Brands
Rising star soars to Dove at Unilever
MUMBAI: Prerna Gursahani has slathered herself in corporate success, landing the coveted role of global brand manager for Dove at consumer goods behemoth Hindustan Unilever.
After three years of keeping skin supple as global assistant brand manager for Vaseline, Gursahani has been promoted to oversee the company’s flagship beauty brand, which has made its name championing real beauty and body positivity.
The polished executive is no stranger to Unilever’s corridors of power. Her relationship with the Anglo-Dutch giant began in 2013 when she cut her teeth as a brand assistant in the company’s laundry category, focusing on water and “disruptive innovation”—presumably more than just adding an extra rinse cycle.
Following a brief dalliance with the brewing industry at White Owl Brewery and a stint as account manager at advertising agency J. Walter Thompson Worldwide, Gursahani returned to Hindustan Unilever in 2019 as assistant manager sustainability, before smoothly transitioning to the Vaseline team in 2022.
In addition to her corporate exploits, the ambitious brand whiz serves as an ambassador for One Young World, having initially joined as a delegate in 2020. The global forum for young leaders evidently spotted her potential early on.
Commenting on her LinkedIn page, Gursahani gushed that she was “thrilled” about her new appointment, adding that she was “excited to be part of a brand that champions real beauty and strives to create a world where everyone feels seen, valued, and confident”—a sentiment that will surely wash well with Dove’s marketing ethos.
Brands
Trump announces $300bn Texas oil refinery with Reliance, calls it the biggest in US history
First new US refinery in 50 years planned at Brownsville port with Reliance
WASHINGTON: The United States may soon see the first brand-new oil refinery built on its soil in half a century.
Donald Trump announced a proposed $300 billion refinery project in Texas, calling it a landmark moment for American energy production and jobs.
Posting on Truth Social on 10 March, Trump said the facility would be built at the Port of Brownsville and developed by a company called America First Refining, with major investment from India’s Reliance Industries.
The announcement frames the project as a centrepiece of the administration’s push for “energy dominance”, with Trump claiming it would deliver thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity to South Texas.
If realised, the plant would mark the first all-new major refinery constructed in the United States since the 1970s. In recent decades, oil companies have largely chosen to expand existing facilities rather than build new ones, citing high costs, regulatory hurdles and environmental scrutiny.
Trump described the proposed investment as the “biggest in US history”, positioning it as proof that policy changes such as streamlined permits and lower taxes are drawing large-scale energy investments back into the country.
The refinery is planned for the Port of Brownsville, a strategic Gulf Coast location that provides easy access to shipping routes and export markets.
A key partner in the project is Reliance Industries, controlled by billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani. The company already runs the world’s largest refining complex in Jamnagar, India, making it one of the most experienced operators in large-scale petroleum processing.
The Texas venture would mark a significant step for the group into America’s domestic refining sector, potentially strengthening industrial ties between the US and India.
The proposed refinery is being promoted as a next-generation facility capable of processing American shale oil while maintaining high environmental standards. Trump said it would be “the cleanest refinery in the world”, although the specific technologies behind that claim have not yet been detailed.
Industry observers also note that the $300 billion figure is unusually large for a refinery project, and analysts are waiting for more clarity on whether the number reflects total construction costs, long-term infrastructure investment, or broader economic impact estimates.
As of 11 March, Reliance Industries had not publicly confirmed the investment size or the structure of its involvement.
For now, the announcement has sparked equal parts excitement and curiosity in energy markets. If the plan moves from promise to pouring concrete, the refinery could reshape the Gulf Coast energy landscape, and reopen a chapter in American refining that has been quiet for nearly fifty years.
