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Eveready has announced the appointment of Anirban Banerjee as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company. As per the exchange filings, the appointment will be effective from May 10, 2025. 

The decision comes on the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee (NRC).

Banerjee, who is currently serving as Senior Vice President and Strategic Business Unit (SBU) Head for Batteries, Flashlights and Lighting, brings with him over 25 years of leadership experience across the FMCG, consumer durables and retail sectors. His extensive career spans domestic and international markets, with a strong track record in business management, marketing and innovation.

In his current role, Banerjee has been at the forefront of transformation initiatives for one of India’s leading battery and flashlight brands, driving growth and product innovation. Prior to this, he held key leadership roles at the Godrej Group, including Head of Marketing & Ecommerce at Godrej Indonesia and Global Head of Innovation at Godrej Consumer Products Ltd., where he was instrumental in developing new product pipelines and expanding international business operations.

Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/ajoy-chawla-named-next-md-of-titan-to-c-k-venkataraman-65044.htm">Ajoy Chawla named next MD of Titan Company Ltd; to succeed C. K. Venkataraman</a>

Banerjee has also played pivotal roles in brand and business transformation at Nature’s Basket Retail, Reliance Infocomm, and AB Electrolux.

An alumnus of St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, Banerjee also holds an MBA from the Symbiosis Centre for Management & HRD, Pune.

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Eveready appoints Anirban Banerjee as CEO

Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as the new pope, making him the first American to ascend to the papacy. The 69-year-old was introduced to the world from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica as Pope Leo XIV, the 267th pontiff and successor to Pope Francis, who passed away last month at the age of 88.

Prevost, born in Chicago in 1955 to Spanish and Franco-Italian parents, spent much of his life serving communities in Latin America. He moved to Peru in 1985, just three years after his ordination, and is widely remembered for his work with marginalized groups in Trujillo, where he served as a parish pastor and seminary teacher. His deep ties to Latin America earned him Peruvian citizenship and significant goodwill in the region.

In 2014, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. His rise within the Vatican accelerated as he took on a critical role as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in Latin America, a powerful office responsible for selecting and supervising bishops. His influence in shaping the Church’s leadership in the region made him well known among cardinals.

Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/pope-francis-dies-at-88-on-easter-monday-at-vatican-residence-62710.htm">Pope Francis dies at 88 on Easter Monday at Vatican residence</a>

In January 2023, Prevost became an archbishop, and just months later, he was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Francis.

As Pope Leo XIV, he now leads the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. In his first address, he urged global unity and compassion, saying, “Let us be peacemakers and remember those who suffer". Crowds at St. Peter’s Square greeted him with chants of “Viva il Papa” – long live the Pope – signaling hope for a new chapter in the Church's history.

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Who is Pope Leo XIV? Meet the first American to lead the catholic church

Bill Gates has announced plans to donate “virtually all” of his estimated $200 billion fortune over the next 20 years, before closing the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on 31 December 2045. The move comes amid significant cuts to foreign aid and public health programmes by the Trump administration — the very causes the foundation has long supported.

In a sharp rebuke, Gates took aim at Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a leading figure in the Trump-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), accusing him of exacerbating global suffering by slashing aid budgets.

‘Not a Pretty Picture’

Speaking to the Financial Times, Gates said, “The picture of the world's richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one.” He blamed Musk’s DOGE department for decimating the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which has historically provided billions in global funding — from childhood vaccines to emergency food relief.

Gates and Musk previously shared a public belief in the philanthropic duties of the ultra-wealthy. However, tensions have since escalated, particularly as Gates emphasised that private foundations, no matter how well-funded, cannot replace government aid.

He pointed to responses in Africa, where some local governments have tried to reallocate budgets to counteract the loss of American aid. However, he warned that efforts to eradicate diseases like polio would likely fail without renewed US government support.

Gates, 69, revealed that his net worth will shrink by 99% as he steps up his philanthropic efforts. “I hope I’m still alive when we finish the 20 years, but I will save a little bit to be able to buy hamburgers as much as I need,” he told CBS News with a touch of humour.

In a statement, Bill Gates wrote, “People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that ‘he died rich’ will not be one of them. There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources that could be used to help people.”

