MAM
SMG elevates Sriram Sharma to VP South ops
MUMBAI: Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) has promoted Sriram Sharma to the post of SMG South India VP. He will take over as the head of the Chennai operations in addition to the Bangalore office and will continue reporting in to SMG India CEO Mallikarjunadas CR.
Meanwhile, SMG has also announced appointment of GV Sudha as Starcom and VivaKi Exchange Chennai business director. She will lead all businesses in Chennai and will report in to Sharma.
Sudha comes to SMG after a two year stint with Madison. She has 14 years of experience in media and has worked with organisations like Lodestar UM, Ogilvy & Mather and Lintas.
Mallikarjunadas said, “Sriram’s track record with us speaks volumes of his talent and capabilities. We are sure he will lead the southern offices successfully. As for Sudha, we are extremely happy to welcome her to the SMG family. Her experience in media will surely accelerate the growth of SMG in Chennai.”
Sharma added, “I am honoured to be given this opportunity to lead SMG in the South. My experience till now has been fabulous and I look forward to the new responsibilities.”
MAM
Beacon Group appoints Dr Rajesh Patel as Group CEO
36-year healthcare veteran to lead Beacon Diagnostics, Vector Biotek, Biogeny.
MUMBAI: A new chief, a fresh diagnosis and a sharper prescription for growth. Beacon Group has appointed Dr Rajesh Patel as its Group Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1, 2026, signalling a decisive push to scale its presence in the diagnostics and IVD space. Patel steps into the role with 36 years of experience across the healthcare and diagnostics industry, bringing a career shaped by leadership roles spanning sales, marketing, business development and operational strategy. His mandate is both expansive and precise: to steer the group’s overall strategic direction while tightening coordination across its three core entities Beacon Diagnostics, Vector Biotek and Biogeny Diagnostics.
In practical terms, that means driving cross-company synergies, accelerating market expansion and strengthening organisational capability areas increasingly critical as diagnostic players compete for scale in a fragmented yet rapidly evolving healthcare ecosystem. The group is positioning itself to capture unmet demand across chain laboratories, key accounts and standalone labs, segments that remain underserved despite growing diagnostic needs.
The appointment comes at a time when the In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) sector in India is entering a more competitive and innovation-led phase, with companies focusing not just on product pipelines but also on service delivery, integration and customer-centric models. Beacon’s leadership appears to be betting that Patel’s execution-focused approach can help translate ambition into operational momentum.
Welcoming the appointment, Chairman Dr D K Joshi described Patel’s induction as a strategic move aligned with the group’s long-term vision, emphasising the role of leadership depth in navigating the next phase of growth.
For Beacon Group, the message is clear, in a sector where precision matters, leadership is the new differentiator—and this appointment is intended to set the tone for what comes next.
