MUMBAI: Lemma has appointed Salil Shanker as its chief partnership officer – APAC. With a strong background in digital innovation and omnichannel strategy, Shanker has held key roles at Dentsu (Amnet) – Isobar and GroupM, focusing on business transformation and growth.
In this new role, he will work on strengthening partnerships and expanding Lemma’s presence across the APAC region, bringing valuable expertise to the company’s strategic initiatives.
MUMBAI: Akash Jain has been promoted to director of marketing, head of Media at Flipkart from being just head of media – associate director earlier. The ambitious Bengaluru-based executive, who’s been turning heads at the e-commerce behemoth for nearly eight years, is now firmly in the driver’s seat of the company’s entire media strategy.
Jain, who cut his teeth at Odigma, an Infibeam.com company, before joining the Flipkart juggernaut, will now be calling the shots for both digital and ATL media operations for Flipkart’s core business and its buzzy new venture, Flipkart Minutes.
The Indian School of Business alumnus completed the prestigious Google Digital Insider Programme in 2022. His meteoric rise through the ranks at Flipkart has been nothing short of spectacular – from senior manager to associate director to director now.
Before making waves at Flipkart, Jain had quite the entrepreneurial streak, founding ContestJunction.com, a one-stop-shop for coupons and giveaways that promised punters “gadgets, giveaways, free trips, meet and greets, vouchers and much more.”
His previous role saw him heading the media strategy for some of Flipkart’s most profitable ventures, including the wildly successful Big Billion Days sale that pulled in a staggering 91 million customers during early access and day one. Not too shabby for a computer science graduate from Visvesvaraya Technological University.
Industry insiders reckon Jain’s expertise in building media playbooks and go-to-market strategies for product launches and sale events has been instrumental in Flipkart’s dominance in the cut-throat e-commerce space. His deft handling of partnerships with Meta, Google and third-party relations has clearly paid dividends.
With Jain at the helm of media operations, competitors will need to pull their socks up if they hope to keep pace with Flipkart’s aggressive marketing manoeuvres. As the digital landscape continues to evolve at breakneck speed, having a media maven like Jain controlling the purse strings could give Flipkart the edge it needs to stay ahead of the pack.
MUMBAI: Supermarket giant Avenue Supermarts (DMart) has nabbed Unilever veteran Anshul Asawa as its CEO-designate after a nearly three-decade love affair with the global consumer goods behemoth.
The poaching of Asawa, who was barely 11 months into his stint as general manager for Greater Asia and head of Unilever Thailand, marks a seismic shift for one of India’s most profitable retail operations as it gears up for its next phase of bare-knuckle expansion.
Asawa brings a bulging CV to the budget retailer, having cut his teeth across a veritable smorgasbord of roles at Unilever spanning marketing, sales, digital commerce and general management across multiple continents.
Most recently, the IIT Roorkee and IIM Lucknow alumnus had been calling the shots in Bangkok, but his three-year stint in London saw him spearhead Unilever’s global digital and e-commerce strategy—experience that will prove invaluable as DMart looks to beef up its online presence against well-funded rivals.
The retail maverick, who describes his purpose as “Make every stroke count,” made waves during his time in the Netherlands as VP marketing for home care across Europe, where he delivered a cracking innovation programme and led the strategic assault of laundry products into central and eastern Europe.
But perhaps most relevant to his new Indian supermarket gig was Asawa’s transformative stint as general manager for east branch and rural channels at Hindustan Unilever between 2007 and 2010. During this period, he masterminded a rural expansion that tripled coverage and added a staggering one million outlets in just two years—the sort of aggressive scalability that has DMart’s shareholders positively frothing at the mouth.
His leadership of the Shakti programme, which improved the livelihoods of thousands of rural women entrepreneurs while expanding market reach, also demonstrates the kind of purpose-driven approach that might help DMart burnish its credentials beyond its no-frills, pile-it-high-sell-it-cheap reputation.