While the foundation had originally been expected to close decades after Gates and ex-wife Melinda French Gates’ deaths, it will now wrap up operations in 2045. Gates cited a desire to speed up impact and address growing global challenges, including preventable infant and maternal deaths, infectious diseases like malaria, polio, and measles, and extreme poverty.

Gates expressed concern over reduced aid from major economies. “It’s unclear whether the world’s richest countries will continue to stand up for its poorest people,” he said, citing funding cuts not only from the US but also the UK and France.

The Gates Foundation, now in its 25th year, has already invested $100 billion in global health and development, contributing significantly to reductions in childhood mortality. It expects to spend another $200 billion by the time it closes, with annual spending projected to hit $9 billion by 2026 — depending on inflation and market performance.

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Bill Gates plans to give away $200 billion, criticises Elon Musk over aid cuts

The Board of Directors of Britannia Industries Ltd, at their Meeting held on 8th May, 2025, have designated Varun Berry as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company with effect from 8th May, 2025, in terms of Regulation 26A of the SEBI Listing Regulations, 2015, in addition to his current role as the Executive Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of the Company. Accordingly, he will be re-designated as the Executive Vice-Chairman, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

There shall be no change in the terms and conditions of his appointment approved by the Shareholders at the 104th Annual General Meeting held on 28th August, 2023. 

Varun Berry holds a graduate degree in Engineering (BE Mechanical) from the Punjab University. He joined the Company as the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in 2013 and at present, he is the Executive Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of the Company. He has an experience of over 38 years with premier companies like Hindustan Unilever and Pepsico, both in India and overseas and a successful track record in leading Startups, Joint Ventures and growing Businesses. He is also on the Board of several leading Companies.

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Britannia's Varun Berry named CEO in addition to his current role as Exec VC and MD

The Board of Directors of Titan Company Limited, at its meeting held today, approved the succession plan for the Managing Director of the
Company. C. K. Venkataraman (Venkat), the current Managing Director, will retire from the services of the Company on 31 st December 2025 on attaining the age of superannuation as per the Tata Group's retirement policy. He had joined Titan in the year 1990 and became the Managing Director on 1st October 2019.

Ajoy Chawla (Ajoy), currently the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Company's Jewellery Division, will succeed Venkat as the Managing Director with effect from 1 January 2026. 

Chawla graduated as a Mechanical Engineer from VJTI Mumbai and then did his PGDM from UM-Calcutta. He became part of the Tata Administrative Services (TAS) in 1990 and initially joined the finance department of Titan in 1991. Over the next two decades, he was in the Watches Division, and played several roles spanning Commercial, Sales, Retailing, Supply chain, SAP implementation, leading accessories and licensed brands as SBU Head and then heading the Titan SBU for Domestic and International. Between 2013 and 20 I 9, A joy was the Chief Strategy Officer of Titan as well as heading Business Incubation, scaling the Fragrances business and establishing the Taneira business.

In October 2019, Chawla became the CEO of Titan's Jewellery Division. Under his leadership, the Jewellery Division has grown 2.5X in sales and profits and reinforced its market and thought leadership. The formal process to induct Ajoy on the Board of the Company and his appointment as Managing Director of Titan will be completed in due course and the same is subject to the shareholders' approval.

The decision relating to Chawla's successor in the Jewellery Division will be taken subsequently.



Ajoy Chawla named next MD of Titan Company Ltd; to succeed C. K. Venkataraman

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL) has appointed Vishak Kumar as the Chief Executive Officer of Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands Ltd. Prior to his current role, he also served as the CEO of Aditya Birla Retail Limited from 2012 to 2016, overseeing the group’s foray into the grocery and food retail segment.

Kumar, a seasoned veteran of the Aditya Birla Group, most recently served as the CEO of Madura Fashion & Lifestyle, a key division of ABFRL that houses iconic labels like Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly and Peter England. With a career spanning nearly three decades at the group, Kumar’s elevation reflects both his long-standing contributions and ABFRL’s commitment to deepening leadership from within.

Starting his journey with the group in 1995 as a management trainee, Kumar has steadily risen through the ranks, holding strategic leadership roles across sales, marketing and retail. His tenure at ABFRL is marked by his strong execution in brand building, operational excellence, and expanding the reach of Madura’s brands across India.

