MAM
Raymond Lifestyle appoints Kalpana Singh as CMO
20-year HUL veteran to lead marketing and brand growth from 5 March 2026.
MUMBAI: Raymond Lifestyle just stitched a marketing masterstroke because when your profits are feeling the pinch, you bring in someone who knows how to make brands irresistible. Raymond Lifestyle Limited has appointed Kalpana Singh as chief marketing officer (CMO), effective 5 March 2026. She will report to the CEO and join the senior management team, leading marketing strategy, brand development and customer engagement across the company’s fashion and lifestyle portfolio.
Singh brings 20 years of experience in brand building, consumer insights and category strategy, largely from Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL). Most recently she served as marketing director at HUL, driving integrated campaigns to strengthen brand positioning and customer engagement. Her earlier roles at HUL included Personal Care Business Group Director for the Middle East, Turkey and North Africa region, and Brand Development Director for the Middle East, North Africa, Russia and Turkey. She holds a Master of Arts in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University.
The appointment arrives as Raymond Lifestyle navigates a challenging quarter. Consolidated net profit fell 33 per cent year-on-year to Rs 42.86 crore in Q3 FY26 (from Rs 64 crore in Q3 FY25) and dropped 44 per cent sequentially from Rs 75 crore in Q2 FY26. The company cited headwinds in its international business, particularly garmenting and B2B exports, due to higher US tariffs causing deferred orders and margin pressure.
The company is focusing on brand repositioning, innovation in marketing and deeper consumer connections to support growth in India’s fashion and lifestyle market.
In an industry where every thread counts, Raymond Lifestyle isn’t just adding a CMO, it’s weaving fresh vision into the fabric, hoping the right marketing stitch turns the tide one campaign at a time.
MAM
McDonald’s India CBO Arvind RP exits after seven years
The chief business officer exits after a stint that took him from marketing to leading South India operations.
MUMBAI: Arvind RP is out. The chief business officer of McDonald’s India has stepped down from the fast-food giant after more than seven years, and is currently serving out his notice period.
It is a significant exit. Arvind joined McDonald’s India in 2019 as director of marketing and communications, a fairly conventional brief, but steadily accumulated responsibilities until he was running the profit and loss for the company’s entire South India operation, with store operations, new outlet development, marketing, human resources and training all falling under his remit.
In a LinkedIn post, he was characteristically warm about his time there. “Looking back, many of the moments that stand out in my career aren’t just about outcomes or milestones; they’re about the incredible people who were part of the journey,” he wrote, adding that he had been “lucky to be surrounded by fantastic team members.”
Before McDonald’s, Arvind spent six years at skincare chain Kaya, where he led marketing and analytics, overseeing brand-building, product innovation and digital and customer relationship management. His career spans a remarkable sweep of Indian industry: retail at Levi Strauss & Co, consumer goods at Britannia Industries, and automobiles at TVS Motor Company, where he also took an international posting in Jakarta.
With 25 years of experience across quick-service restaurants, beauty, fashion and FMCG, Arvind will not be short of takers. The only question is who moves first.