Industry insiders suggest Asawa’s appointment signals Avenue Supermarts’ intention to accelerate both its bricks-and-mortar expansion and its somewhat lacklustre e-commerce presence through DMart Ready, which has struggled to match the tech prowess of deep-pocketed competitors like Blinkit and Zepto.
The appointment represents a passing of the baton from DMart’s legendary founder Radhakishan Damani, whose notoriously sharp focus on costs and shrewd real estate strategy transformed a single Mumbai store in 2002 into a retail juggernaut with over 300 outlets and a market cap that makes most traditional retailers green with envy.
As Asawa prepares to take the helm of one of India’s most enviable retail success stories, his first challenge will be navigating the tricky transition from a founder-led operation to a professionally managed powerhouse without losing the secret sauce that made DMart the darling of value-conscious shoppers and growth-hungry investors alike.
MUMBAI: Pi42, India’s first Crypto-Inr perpetual futures exchange, has strengthened its leadership ranks by appointing Satish Mishra as its new chief technology officer (CTO). With an illustrious career spanning 18 years in cutting-edge technology, Mishra moves to Pi42 from Coindcx, where he served as vice president of engineering, playing a pivotal role in shaping India’s digital asset trading ecosystem.
“We are thrilled to welcome Satish Mishra at a time when the crypto industry is at a crucial inflection point. His expertise in building resilient, high-availability blockchain systems will elevate Pi42’s technological prowess, helping us set new standards in decentralised finance,” said Pi42 co-founder & CEO Avinash Shekhar.
Mishra expressed enthusiasm about his new role, stating, “India is rapidly emerging as a global leader in crypto adoption. Pi42 is uniquely positioned to capitalise on this shift, and I look forward to enhancing the platform with cutting-edge innovations that empower users and advance India’s role in the digital asset space.”
At Pi42, Mishra will spearhead scalable, high-performance trading systems, reinforcing the exchange’s mission to become a dominant force in India’s crypto landscape. His extensive experience at Uber, Druva, Symantec, and Nvidia equips him with the expertise to drive trust, security, and efficiency in decentralised finance.
MUMBAI: Havells India Ltd has announced the resignation of Rakesh Rajput as executive vice president for sales & marketing of the cable division effective 11 March 2025. Rajput, who has been a key pillar of the organisation for over two decades, is stepping down for personal reasons, bringing an emotional close to his illustrious 21-year tenure.
In his resignation letter, Rajput expressed gratitude to Anil Rai Gupta, chairman & MD of Havells, and the late Qimat Rai Gupta, acknowledging their trust and support in shaping his career. “This was a difficult decision, but the memories and experiences I have gathered at Havells will always stay with me,” he wrote, reflecting on his journey with the company.
Havells, one of India’s top electrical goods companies, has yet to announce a successor for the EVP role. The company’s leadership transition comes at a time when it continues to expand its market presence in the consumer and industrial segments.
Rajput’s departure marks a significant shift in Havells’ senior management, as the company navigates a dynamic business landscape. Industry insiders anticipate an announcement regarding the next phase of leadership soon. This resignation was formally communicated to the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in compliance with SEBI’s listing obligations.
MUMBAI: The gen AI-powered customer experience platform has appointed Devika Rajeev as its new head of HR, bringing in a wealth of experience to supercharge its workforce and fuel its ambitious growth plans.
With 13 years of HR mastery under her belt, Devika isn’t just any hire—she’s a force to be reckoned with. From scaling teams at rocket-speed to crafting high-impact people strategies, she has done it all. At Sattva Consulting, she was the mastermind behind tripling the organisation’s headcount while implementing game-changing HR initiatives. Before that, she sharpened her expertise at Wipro, Heidrick & Struggles, and Ola, managing diverse teams and shaping people-first cultures.
