Grand Jury

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  Aditya Vikram

  VP & Head Marketing

  
• 

  Amit Jawar

  Business Head – Vice President Sales & Marketing – FMCG

  

  Amit Jawar
  Business Head – Vice President Sales & Marketing – FMCG , Patanjali Foods

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  Amit Jawar is Business Head and Vice President, Sales and Marketing at Patanjali Foods Limited, leading a ₹8,000 Cr+ Pan-India FMCG business. With 16 years’ cross-category experience across Patanjali, Dabur, Mondelez, GCPL, Britannia, Reckitt and Amul, he brings expertise in P&L leadership, brand growth, distribution, digital transformation and go-to-market strategy.
• 

  Apeksha Gupta

  Chief Marketing & Growth Officer

  

  Apeksha Gupta
  Chief Marketing & Growth Officer , Galeries Lafayette India (Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd.)

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  Currently leading marketing and growth at Galeries Lafayette India, Apeksha Gupta is responsible for shaping the brand’s entry and long-term positioning in one of the world’s most dynamic luxury markets. Her role spans building a culturally relevant luxury proposition, driving consumer acquisition and retention, and architecting integrated growth strategies across channels, while ensuring alignment with global brand codes and local market nuances.
  With over 23 years of experience, 16 years within the Aditya Birla Group, Apeksha brings deep expertise across marketing leadership, business strategy, and P&L ownership. Her cross-industry and cross-consumer segment exposure equips her with a holistic understanding of consumer businesses and the evolving retail ecosystem. She is particularly known for her ability to translate complex business challenges into integrated, future-forward growth strategies that deliver both brand differentiation and measurable impact.
  Apeksha has also played a pivotal role in shaping The Collective in its formative years, ABFRL’s luxury retail concept that was the pioneer in introducing curated, multi-brand luxury experiences in India. This experience lends her a nuanced perspective on how Indian luxury retail has evolved, from early adoption to today’s more mature, experience-led consumption, informing her approach at Galeries Lafayette India.
  Apeksha is a compelling voice on topics such as:
  ● The evolution of luxury consumption in India, particularly among new-age and male consumers
  ● Building globally rooted yet locally relevant luxury brands
  ● The rise of experiential and omnichannel retail in premium segments
  ● Scaling new retail formats and destinations in emerging luxury markets
  Her diverse, industry-agnostic experience brings a distinctive and practical lens to conversations around the future of luxury and retail in India.
• 

  Gowthaman Ragothaman

  Founding CEO

  
• 

  Himanshu Khanna

  Group CMO

  

  Himanshu Khanna
  Group CMO , CKA Birla Group

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  Himanshu is a seasoned business leader with over 30 years of experience in building and scaling global consumer brands, sales leadership, strategy and P&L management. His expertise spans FMCG, Retail, AlcoBev and Lifestyle industries, where he has successfully led business transformation, market expansion and brand repositioning initiatives.
  Having steered diverse portfolios at Raymond, Beam Suntory, GSK, PepsiCo, Cadbury etc., Himanshu has played a pivotal role in scaling some of the world’s most iconic brands and businesses.
  As CMO of Raymond's Lifestyle Division, he spearheaded the #DigitalTransformation of a $1 billion lifestyle business, realigning the marketing organization to be more consumer-centric and digital first.
  Whether it was catapulting Too Yumm! to achieve the fastest #FMCG milestone of reaching ₹200 crore or repositioning Horlicks for a historic double-digit growth or receiving the President's Award for driving unprecedented and consistent growth at Beam Suntory, he has consistently delivered P&L results while building high-performing teams across cultures and geographies.
  Himanshu is known for building, mentoring, and empowering diverse, cross-functional teams across multiple geographies—leveraging #AIinMarketing and #GrowthMarketing for innovation. Through his journey from Nestle to Raymond to CKA Birla Group, he has demonstrated that true leadership lies in not just achieving numbers, but in building lasting institutional capabilities and nurturing future leaders who can carry forward the legacy of excellence.
• 

  Maneesh Mishra

  Chief Product and Marketing Officer

  

  Maneesh Mishra
  Chief Product and Marketing Officer , Bandhan Life Insurance

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  Maneesh Mishra is the Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Bandhan Life, leading product design, management, and marketing to support the company’s growth and innovation agenda. He brings more than 20 years of experience across product development, project management, marketing, sales strategy, and corporate sales in the life insurance sector. Before joining Bandhan Life in February 2025, he held senior roles at IndiaFirst Life and HDFC Life, where he worked on product strategy and portfolio expansion. Based in Mumbai, he is known for building customer-centric insurance solutions and strengthening brand trust.
• 

  Mayur Chandak

  VP, Head of Marketing

  

