MAM
Today Group hits a six with Gen Z as Kiara Powar bats for cricket
MUMBAI: India’s most cherished sport just got a youthful twist, thanks to a pitch-perfect collaboration between Today Group, one of Navi Mumbai’s leading real estate players, and Kiara Powar, India’s youngest sports presenter. Their digital series Bat, Ball, aur Baatein is giving cricket commentary a Gen Z glow-up, combining fandom and format to serve cricket content in sharp, engaging, bite-sized pieces.
Kiara Powar, a former badminton player turned sports content creator, has already made waves with her fresh take on sports storytelling. Now with Today Group backing her innings, she’s stepping up the pace. The series cleverly moves away from traditional long-form commentary, instead opting for quick, relatable content designed to catch the scroll-happy attention of young audiences.
Commenting on this collaboration, Today Group joint managing director Bhavesh Shah said, “Today Group’s constant endeavor is to empower the younger generation, whether it be in the form of giving them their own home or in the form of promoting young talent, such as Kiara. Platforms like hers have tapped into the pulse of this demographic, and as a brand, collaborations like this allow us to make a mark on and appeal to all audiences.”
Kiara Powar, the host of Bat, Ball, aur Baatein about the collaboration said, “I started this series with one simple goal: share my love for cricket in a way that would get my peers excited for the sport just as I am. With Today Group, the boost the series got has been phenomenal!”
Since its rebranding in January 2025, Today Group has been all about future-forward initiatives. This collaboration with Kiara speaks volumes about its commitment to connecting authentically with the younger generation not just through homes and infrastructure, but also through shared cultural touchpoints like sport.
Bat, Ball, aur Baatein is more than just a series, it’s a sign that cricket is evolving with its audience, and brands like Today Group are batting alongside Gen Z to keep the game going strong.
Brands
Boeing appoints Barun as head of FP&A for global engineering function
Seasoned finance leader to steer budgets and strategy across global centres
BENGALURU: Boeing’s finance cockpit has a new pilot, and he is no stranger to turbulence or transformation. Boeing has appointed Barun as head of FP&A for global engineering, placing him at the centre of financial strategy for its worldwide engineering and technology operations.
Based in Bengaluru, Barun steps into a role that is as expansive as it is critical. He will serve as the primary finance lead for Boeing’s Engineering and Technology Centers globally, working closely with executive leadership to shape financial decisions, manage complex budgets, and design scalable finance processes that support the company’s growing engineering footprint.
In a note announcing his move Barun said, “I’m excited to share that I’ve joined Boeing Global Engineering. This opportunity is incredibly meaningful to me not just from a professional standpoint, but also for what Boeing represents globally.” He added that he looks forward to contributing to an organisation that continues to shape the future of aerospace and innovation.
Barun’s mandate spans strategic financial leadership, operational oversight, and stakeholder engagement. From directing large-scale budgets and schedules to influencing long-term organisational goals, the role blends financial discipline with business foresight. He will also lead cross-functional teams and partner with finance colleagues worldwide to support engineering programmes across geographies, including India.
The appointment caps a long stint at Juniper Networks, where Barun spent over a decade, most recently as finance senior manager. There, he led FP&A for global product business units and G&A functions, driving budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning. He also played a key role in enterprise-wide transformation, including spearheading an Oracle to SAP ERP migration and building advanced analytics capabilities using tools such as Tableau and SAP Analytics Cloud.
His earlier career includes finance leadership roles at Sony India Software Centre, Cognizant Technology Solutions, and Mphasis, where he focused on financial planning, governance frameworks, and operational efficiency across global delivery centres.
A chartered accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Barun brings nearly two decades of experience across financial planning, digital transformation, and analytics-led decision making.
His appointment comes at a time when global engineering operations are becoming increasingly complex and distributed, requiring sharper financial oversight and agile planning. With Barun at the helm of FP&A for engineering, Boeing appears to be tightening its financial playbook as it looks to scale innovation with discipline.