An alumna of XLRI Jamshedpur, Devika holds a postgraduate diploma in personnel management & industrial relations and a B.A. (Hons) in mathematics from Delhi University. Now, at Kapture CX, she steps into a crucial role—one that requires equal parts strategy, agility, and a knack for making workplaces thrive.
In her new role, Devika will lead strategic HR initiatives, talent acquisition, and retention while strengthening employee engagement. Her mission? To build a dynamic and inclusive work environment that aligns with Kapture CX’s rapid expansion. With her leadership, expect a culture that champions collaboration, innovation, and continuous growth.
Kapture CX CEO & co-founder Sheshgiri Kamath welcomed her aboard with enthusiasm, “At Kapture, we believe that people are at the heart of everything we do. Devika’s extensive experience in HR leadership, combined with her ability to drive strategic talent initiatives, makes her a valuable addition to our team. We look forward to her contributions in building a strong, people-first culture as we continue our growth journey.”
Devika, equally excited about the challenge ahead, shared her thoughts, “I am thrilled to join Kapture CX at such an exciting phase of its journey. The company’s commitment to innovation and customer-centricity is truly inspiring, and I look forward to strengthening our HR strategies to nurture talent, foster a high-performance culture, and support the organisation’s ambitious goals.”
With Kapture CX continuing its march towards redefining customer experience, Devika’s appointment marks a strategic shift in how the company plans to invest in its people.
Mumbai: Microsoft AI has appointed Umesh Shankar as corporate vice president of engineering, where he will spearhead initiatives in AI innovation, security and privacy.Shankar brings nearly two decades of experience from Google, where he served as chief technologist for Google Cloud Security and engineering director for Google Assistant Ecosystem. His work focused on strengthening AI security frameworks and advancing data protection to enhance user trust and safety.
At Microsoft, he will direct efforts to develop responsible AI, ensuring secure and ethical AI integration across products and services. His appointment underscores Microsoft’s commitment to advancing AI with robust privacy and security standards, reinforcing its global AI-driven strategy.
His work focused on making GCP the safest environment for AI development and leveraging AI to tackle critical security challenges, such as cloud posture management, threat intelligence, fraud prevention, and secops. Prior to this, he was engineering director for Google Assistant’s Ecosystem, handle a team of 180 engineers across global locations to develop AI-driven services like duplex on the web, actions on Google, identity and transactions APIs. His earlier tenure at Google also included pioneering efforts in data protection, key management, authentication, authorization, auditing, and insider risk controls, building security infrastructure used across Google’s products and services. Notably, he led the access transparency project, providing Google Cloud customers with real-time logs of data access events, unlocking nearly 900 million dollars in revenue. Before joining Google, he held roles as an advisor at LiquidTalent, a research intern at IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, and a software engineer at Idiom Technologies.
Shankar holds a PhD and M.S. in Computer Science with a focus on security and privacy from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. in Computer Science from Harvard University. His extensive expertise in AI security and privacy positions him to play a crucial role in shaping Microsoft AI’s responsible AI initiatives and strengthening its global AI-driven strategy.
MUMBAI: Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) is shifting gears at the top, with Takashi Nakajima set to take over as president & CEO from 1 April 2025. Nakajima, a Honda veteran with over 30 years of global experience, succeeds Takuya Tsumura, who will return to Japan after an impactful three-year stint at the helm of HCIL.
During his tenure in India, Tsumura bolstered Honda’s premium brand positioning, enhanced customer-centric solutions, and steered the company toward profitable growth. His leadership saw the launch of several landmark models, including the Honda City e:HEV, India’s first mainstream hybrid model; the Honda Elevate, the brand’s new global SUV; and the 3rd Generation Amaze, a refreshed take on Honda’s popular compact sedan.
Under his watch, Honda’s export operations expanded, with the Made-in-India elevate hitting Japanese roads. Tsumura also focused on integrated marketing campaigns to engage a diverse audience, while implementing efficiency-driven initiatives to enhance both customer experience and dealer profitability.
