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TCS takes off with Air New Zealand in AI-fuelled digital leap
MUMBAI: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has clinched a five-year deal with Air New Zealand to revamp the airline’s digital infrastructure, propelling it into the AI-powered future. The tie-up, inked at TCS’ Banyan Park campus in Mumbai, aims to supercharge customer experience, sharpen operational efficiency and make Air New Zealand the world’s most digitally advanced airline.
With the airline ferrying over 15 million passengers on 3,400 weekly flights, TCS will streamline digital services across 600-plus applications, injecting AI-driven automation and cloud muscle into fleet management, crew scheduling and ground services. Disruption management, cargo services, retail offerings and maintenance systems are also in for a tech overhaul.
The signing ceremony saw a heavyweight guest list, including New Zealand prime minister Christopher Luxon, Tata Group chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran and TCS chief executive K Krithivasan.
Foran called TCS an “instrumental partner” in Air New Zealand’s cargo digital transformation and digital retail expansion. “We’ve already seen results since teaming up in September 2024. The benefits this partnership will bring to our customers and the aviation sector are huge,” he said.
Krithivasan echoed the excitement: “With AI, automation and cloud tech, we’ll help Air New Zealand set new benchmarks in efficiency, sustainability and passenger engagement. This partnership is all about reimagining airline operations and unlocking new growth.”
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Sharon Pais appointed head of Myntra as Nandita Sinha exits Flipkart group
India’s largest fashion e-commerce platform has a new boss, and a reshuffle rippling across the group
BENGALURU: Myntra has a new leader. Sharon Pais, formerly chief business officer at Myntra and head of Flipkart Fashion, has been appointed head of Myntra effective April 13, succeeding Nandita Sinha, who is leaving the Flipkart group after nearly 13 years.
The change was confirmed in an internal memo from Kalyan Krishnamurthy, group chief executive of Flipkart. “Sharon Pais will lead Myntra and report to me, effective immediately. She has worked closely with the team over the years and understands the business well,” Krishnamurthy wrote. Sinha, who has led Myntra as chief executive since 2022, will stay on in an advisory capacity for the next few months to ensure continuity on key initiatives before her departure.
The reshuffle does not stop at Myntra. With Pais moving up, her former role heading Flipkart Fashion passes to Kapil Thirani, who until now ran the marketplace business. “Kapil Thirani will now lead Flipkart Fashion, reporting to Sakait Chaudhary. This is to ensure all our softline businesses are aligned together. We will initiate the process to identify a successor for the marketplace business,” Krishnamurthy’s note said. Thirani has been with Flipkart for over eight years.
The stakes are considerable. Bengaluru-based Myntra is India’s largest fashion e-commerce platform and one of the most profitable units within the Flipkart ecosystem, which is owned by Walmart. In FY25, Myntra posted revenue from operations of Rs 6,042.7 crore and a profit after tax of Rs 548.3 crore, comfortably ahead of rivals including Amazon Fashion, Reliance’s AJIO, Nykaa Fashion, and Meesho.
Pais inherits a business that is performing well. The question now is whether she can keep it that way in an increasingly crowded and combative market. Her record suggests she knows the terrain. The pressure to prove it starts immediately.