  Mayur Chandak
  VP, Head of Marketing , EuroKids and Kangaroo Kids

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  I build meaningful new systems at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and business. Am skilled in scaling 500+ Cr portfolios and building businesses from scratch using modern marketing levers including TV + digital marketing, performance marketing, ecommerce & D2C ads, CRM automation, influencer marketing, and 1st-party data systems. Award-winning marketer known for delivering double-digit revenue growth, building high-performance teams, and delivering consumer-centric solutions in fast-paced markets.
• 

  Nakul Tewari

  VP - Marketing

  

  Nakul Tewari
  VP - Marketing , Whirlpool of India Limited

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  Marketing leader with 20+ years of marketing, strategy & commercial experience across leading FMCG, FMCD and Durables organizations like Nestle, ITC, Philips & Whirlpool of India. Extensive experience in category creation and delivering profitable growth as a challenger brand.
• 

  Natasha Hemani

  CMO, Bastian Hospitality & Brand Director

  

  Natasha Hemani
  CMO, Bastian Hospitality & Brand Director , Blondie

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  Natasha Hemani works at the intersection of hospitality, brand strategy and guest experience. As CMO of Bastian Hospitality and Brand Director of Blondie, her work spans concept development, creative storytelling, partnerships and community-building. She brings a hands-on perspective to how brands translate their identity into the spaces, products and experiences people choose to return to, connecting creative direction with commercial thinking.
• 

  Parag Murudkar

  Marketing Head

  

  Parag Murudkar
  Marketing Head , Aditya Birla Sun Life

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  Mr. Parag Murudkar has over 20 years of experience in brand management, marketing strategy and product innovation within the BFSI sector. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Murudkar served as Head - Brand, Product and Channel Marketing at Aditya Birla Capital Ltd. (NBFC) since April 2025. Prior to that, he was associated with reputed organizations including GroupM – Mindshare, Refyne Technologies, Yes Bank Limited, Axis Bank Limited and ICICI Bank Limited, among others.
  Mr. Murudkar holds a Bachelor's degree in Science and Master of Management Studies degree from Mumbai University.
• 

  Pooja Baid

  Chief Marketing Officer

  

  Pooja Baid
  Chief Marketing Officer , Philips Domesetic Appliances

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  Pooja Baid is the Chief Marketing Officer at Versuni India, with over 17 years of experience across consumer durables, FMCG, retail and marketing. A seasoned business and marketing leader, she has held leadership roles at Philips, The Coca-Cola Company and ITC, where she has driven brand building, consumer experience, digital transformation, category development and business growth. At Versuni India, Pooja leads the Business & Marketing agenda, shaping the growth roadmap for the company’s portfolio of home appliance brands. Her career at Philips has spanned multiple businesses, including Kitchen Appliances, Health & Wellness and Personal Care, where she has played a key role in driving market leadership and profitability. She also pioneered e-commerce marketing at Philips and was instrumental in turning around the Airfryer business, helping build it into a ₹100 crore category and multiplying sales fourfold. Prior to Philips, Pooja worked with Coca-Cola, where she established a new marketing function focused on consumer experiences, and with ITC across brand, strategy and sales. An entrepreneur and mentor to startups, particularly in the D2C space, she has also been recognised among India’s influential CMOs and as a Pitch 40 Under 40 honouree.
• 

  Pranay Rao

  VP Marketing, Consumer and Personal Care

  

  Pranay Rao
  VP Marketing, Consumer and Personal Care , Sebamed

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  Pranay Rao is a senior marketing leader with nearly two decades of experience building brands across FMCG, consumer technology and fashion. Over his career, he has worked with leading organisations including Unilever, ITC, Kraft Heinz, Kimberly-Clark, and Nothing India, across India and international markets. His experience spans both established global brands and high-growth challenger businesses — from working on the global transformation of Lipton at Unilever across 55+ countries to helping build and scale Nothing India in one of the world’s most competitive consumer-tech markets. Today, Pranay is VP Marketing at USV Consumer and Personal Care , where he focuses on strengthening the brand’s science-led positioning and driving its next phase of growth. His career has given him a perspective that combines brand building, consumer understanding, business growth and technology, with a particular interest in how AI is reshaping the future of marketing.
• 

  Rajkumar Remalli

  Founder & Director

  

