’s medal prospects at the Paris Olympics, and such collaborations are a crucial step towards achieving that goal,” said Indian Olympic Association president and renowned former track-and-field athlete Dr PT Usha.
Titled “See the Game Like We Do”, PUMA India’s campaign celebrates double Olympic medalist PV Sindhu’s powerful smash, Olympic bronze medalist and hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh’s ability to stop the fastest balls with ease with a series of larger-than-life outdoor spectacles across Mumbai, as it shows Asian Games medalist Kishore Jena’s throw, equivalent to the height of a skyscraper. The campaign by PUMA comes to capture the attention of the country to the superhuman feats of our Indian contingent and their extraordinary dedication, igniting national pride as the athletes head to Paris to achieve the country’s highest glory.
1 PV Sindhu’s speed of a smash at 349 kmph is three times the speed of Mumbai’s iconic Central Line route. Her exemplary achievement is visualized across the coaches with imagery splashed across coaches of the local train on this route, starting today.
2 Kishore Jena’s best throw at 87.54 meters, equivalent to the height of a skyscraper, is commemorated by his towering image on the façade of a similar sized structure in Prabhadevi, Mumbai.
3 Hockey champ PR Sreejesh lightning-fast reflexes and the ability to stop the fastest balls with ease is about 0.15 seconds, which is quicker than a blink. This powerful parallel is illustrated on a digital billboard on the eastern express highway (EEH) serving the cities of Mumbai and Thane.
By drawing parallels between these record-breaking achievements and common everyday experiences, PUMA aims to inspire the country to take note of the Indian Olympic athletes’ relentless pursuit towards excellence and trailblazing accomplishments.
“PUMA is proud to be at the forefront when it comes to empowering Indian athletes and celebrating their achievements. This campaign honours the hard work and dedication of our champion players as we stand united in support of them while they take on the world stage. Together, let’s celebrate their journey to success,” said PUMA India associate director & head of marketing Shreya Sachdev.
Javelin champ and PUMA ambassador Kishore Jena said, “Support from the fans always plays a critical role for athletes in big tournaments, and it’s heartening to see a global brand like PUMA come forward with this amazing campaign to unite the whole nation, encouraging Indian athletes as we chase Olympic glory. I’m confident that high-quality footwear and sports accessories will help us to produce our best show in Paris, leaving no stone unturned.”
PUMA athletes such as Javelin champ Kishore Jena, professional sport shooter Sift Kaur Samra and equestrian Anush Agarwalla will be experiencing the same world-class gears that propelled legendary Olympics medalists in the past such as Usain Bolt, Merlene Ottey, Shericka Jackson, Heike Drechsler, and many others.
Professional sport shooter and Paris qualified Sift Kaur Samra said, “I understand that sports demand both physical and mental strength, especially at events like the Olympics where focus is crucial. Having world-class products gives confidence and positively influences performances. PUMA has been trusted by champion athletes worldwide, and I’m thrilled that they’re supporting Indian athletes’ Paris 2024 dream.”
PUMA has established associations with various sports teams, including renowned global and Indian football clubs such as Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Mumbai City FC, and Bengaluru FC, alongside IPL teams such as Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals. Additionally, the brand showcases a roster of distinguished brand ambassadors including cricket icon Virat Kohli, sprinting champion Usain Bolt, football star Neymar Jr, boxing champ MC Mary Kom and cricketers Harmanpreet Kaur and Mohammed Shami.
Brands
Boeing appoints Barun as head of FP&A for global engineering function
Seasoned finance leader to steer budgets and strategy across global centres
BENGALURU: Boeing’s finance cockpit has a new pilot, and he is no stranger to turbulence or transformation. Boeing has appointed Barun as head of FP&A for global engineering, placing him at the centre of financial strategy for its worldwide engineering and technology operations.
Based in Bengaluru, Barun steps into a role that is as expansive as it is critical. He will serve as the primary finance lead for Boeing’s Engineering and Technology Centers globally, working closely with executive leadership to shape financial decisions, manage complex budgets, and design scalable finance processes that support the company’s growing engineering footprint.
In a note announcing his move Barun said, “I’m excited to share that I’ve joined Boeing Global Engineering. This opportunity is incredibly meaningful to me not just from a professional standpoint, but also for what Boeing represents globally.” He added that he looks forward to contributing to an organisation that continues to shape the future of aerospace and innovation.
Barun’s mandate spans strategic financial leadership, operational oversight, and stakeholder engagement. From directing large-scale budgets and schedules to influencing long-term organisational goals, the role blends financial discipline with business foresight. He will also lead cross-functional teams and partner with finance colleagues worldwide to support engineering programmes across geographies, including India.
The appointment caps a long stint at Juniper Networks, where Barun spent over a decade, most recently as finance senior manager. There, he led FP&A for global product business units and G&A functions, driving budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning. He also played a key role in enterprise-wide transformation, including spearheading an Oracle to SAP ERP migration and building advanced analytics capabilities using tools such as Tableau and SAP Analytics Cloud.
His earlier career includes finance leadership roles at Sony India Software Centre, Cognizant Technology Solutions, and Mphasis, where he focused on financial planning, governance frameworks, and operational efficiency across global delivery centres.
A chartered accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Barun brings nearly two decades of experience across financial planning, digital transformation, and analytics-led decision making.
His appointment comes at a time when global engineering operations are becoming increasingly complex and distributed, requiring sharper financial oversight and agile planning. With Barun at the helm of FP&A for engineering, Boeing appears to be tightening its financial playbook as it looks to scale innovation with discipline.
