Brands
Royal Stag launches RS Code campaign with Rohit Sharma
Data-led campaign with Rohit and Paddy Upton lets fans decode their own winning traits
MUMBAI: With cricket fever building, Seagram’s Royal Stag Packaged Drinking Water has rolled out a new campaign that attempts to do more than celebrate victories. It tries to decode them.
The brand’s latest initiative, called the Royal Stag Code of Large or hashtag RSCode, brings together brand ambassador and former India captain Rohit Sharma and mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton in a data-driven storytelling exercise built around success.
At the heart of the campaign is an analysis of Rohit Sharma’s career. Using performance data and behavioural insights, the brand claims to have identified four personality traits that consistently underpin his achievements. These are selfless, driven, fearless and inspiring.
Together, the four traits form what the brand calls the “Code of Large”, a philosophy that extends beyond cricket and into everyday life.
Upton appears in the campaign as the voice of credibility, translating performance metrics into insights about mindset, leadership and resilience. The idea is to move the conversation from scorecards to character.
The rollout follows a phased, digital-first approach. It began with teaser clips featuring Sharma and Upton, followed by a talk show-style reveal hosted by Vikram Sathe. The film blends data points with locker-room stories and includes a cameo by Suryakumar Yadav to highlight the ‘Inspiring’ trait.
The campaign also introduces an AI-powered hashtag RSCode Finder. Users answer a short set of questions to uncover their own “Code of Large”, which is then delivered through a personalised video message from Sharma. The tool is designed to turn passive viewers into active participants in the brand story.
Pernod Ricard India chief marketing officer Debasree Dasgupta, said the campaign aims to bring the brand’s “Live It Large” philosophy closer to fans. She added that the platform gives people a way to reflect on their own journeys and celebrate small wins along the way.
By mixing data, personality traits and a touch of AI, Royal Stag is betting that the road to success can be told not just through trophies, but through the mindset that earns them.
Brands
Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail reshuffles top deck; Nikhil Modha to take over as CFO
Phased transition sees Marco Agnolin head OWND!, Nikhil Modha lined up as CFO as company readies next growth leg
MUMBAI: Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail is redrawing its leadership map, lining up a new generation of executives across key roles as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
The company has named Suraj Bahirwani as chief executive (designate) of Pantaloons, effective April 1, 2026, with a full transition to the top role slated for October 1, 2026. He will also be designated as senior managerial personnel.
A two-decade veteran of the Aditya Birla Group, Bahirwani joined as a group management trainee in 2002 and has since held a string of leadership roles across retail and manufacturing. His resume spans stints at Aditya Birla Retail, a tenure as chief operating officer of Pantaloons, and most recently, head of global sales at the group’s cellulosic fibres business, where he drove international expansion and strengthened value-added portfolios.
Academically, he holds a PhD from the University of Mumbai, a postgraduate management diploma from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, and is a chartered accountant. Over the years, he has picked up multiple chairman’s awards, including distinguished achiever, exceptional contributor and accomplished leader.
The transition at Pantaloons will be staged. Incumbent chief executive Sangeeta Tanwani will continue until September 30, 2026, steering the handover before moving into an advisory role to the managing director from October 1, 2026. She is set to retire on January 31, 2027, at which point she will step down as whole-time director and key managerial personnel.
Alongside, the company has brought in Marco Agnolin as chief executive of OWND! and senior managerial personnel, effective April 6, 2026. Agnolin arrives with over three decades of global experience, having held senior roles at Inditex, where he helped expand Zara in Italy, and later served as chief executive of Bershka and Diesel. His track record spans fast fashion, brand turnarounds and youth-focused retail.
On the finance side, Nikhil Modha has been appointed chief financial officer (designate) and senior managerial personnel from April 1, 2026. He will assume full charge as chief financial officer and key managerial personnel from January 1, 2027.
Current chief financial officer Jagdish Bajaj will oversee a phased transition until December 31, 2026, before retiring and stepping down from his roles.
The reshuffle signals a calibrated succession plan rather than a sudden overhaul, with the company staggering exits and appointments to ensure continuity even as it refreshes leadership across verticals.
As Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail juggles legacy brands and new-age formats, the message is clear: steady hands for the present, sharper ones for the future—and no pause in the push for scale.