Bringing decades of expertise from markets including Japan, China, Spain, Czech Republic, and Russia, Nakajima is no stranger to strategic growth. His impressive career spans business planning, product strategy, marketing, and sales promotion, with a recent role as president of Honda Motor Russia. He also led product planning and corporate communications for Honda’s domestic automobile business in Japan.
With Honda gearing up for its first Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) launch in India, Nakajima’s entry signals a bold new chapter in Honda’s journey. As he prepares to take the wheel, all eyes are on how he will steer innovation, expansion, and electrification in one of the world’s most dynamic auto markets.
As the industry shifts towards sustainable mobility, Nakajima’s leadership promises to accelerate Honda’s evolution in India. With a strong foundation laid by Tsumura, the road ahead looks primed for bigger ambitions, smarter technology, and an electrifying future.
MUMBAI: Vikram Goel has been appointed chief business officer at Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd, the company announced yesterday.
Goel joins the real estate arm of the Mahindra group after nearly two years at HDFC Bank, where he served as senior vice president for realty business finance. He will focus on integrated cities and industrial clusters in his new role at the Mumbai-based developer.
With over two decades of experience in the property sector, Goel previously held key positions at HDFC Limited as head of the special situations group for construction finance. His career includes a stint as chief executive of Quikr Realty Ltd and an eight-year tenure at HDFC Realty, where he rose to become CEO.
Goel also brings international experience, having previously managed HDFC’s mortgage business across nine locations in the Middle East, including the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
The appointment comes as Mahindra Lifespaces continues to strengthen its position in the industrial real estate market.
MUMBAI: Do you only appreciate God during festivals, or is the devotion an all-year affair? If faith and admiration are ingrained in us for the divine, why does it stop short when it comes to one of God’s finest creations—WOMEN? Why do we insist on sticking a ‘special’ label on just one day of the year to praise, worship, and acknowledge the achievements of women in male-dominated fields? Newsflash: women don’t magically become remarkable on 8 March and revert to invisibility the next day. Let’s retire the ceremonial fanfare and start giving credit where it’s due—every single day.
In India, women aren’t just breaking the glass ceiling-they’re bulldosing right through it, leaving society scrambling to pick up the shards. They’re running boardrooms, leading billion-dollar empires, and rewriting the rules of success. And yet, the elephant in the room remains stubbornly unbudged: why does gender bias still loom like a ghost that refuses to be exorcised? Women in leadership are no longer the underdog story-they’re the main event. So why does recognition still feel like an annual festival rather than an everyday reality?
Celebrating women once a year and calling it progress is like drinking one green smoothie and calling yourself a 
health guru. Indiqube executive director & COO Meghna Agarwal gets straight to the point, “Women’s economic participation is not just a social imperative but a strategic one, with the power to significantly boost India’s GDP.” And yet, despite the high-decibel conversations about equality, many women still find themselves playing a never-ending game of ‘prove yourself’ while their male counterparts get automatic upgrades.
The numbers across industries tell an interesting story. In IT, multinational corporations (MNCs) are making strides—mentorship programs and global capability centers (GCCs) have propelled 1,100 women into global roles over five years. In marketing, women hold 60 per cent of jobs in North America and 52 per cent of CMO positions, but only 24 per cent of C-suite roles in UK SEO firms. Advertising remains stubbornly male-dominated, with men holding 71 per cent of leadership positions.
India’s progress is a mix of wins and gaps. In media & entertainment (M&E), women hold just 12 per cent of leadership roles in top firms, down from 13 per cent last year. However, they shine on streaming platforms, occupying over 20 per cent of head-of-department roles. In advertising, women make up 40 per cent of the workforce but only 30 per cent of leadership positions-though leadership representation in India hit 36 per cent in 2025, surpassing global averages.
Meanwhile, tech and finance continue to lag. Women hold less than a third of tech jobs and only 18-19 per cent of executive roles. In NBFCs and MFIs, women occupy just 12.5 per cent of leadership positions, proving finance still clings to its glass ceilings. Progress is real but moving at a snail’s pace.
