Brands
Roger Federer shifts from Nike to Uniqlo
MUMBAI: International tennis icon Roger Federer has ended his 20-year association with Nike. Federer has now become the brand ambassador of Japanese outfit company, Uniqlo.
Neither Uniqlo, Federer or Nike had made any previous announcement about the deal and it was only during the Wimbledon match on Monday where he was seen without the Nike swoosh on his bandana and the RF logo on his jacket that the change was revealed.
In a statement issued on Monday, Uniqlo CEO Tadashi Yanai said, “Our partnership will be about innovation on and off court.”
Having Federer on board will boost Uniqlo’s global expansion plan, especially in Europe where the company is said to open new stores. The clothing company already has a strong presence in China, but may face challenge in markets where Zara, H&M and more are already established.
The winner of 20 grand slam titles, Roger Federer will represent the brand at all tennis tournaments for a year. According to ESPN, the tennis champion will earn $300 million from the deal over a period of 10 years.
In the past, Uniqlo endorsed 12-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic for a period of five years. Djokovic however moved away from the brand and signed Lacoste in 2017.
Federer signed his first contract with Nike in 1994 and continues to wear Nike shoes, as Uniqlo doesn’t make athletic footwear.
Brands
UltraTech Cement appoints Jayant Dua as managing director
Dua will succeed K. C. Jhanwar after his term ends in December 2026
MUMBAI: UltraTech Cement, the flagship cement arm of the Aditya Birla Group, has elevated Jayant Dua as managing director, effective 1 April, 2026.
The company’s board also approved his appointment as additional director, managing director and key managerial personnel, effective 1 January, 2027, following the completion of the current managing director K C Jhanwar’s term on 31 December, 2026, according to a regulatory filing.
Dua will serve as managing director for a four-year term from 1 January, 2027 to 31 December, 2030.
A veteran executive with more than 37 years of professional experience, Dua joined the Aditya Birla Group’s cement business in 1996 and spent nearly a decade in various functional and leadership roles.
Over the past two decades, he has held several profit-and-loss and chief executive responsibilities across multiple group businesses, including insulators, insurance, Century Cement and the chlor-alkali segment. In 2023, he was elevated to lead the group’s renewables and textiles businesses.
Within the group, Dua has received several internal honours, including the chairman’s individual award for exceptional contribution in 2002, the outstanding leader award in 2009 and the leader of leaders recognition in 2022.
He holds an engineering degree from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, an MBA from International Management Institute and has completed the advanced management programme at Harvard Business School.
