Brands
Hard Rock International cuts ties with JSM Corporation, ending a decade of cafe operations across India
Ten locations from Bengaluru to Kolkata go dark after the American brand formally terminates its operator agreements — only the Goa hotel survives
FLORIDA: One of the most recognisable names in global hospitality has just gone dark across India. Hard Rock International has formally terminated its agreements with JSM Corporation Private Limited and related entities, stripping them of the right to operate all Hard Rock Cafes and Rock Shops in the country. Every last one of them.
The termination sweeps across ten locations: Hard Rock Cafe Bengaluru, Bengaluru International Airport, Bengaluru Whitefield, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Hyderabad Hitech City, Kolkata, New Delhi and Pune. That is the entire footprint of the brand’s cafe and retail operation in India, gone in one fell swoop.
JSM Corporation, the Mumbai-based hospitality group that brought the Hard Rock Cafe brand to India and built it into a ten-city operation over the years, has lost the lot. Hard Rock International has not disclosed the reasons for the termination, nor has JSM made any public statement.
One outpost escapes the carnage. The Hard Rock Hotel in Goa, which operates under a separate arrangement and is not connected to JSM, will remain open and continues to trade as normal.
For the thousands of regulars who have spent evenings amid the guitars and memorabilia at any of the ten shuttered venues, the brand’s exit from the cafe and retail segment marks an abrupt and unceremonious end. Hard Rock came to India with considerable fanfare. It is leaving considerably more quietly.
Brands
Radio City names Brijesh Magoo as national brand solutions head
Former Ishq FM programming lead to drive creative and revenue strategy
MUMBAI: Radio City India has appointed Brijesh Magoo as national head for brand solutions, strengthening its creative and content-led offerings as it looks to deepen advertiser engagement.
Magoo steps into the role after a brief stint as consultant for creative solutions at Radio City, where he worked on shaping integrated brand propositions. In his new position, he will lead the network’s creative solutions arm, focusing on building branded content, driving revenue opportunities and enhancing client partnerships.
He brings with him over a decade of experience across radio programming, content strategy and creative leadership. Most recently, he served as national programming head at Ishq 104.8 FM, where he led content strategy and programming initiatives at a national level.
During his time with Ishq FM, Magoo held multiple leadership roles, including national creative lead and head of programming, as well as programming head for Mumbai. His work spanned content development, audience engagement and format innovation, helping shape the station’s identity in a competitive radio landscape.
Prior to this, he spent six years at Red FM, rising from executive producer to assistant programming head, where he honed his skills in creative direction and on-air content strategy. He also had a brief stint as head of copy at Jack in the Box Worldwide, adding an agency perspective to his portfolio.
Magoo is an alumnus of Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad, where he specialised in creative communications, and holds a degree in management studies from University of Mumbai.
His appointment signals Radio City’s continued focus on content-driven brand solutions, where storytelling and advertising increasingly go hand in hand. As audio platforms evolve beyond traditional broadcasting, Magoo’s blend of programming and creative expertise could help the network tune into new growth frequencies.
