MAM
Sahara India asked to file reply in two weeks on SEBI Ad case
NEW DELHI: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has asked Sahara India and Subrata Roy Sahara to file within two weeks its reply to the public interest litigation alleging that a full page advertisement dated 17 March 2013 by Sahara India Parivar alleged to be against the provisions of law.
Justice Uma Nath Singh and Justice Dr Satish Chandra passed the order on the PIL filed by IPS officer Amitabh Thakur and social activist Nutan Thakur which says that a private person and a private organisation have openly denigrated and accused Sebi, which is a statutory body established to safeguard the interests of investors and to act as the market regulator.
The ad has also allegedly criticised Justice B N Agarwal’s conduct while both Sebi and Justice Agarwal are only performing their official duty. The matter is still sub-judice before the Supreme Court and hence these people could have presented their grievance there.
This act of criticising Sebi through an ad prima-facie is alleged to be a criminal misconduct under sections 186 and 189 IPC and provisions of Companies Act 1956.
The petitioners’ counsel Ashok Pande sought a complete ban on all advertisements where any constitutional or statutory body is criticised. He also asked for enquiry into the issue and necessary subsequent legal actions against Sahara India Parivar and Subrata Roy.
Brands
Mars appoints Manish Syag as managing director for pet nutrition in India
FMCG veteran takes charge as managing director amid booming $2 billion market opportunity
DELHI: Mars Incorporated has elevated Manish Syag to managing director of its pet nutrition business in India, betting on two decades of FMCG expertise to capture a market poised for explosive growth.
Syag, who brings senior leadership experience from Hindustan Unilever and GSK Consumer Healthcare, joined Mars in 2024 as chief sales officer. He succeeds Salil Murthy, who has been promoted to global vice-president of enterprise transformation at Mars Pet Nutrition and will be based at the company’s London headquarters.
The appointment comes as India’s pet care market stands at what Syag calls “a defining moment”. The sector is projected to double to $7 billion in sales by 2028, up from $3.5 billion last year, according to Redseer Strategy Consultants. The number of pets in Indian households rose to 32 million in 2024 from 26 million in 2019.
“India is at a defining moment for the pet food market, which is expected to grow into a $2 billion category in a decade, evolving much as mainstream FMCG did in its early growth years, driven by access, awareness and trust,” Syag said.
Mars, which makes Pedigree, Whiskas and Sheba pet food brands, has been in India since 2002 and set up its first manufacturing facility five years later. The parent company’s other brands in chocolate and snacks include M&M’s, Snickers, Pringles and Cheez-It.
Large players in India’s pet care space include Mars, Nestlé, Heads Up For Tails and Drools. Reliance entered the category late last year, signalling growing corporate interest in a market that’s barely scratched the surface. With India’s rising pet ownership and premiumisation trends, the battle for bowls is only just beginning.
