MAM
Shifali Singh named Forever New India head
Retail star threads fresh energy into premium brand’s Indian chapter.
MUMBAI: In a move that’s been tailor-made for the times, Forever New has just zipped Shifali Singh into the top spot as country director for India because when your brand is all about timeless style, you want someone who can stitch the future together without missing a beat.
With more than 20 years of retail royalty under her belt, Singh is no stranger to turning fashion dreams into serious business. She’s the same force who repositioned Ritu Kumar into a luxury powerhouse at Reliance Brands, supercharged BIBA’s omni-channel game, and co-founded over 70 international brand tie-ups at Myntra-Jabong, giving the platform its global swagger. Throw in her earlier stints scaling Marks & Spencer and United Colors of Benetton India, and you’ve got a leader who knows how to make stores sing, clicks convert, and customers come back for more.
Her mission now? To supercharge Forever New’s omni-channel world, crank up the consumer love, weave digital even deeper into the fabric, and keep that signature premium polish shining brighter than ever in a market that never sits still.
The handover comes with a classy twist, Dhruv Bogra, who’s steered the ship since 2019, is stepping back from day-to-day duties but staying firmly in the picture as Advisor to the Board. His seven years of building the brand from strength to strength will keep guiding the team from the wings.
Bogra put it best, “I am delighted to pass the baton of Forever New India to the experienced and proven hands of Shifali Singh. She has had an illustrious and outstanding track record of great leadership in the fashion space and is well poised to take Forever New to newer heights. I will miss my incredible and highly gifted colleagues who have charted the admirable course of the brand over the last seven years.”
Singh, who first fell for the label as a customer, couldn’t hide her excitement, “My association with Forever New began as a customer, where I developed a deep appreciation for its refined aesthetic and elevated design philosophy. As I step into this leadership role, that connection deepens my commitment to the brand. Forever New holds a distinctive premium positioning in India, and my focus will be on building a future-ready, consumer-centric omni-channel business that seamlessly bridges retail and digital, while driving strategic, long-term growth.”
So next time you’re browsing that perfect dress or crisp shirt, remember behind the elegance is a brand that just got itself a seriously stylish new leader. Forever New? Looks like it’s about to feel even more forever fresh.
Brands
MakeMyTrip partners with OpenAI to boost AI-powered travel planning
Conversational AI now guides travellers from inspiration straight to booking
GURUGRAM: MakeMyTrip, India’s leading online travel company, has teamed up with OpenAI to bring a fresh twist to AI-driven travel planning. The collaboration integrates OpenAI’s APIs into MakeMyTrip’s app, making it easier than ever for travellers to move from chatting about dream trips to booking them.
The move centres around MakeMyTrip’s Myra interface, a GenAI trip planning assistant that now handles over 50,000 conversations a day in languages ranging from English and Hindi to Tamil, Telugu and Bengali. Myra helps travellers explore options, create itineraries and book flights, hotels and extras without the usual hassle of searching and filtering.
MakeMyTrip co-founder and group CEO Rajesh Magow said, “With OpenAI, we turn curiosity into confident decisions. When travellers start their journey through conversation, MakeMyTrip becomes a seamless extension of that discovery process. AI combined with our travel data makes it possible to deliver personalised, bookable options at scale.”
OpenAI managing director- international Oliver Jay added, “MakeMyTrip is showing how AI can make travel planning feel more like a conversation than a chore. Advanced AI isn’t just about back-end efficiencies, it’s about transforming the way travellers experience and engage with the platform.”
MakeMyTrip has long invested in AI across the travel lifecycle, from inspiration and discovery to booking and post-sales support. Nearly half of Myra’s queries now come from tier-2 and smaller cities, and voice interactions are booming outside metros, making AI travel assistance more accessible than ever.
With this partnership, MakeMyTrip is not just keeping up with AI trends, it’s aiming to lead the way, turning every traveller’s whim into a smooth, bookable adventure.