Kumar holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science from the Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra (1989–1993) and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.

Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail appoints Vishak Kumar as CEO of Lifestyle Brands

Kalyan Jewellers on Thursday announced the Quarter 4th earnings for the fiscal year 2025. The jewellery giant's advertising and promotional spending increased by 16% in Q4 FY25. The Thrissur-headquartered company's spend Rs 106.3 crore on ads and promotion in the January-March quarter FY2025 compared to Rs 82.2 crore in the corresponding quarter in FY24--a 29% year-on-year jump. In the Middle East market, Kalyan Jewellers spent Rs 12.3 crore on ads and publicity in Q4 FY25. 


Kalyan Jewellers, which boasts celebrity ambassadors like Amitabh Bachchan, Katrina Kaif, Kriti Sanon, and others, has invested more than Rs 1,000 crore in marketing and advertisements in the past four years.

Kalyan Jewellers registered a consolidated net profit of Rs 187.6 crore in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025.

The Q4 profit of the company jumped 36.5% year-on-year. The company had clocked a profit of Rs 137.4 crore in Q4 FY24.


Overall, in fiscal year 2025, Kalyan Jewellers' profit soared to Rs 714 crore compared to Rs 596 crore in FY24.

The revenue from operations increased to Rs 6,181.5 crore in the January-March quarter of 2025 compared to Rs 4,525 crore in the same duration in FY24. 

Kalyan Jewellers' standalone revenue stood at Rs 5,350 crore in Q4 FY25, while profit after tax surged to Rs 185 crore.

The company's total income increased to Rs 25,189.6 crore in FY25, and it recorded consolidated revenue of Rs 25,045 crore in full fiscal 2025 as against Rs 18,516 crore in the previous financial year, a growth of 35%.

According to the company, the demand for gold jewellery and ownership was higher in rural India at 60% compared to urban India at 40%.

Southern India constituted the largest pie in the Indian jewellery market at 40%, followed by West India at 25%, North India at 20%, and East India at 15%, respectively. 

Kalyan generated a revenue of Rs 2539 crore from South India in Q4 FY25, up 29%  YoY. The non-South revenue stood at Rs 2,810 crore in Q4 FY25.

Gold revenue accounted for Rs 3,568 crore in Q4 FY25 versus Rs 2,680 crore in Q4 FY24.

The lifestyle jewellery platform, Candere, recorded a revenue of Rs 28 crore and a net loss of Rs 12 crore for Q4 FY25.

Despite the continued volatility in gold prices, Kalyan Jewellers India's Executive Director Ramesh Kalyanaramam observed a positive momentum in consumer demand.

He said, "We witnessed robust growth in our Akshaya Tritiya sale this year, and we continue to see encouraging momentum in consumer demand, especially around the wedding purchases during the current quarter". 

Kalyan Jewellers' ad and promotion spendings up by 16% to Rs 106 crore in Q4 FY25

Tesla’s India country head, Prashanth Menon, has stepped down from his role ahead of the electric carmaker’s anticipated entry into the Indian market, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday.

Menon, who served Tesla for nine years, is resigning as chairman of the board for Tesla India. His departure comes at a critical time as the Elon Musk-led company prepares to launch its vehicles in the world’s third-largest automobile market.

According to Bloomberg, Tesla’s China team will now oversee operations in India, with no immediate successor appointed to Menon’s role.

As per a Reuters report, Tesla had signed a lease agreement in March this year to open its first showroom in Mumbai, signalling a revival of its India entry plans.

Earlier reports by Mint and CNBC-TV18 highlighted that Tesla’s entry into India hinges on clarity around import duty reductions. The company is seeking to begin operations by importing vehicles at lower duties without committing to immediate local manufacturing.

Tesla’s global performance has also shown signs of strain. In the first quarter of 2025, the company reported a 71% year-on-year decline in net profit due to waning demand for electric vehicles and increased geopolitical uncertainties. Tesla posted a net profit of $409 million for the January to March period, falling short of analysts’ expectations.

