| | AUGUST 20238Aditya Birla New Age Hospitality (ABNAH) announced on August 1 that it had acquired the entire stake in KA Hospitality. The acquisition resulted in the addition of four new restaurant brands to its portfolio: Hakkasan, Yauatcha, Nara Thai, and CinCin.Aditya Birla Group's hospitality arm was able to expand its presence with seven new restaurants in three cities as a result of the acquisition. "We continue to believe in the extraordinary potential of the premium casual dining space, which is being driven by rising disposable income and changing lifestyles of the Indian consumer." "The convergence of growing affluence and a desire for new-age, high-quality dining experiences presents an incredible growth opportunity," said Aryaman Vikram Birla, Director, Aditya Birla Management Corporation and Founder, ABNAH."Each of the four brands stands out in its own way while remaining committed to providing exceptional culinary experiences." "We intend to broaden the reach of these brands and bring these distinctive dining experiences to other cities across India," he added.ABNAH is currently working on developing premium casual dining restaurant chains across India, which is a profitable segment of the organised food services market. The hiring of Puneet Chandok as Corporate Vice President of Microsoft India and South Asia was made public by Microsoft. He will take over Anant Maheshwari's operating duties on September 1, 2023. Puneet will be in charge of integrating Microsoft's operations in South Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, with the help of a strong leadership team. This will increase the company's presence in the region and sharpen its focus on key industries through a customer-centric strategy with generative AI at its core."We are delighted to announce that Puneet will be joining Microsoft India," said Ahmed Mazhari, President Microsoft Asia. "Puneet has a strong track record of building and growing technology businesses and leveraging technology to deliver impact and change. As we embrace an AI-led future, Puneet's leadership will play a vital role in ensuring Microsoft's ongoing success in South Asia, and I extend my thanks to Anant Maheshwari for setting us on a growth path.""I am inspired by Microsoft's mission to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more," Puneet Chandok said of his appointment. As India develops its own digital public infrastructure, I believe this mission is more important than ever, and I am excited to be joining the One Microsoft team to make it a reality.""It has been a privilege to participate in Microsoft India's remarkable growth over the last seven years," Anant Maheshwari said. "I am overwhelmed with gratitude for an exceptionally talented team led by a strong set of leaders who are propelling this momentum." The Microsoft India team has built a solid foundation of trust and innovative business models." ADITYA BIRLA GROUP ACQUIRES 100 PERCENT OF KA HOSPITALITYPUNIT CHANDOK NAMED AS VICE PRESIDENT OF MICROSOFT FOR INDIA & SOUTH ASIA OPERATIONSIN FOCUSIN FOCUS
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