MAM
The Flying Sikh to endorse Emami’s chawyanprash
MUMBAI: He has been the perfect symbol of youthfulness and vigour — on the race track and even in his life. And thus Emami has roped in former sprinter Milkha Singh to endorse its health supplement Zandu Kesari Jivan.
This is the first endorsement deal that the “Flying Sikh” has signed almost after five decades of his last race for the country.
The new television commercial of Zandu Kesari Jivan featuring Milkha Singh is scheduled to air this month. The TVC, created by Scarecrow Communications and directed by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, reflects the core brand proposition of youthfulness and elaborates on the benefits of Kesar.
Emami director Harsha V. Agarwal said, “We are honoured to have the great Milkha Singh as the brand ambassador for Zandu Kesari Jivan, one of our premium Zandu OTC products. Our brand Zandu Kesari Jivan which promotes good health, youthful vigour and energy found a perfect fit in Milkha Singh, who even at the age of 84 is a symbol of youthfulness and vigour.”
The health brand is positioned as a ‘saffron enriched revitaliser’ that promotes health, youthful vigour and energy through its unique composition of herbs coupled with benefits of Kesar. Chyawanprash is a growing health supplement category in India worth Rs 400 crore which is spurred by the increasing interest in Ayurveda and ancient sciences.
Speaking about his association, Milkha Singh said in a release, “Through my association with Zandu Kesari Jivan, I urge all people, young and old, to pay attention to their health and fitness. A healthy mind, body and spirit are the key to a youthful life.”
The product is also endorsed by Pandit Shri Birju Maharaj, who epitomises youthful vigour and energy. Emami’s past and present brand endorsers include people like Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Virendra Sehwag, Sushil Kumar, Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal, Gautam Gambhir, Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Bipasha Basu.
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.