Infosys VP, head of diversity & inclusion, ESG governance & reporting, Aruna C. Newton highlights the slow but steady march forward. “Through our flexible hybrid work model and programs like Restart with Infosys and #IamtheFuture, we continue to unleash opportunities for women to stay intentional about their careers and cement their leadership in technology,” she states. Infosys is gunning for a workforce that’s 45 per cent female by 2030, but the question remains: if businesses can adapt at the speed of light for profits, why does gender equality move at the pace of a sloth on vacation?
The government is also throwing its hat in the ring. Supriya 
Lifescience Ltd. joint managing director Shivani Wagh points to the Union Budget 2025-26, which allocated Rs 4.49 lakh crore for gender-focused initiatives-a 37.5 per cent boost. “With over 14 per cent of Indian enterprises led by women, women-led entrepreneurship is on the rise,” she states. But there’s a catch. Access to the capital is still harder for women than finding a cab during peak hours. For every woman who secures funding, dozens more are stuck navigating a maze of bureaucracy and bias.
Paper policies sound great, but until the money starts flowing into real businesses, they’re just glorified wish lists.
Tech, of course, remains one of the toughest nuts to crack. Acer India director – commercial sales, Priya Krishnamurthy gets it, “Advancing gender equality is not just a necessity but a catalyst for transformation.”
Translation? If the tech industry wants to stay ahead, it needs to do more than just talk a good game. Until women in STEM are as common as overpriced lattes in co-working spaces, we’re not done yet.
The outdated belief that women lack the ‘testosterone’ to run Fortune 500 companies is about as relevant as a fax machine. Women have proven, time and again, that they can lead with both ambition and empathy-two traits that businesses desperately need. And here’s the kicker: many of the men who once doubted them now report to female bosses. And guess what? The world didn’t end. In fact, it’s thriving.
Solitario Lab Grown Diamonds head of business & strategy Kamini Singh is all about recognising the brilliance of 
women. “Women are the driving force of change, shaping industries, breaking barriers, and redefining success on their own terms. This Women’s Day, we celebrate their brilliance, resilience, and unstoppable spirit. At Solitario, we believe every woman deserves to shine, not just beautifully, but powerfully, just like a diamond: strong, radiant, and timeless. Let’s Bling it!” she exclaims.
Meanwhile, SIG Group head of market, India & Bangladesh, Vandana Tandan insists that equality needs to move beyond paper promises. “Real progress in any industry depends on recognising and valuing the unique talents of every individual. International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to building workplaces where equal opportunities are more than just a policy, they are a reality,” she says. In other words, let’s ditch the lip service and get down to business.
Apollo Green Energy GM-corporate communications & digital 
marketing, Aanchal Sharma weighs in on the shift in leadership dynamics. “The stigma around women in leadership has not just changed. It has been challenged by women who refused to accept the notion that they did not belong. This shift has not been a single sweeping revolution but a series of quiet and persistent actions. A woman speaking up in a meeting despite being interrupted. Another negotiating her salary without apology. One balancing ambition with empathy without feeling the need to justify either. These everyday acts, multiplied across millions, have reshaped leadership.”
She continues, “Yet, progress remains slow. Women lead only 1.6 per cent of companies listed in the Fortune India 500, despite businesses with diverse leadership teams being 25 per cent more likely to outperform their peers in profitability. The numbers tell a clear story. When women lead, companies thrive. But leadership is not just about economic success. It is about reimagining workplaces where women do not have to fight twice as hard to be heard, where ambition is not mistaken for aggression, and where success is defined by impact, not outdated expectations.”
So, the million-dollar question: when does the stigma finally disappear? Women are already etching history-it’s society that’s dragging its feet catching up.
Because the future isn’t female-it’s equal. And if you’re still debating that, you’re already in the past.