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UniAcoustic names Manasi Bharadwaj as head of design and development
INDIA: UniAcoustic has brought in workplace design veteran Manasi Bharadwaj as head of design and development, sharpening its push to build a globally benchmarked, design-led acoustic solutions portfolio for commercial environments.
The appointment signals a deeper strategic shift at the company, which is positioning design as a core differentiator, not just in product performance, but in how acoustic solutions are experienced, specified and integrated across large workplaces.
Bharadwaj will oversee UniAcoustic’s design direction across products, applications and workplace settings, with a mandate to create scalable, specification-ready solutions for enterprise and multinational clients as the company expands its global footprint.
With more than 18 years of experience in corporate workplace design and integrated design-and-build environments, she brings a blend of design strategy, standardisation and execution expertise critical for large-scale commercial projects.
Over her career, Bharadwaj has worked with firms including CBRE, JCTPL Design, Team One Architects and Edifice Consultants, delivering regional design programmes and complex workplaces for global organisations such as Kaiser Permanente, Schaeffler, Syngenta, AkzoNobel, Broadcom, UPS, Finastra, Emerson and Capgemini.
At UniAcoustic, she will focus on building a future-ready design ecosystem aligned with global benchmarks, ensuring consistency, performance and clarity across diverse commercial environments. A key part of her role will involve strengthening collaboration between design, technical and delivery teams to support efficient execution without diluting design intent.
UniAcoustic managing director Shabbir Rajkotwala, said design leadership was central to how performance, material innovation and sustainability converge in the company’s next phase of growth.
“As we continue developing advanced acoustic products across applications and industries, Manasi’s experience will help strengthen how our solutions are designed, specified and aligned with evolving environmental standards,” he said.
Bharadwaj said UniAcoustic’s ambition to create a design-first acoustic portfolio set it apart in the Indian market.
“The opportunity to build thoughtful, high-performance products rather than work within existing templates is what excites me most about this role,” she said.
UniAcoustic is positioning itself at the intersection of design, sustainability and next-generation acoustic technologies. Through its strategic collaboration with Vicoustic, the company is introducing globally recognised acoustic systems tailored for modern Indian spaces, with a focus on customisation, performance and aesthetic integration.
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Samsung India mobile chief quits after 18 years
Raju Antony Pullan’s exit leaves a gaping hole at the top as Chinese rivals tighten their grip
GURGAON: Raju Antony Pullan has had enough. The senior vice-president and head of Samsung India’s mobile phone business has put in his papers after 18 years at the Korean giant, a tenure long enough to have watched the company stride to the top of India’s smartphone market and then stumble, badly, as Chinese upstarts muscled in.
Pullan, who ran sales, marketing and every last function of the smartphone business, tendered his resignation on Thursday and is currently serving out his notice period. Samsung has not named a successor. It has a second line of leadership waiting in the wings, Aditya Babbar and Hiren Rathod among them, but no decision has been made on who steps up.
The timing is awkward. Samsung has been haemorrhaging market share to Chinese brands and now clings to a top-two position only in the premium segment, where it scraps it out with Apple. Losing the man who stewarded the mobile business through its best and worst years hardly helps steady the ship.
A company that once owned India’s smartphone market is now fighting to stay relevant in it. Pullan’s departure is less a footnote than a flashing red light.