Revenue for the quarter dropped to $19.34 billion, marking a 9% decrease from the previous year and missing the market forecast of $21.11 billion, according to data from LSEG. Operating income for the quarter stood at $399 million.

Tesla also withdrew its previous financial guidance for 2025, citing heightened uncertainty in global trade policies and demand patterns.

Adjusted earnings were 27 cents per share, below analysts' average forecast. Automotive gross margins, excluding regulatory credits, declined to 12.5% from 13.6% in the prior quarter, according to Reuters’ estimates. So far in 2025, Tesla’s share price has dropped 27%, trading at $276.22.

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Tesla's India Country Head Prashanth Menon steps down ahead of market launch

OpenAI has appointed Fidji Simo, CEO of Instacart and former Facebook app chief, as its first CEO of Applications. The newly created role will focus on scaling the company’s suite of consumer products, including its flagship AI assistant, ChatGPT.

Announcing the hire on X, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said Simo will report directly to him, allowing him to deepen focus on the company’s core pillars - research, compute infrastructure and AI safety, especially as it moves toward the next frontier — superintelligence.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">so excited that <a href="https://twitter.com/fidjissimo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fidjissimo</a> is joining openai in a new role: ceo of applications, reporting to me.<br><br>i&#39;ll remain ceo of openai, but in this new configuration i&#39;ll be able to increase my focus on research, compute, and safety.<br><br>these are critical as we approach superintelligence.</p>&mdash; Sam Altman (@sama) <a href="https://twitter.com/sama/status/1920341429655634024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“Fidji is exceptional,” Altman wrote. “We’ve worked closely over the past year, and I’ve seen firsthand her commitment to our mission.”

The appointment marks a turning point in OpenAI’s evolution. Once known primarily for its research breakthroughs, the company is now doubling down on consumer-grade scale, usability and product excellence. Simo’s pedigree—leading Facebook’s core app to billions of users and transforming Instacart into a tech-forward public company, makes her uniquely suited to guide OpenAI’s apps through this hypergrowth phase.

Altman hinted at massive ambitions, stating that OpenAI’s application layer must grow “10x—or 100x". Simo’s leadership is expected to bring not just scale, but operational rigor and user-centric design to the forefront of OpenAI’s product roadmap.

OpenAI appoints Instacart’s Fidji Simo as its first CEO of Applications

United Breweries registered a 20.4% rise in standalone profit in the Quarter 4 for the fiscal year 2025. The beer-manufacturing company posted a profit of Rs 97.38 crore in Q4 FY25 compared to Rs 80.84 crore in the corresponding quarter last fiscal. 

Overall, UBL's FY25 profit soared to Rs 441.17 crore-- an increase of 7.7% year-on-year.

However, the total income of the company reduced by 7.8% in Q4 FY25 YoY.

United Breweries' total income declined from Rs 4,813.15 crore in Q4 FY24 to Rs 4,433.38 crore in Q4 FY25.

The revenue from beer dropped by 7.5% to Rs 4,422.25 crore in the January-March quarter FY25. While non-alcoholic beverages' revenue stood at Rs 3.28 crore in the same period.

Notably, the Q4 volume grew at 5% despite a temporary suspension in Telangana and duty structure changes in Karnataka. 

Earlier this year, UBL suspended beer supply to Telangana, citing financial losses due to the non-revision of basic prices since 2019-20 and overdue payments from Telangana Beverages Corporation Ltd (TGBCL) for previous supplies. Additionally, Karnataka government raised the "Additional excise duty" (AED) on beer to 205% and is planning another hike. 

UBL registered 11% volume growth in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Goa, 3% volume growth in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, partially offset by a decline in Rajasthan, and 0% volume growth in Odisha and Assam, impacted by business in West Bengal.

In the full fiscal 2025, UBL volumes surged to 6%, with premiums growing 32%. The company said the volume growth was mainly driven by Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Assam.

To sustain the growth, the brewery major has plans to build further category growth while driving the share of premium. UBL said it will also focus on revenue management and cost initiatives to drive profitability margins by ramping up investments in its brands.

The company has expressed optimism about the long-term growth potential of the beer category, driven by "increasing disposable income, favorable demographics, and premiumization".

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