MAM
Virat Kohli becomes Uber India’s first brand ambassador
MUMBAI: Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli has now become the face of Uber, the ridesharing app.
Kohli is the brand’s first brand ambassador in India. This is a first of its kind initiative across the Asia Pacific region for the brand.
Uber India and South Asia president Amit Jain said, “We are extremely delighted to sign on Virat Kohli to bat as the brand ambassador for Uber India. His commitment to India on and off the field is commendable—from bagging world titles for the country to advocating positive change-he is invested in making a difference to the community at large. In Virat, we’ve found a partner who reflects the drive we share with everyday India while embodying our commitment to serving the country. Today, we are the most-preferred ride-hailing service in this market and we will continue to invest and innovate in ways that will benefit our driver partners and riders.”
Commenting on his association with Uber, Kohli said, “As a cricketer, I travel a lot and I have personally enjoyed the seamless experience of booking an Uber. It’s great to see how the company is using technology to revolutionise the way people move around cities and is empowering millions by creating economic opportunities. I am very excited to join hands with a company that is so committed to the people and cities that it operates in.”
Looking forward to a successful innings with @Uber_India. Stoked to #TakeABackseat and here's why! #UberIndia pic.twitter.com/fLwCz5eJ25
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) March 9, 2018
Besides being the face of the brand, Kohli will be actively involved in a series of marketing and customer-experience initiatives to be rolled out by Uber India.
Uber India and South Asia head of marketing Sanjay Gupta added, “Virat is the embodiment of India’s ambitions on the world’s stage; he anchors the aspirations of billions and it’s the little things he does that bring joy to their lives. It’s this balance of purpose with a larger responsibility to citizens of the world that makes him the perfect partner to realising Uber’s commitment to India.”
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.
