Brands
Sachin Tendulkar’s JV partnership with Arvind Fashions launches brand True Blue
New Delhi: Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has joined Arvind Fashion Brands Ltd in a joint venture partnership to launch premium apparel and accessories brand for men’s wear called True Blue. The growing menswear category has been a strong decision maker to launch the brand. True Blue will launch 25-30 stores across India and plans to target a turnover of Rs 200 crore in the next 5 years.
The apparel range designed and led by Sachin’s persona will showcase 300 styles inspired from the heart of India and is priced at Rs 1,199 onwards. The brand will see its first offline store launch in May 2016 in Mumbai.
At the announcement today, Arvind Fashion Brands Limited CEO Rajiv Mehta said, “Arvind is already known to be a dominating and leading retail giant in the business of brands. The retail industry and the overall sentiment towards homegrown brands are very strong. Our expertise combined with Sachin’s unmatched love for anything Indian boosted our decision and that brought into play this significant joint venture partnership”.
He further added “Built and launched with a vision to become one of India’s most iconic and admired brands, True Blue is an independent strong brand targeted towards the modern Indian consumer segment, creating a long-term brand equity value. Our apparel aims to dip into every Indian sentiment and it has something to offer to everyone who loves anything Indian with that modern touch to it. We believe the brand has all the right ingredients for its success.”
At the launch of his first ever fashion brand, Sachin Tendulkar added “The thought of crafting something highly iconic and that every Indian can talk to has been on my mind for a long time. When Arvind Fashion Brands shared this vision with me, there was a real synergy in our thoughts. Through our partnership, we will deliver an unmatched and never seen before range of clothing experiences that combine Indian elements with a modern artistic touch. You’ll see a lot of my own identity in the clothes and I hope you find it as inspiring as I did while creating True Blue!”
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