  Rajkumar Remalli
  Founder & Director , Vivid

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  Rajkumar Remalli is the Founder & Director of BidVid, an AI-powered adtech platform focused on transforming efficiency in programmatic video advertising. With over three decades of experience across media, digital advertising, and programmatic ecosystems, Rajkumar has held leadership roles across some of India’s most prominent media and advertising organizations, including The Times of India, Hindustan Times, NDTV Media, and the exclusive India partnership for OpenX. He was also part of the founding teams behind Delhi Times and Magicbricks, giving him a front-row seat to the evolution of India’s modern media and digital ecosystem.
  Having witnessed the transformation of India’s media and internet landscape from its formative years, Rajkumar spent decades observing inefficiencies in digital media buying, escalating CPMs, and growing advertiser pressure to deliver more with constrained budgets. This eventually led him to found BidVid with a clear mission: to make programmatic advertising smarter, more transparent, and significantly more efficient.
  Under his leadership, BidVid has developed an AI- and machine learning-powered optimization engine that works within existing DV360 and YouTube campaign infrastructures to improve bidding efficiency in real time. The platform is designed to help advertisers reduce media waste, improve campaign outcomes, and achieve measurable savings without disrupting campaign structures or workflows.
  Developed in India and now expanding globally, BidVid is increasingly gaining attention across international markets including APAC, the Middle East, Australia, Europe, and North America.
  Rajkumar is widely recognized for combining deep media expertise with a forward-looking understanding of advertising technology, programmatic infrastructure, and AI-led optimization. His work continues to focus on helping brands and agencies unlock greater value from digital media investments while redefining how programmatic advertising performance is approached in modern marketing ecosystems.
• 

  Ravi Agrawal

  Head of Marketing

  

  Ravi Agrawal
  Head of Marketing , Force Motors Ltd.

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  Strategic Marketing Leader with over 25 years of experience driving business growth, transformation, and market leadership across the automotive and commercial vehicle sectors. Proven expertise in brand and P&L management, digital transformation, telematics solutions, and customer-centric growth strategies. Currently leading marketing for domestic and international markets at Force Motors Ltd., with prior leadership roles in the Commercial Vehicle Business at Mahindra & Mahindra. Brings deep industry expertise across the entire commercial vehicle ecosystem, including three-wheelers, light commercial vehicles, heavy trucks and buses, construction equipment, and shared mobility solutions. Adept at enhancing customer experiences through the integration of dealer management systems and telematics platforms, building robust CRM ecosystems, and deploying digital-first marketing initiatives that drive engagement and business outcomes. Demonstrated success in managing brand portfolios exceeding ₹10,000 crore, accelerating growth through innovation, and delivering impactful customer engagement programs. Experienced in conceptualizing and executing high-impact CSR initiatives that strengthen brand equity, foster community engagement, and create sustainable social impact. Recognized among India's Top 50 Rural Marketing Professionals and a recipient of multiple innovation awards for pioneering customer engagement and business transformation solutions.
• 

  Rohit Talwar

  Chief Marketing Officer

  

  Rohit Talwar
  Chief Marketing Officer , JSW Paints

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  Rohit Talwar is the Chief Marketing Officer at JSW Paints, where he leads the brand’s consumer and customer marketing with a sharp focus on innovation and storytelling With over two decades of experience, he’s built a reputation for blending strategic clarity with creative courage turning marketing into a powerful force for storytelling and connection.
  Before joining JSW Paints, Rohit spent 21 transformative years at Castrol where he helmed marketing across India and Southeast Asia. From launching breakthrough campaigns to driving brand reinvention his work consistently pushed boundaries and set new benchmarks for engagement and growth. A passionate believer in the power of purposeful communication, Rohit thrives on ideas that make people stop, think, and feel. Beyond the boardroom, he’s a regular voice at leading industry forums known for his energy, candour, and sharp perspective on what it takes to build brands that truly matter.
• 

  Sagar Vira

  Global Category Lead - Motor Cycle Oil

  

  Sagar Vira
  Global Category Lead - Motor Cycle Oil , Castrol

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  Sagar Vira is a brand and business leader who has 27 years of experience in understanding and contributing to growth of brand and business. He has worked across multiple categories within FMCG, lubricants and fuels; across country as well as global roles, across different functions. Having worked in marketing, sales P&L management, customer operations and route-to-market, he brings in wholistic business approach to any business challenge.
• 

  Sonia Sarin

  Head - Brand and Marketing

  Tata Power
• 

  Tushar Malhotra

  Senior Director of Sales and Marketing

  

  Tushar Malhotra
  Senior Director of Sales and Marketing , Bisleri International

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  Mr. Tushar Malhotra is the Senior Director of Sales and Marketing at Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd. With a career spanning of seventeen years, he has been responsible for spearheading the sales and marketing portfolio at Bisleri International through its multiple brand categories and leading the UAE business. He is also responsible for identifying key business drivers and setting up processes that help the organization deliver on top-line and bottom-line goals.
  Being the driving force behind creating a strong position for Bisleri, Tushar has played a pivotal role in driving the narrative of hydration that endures performance. He has been critical in strengthening strategic associations and hydration partnerships with sports leagues to further solidify Bisleri's commitment to health and fitness. Additionally, he has refined the refreshment category by launching new brands under its portfolio and has strengthened the position of the e-commerce platform – Bisleri @Doorstep. His deep understanding of marketing communication has seen him drive successful campaigns, propel consumers on the difference between Bisleri and other brands, and strengthen category leadership.
  Committed to sustainability, Tushar has also launched the Bisleri Greener Promise campaign, focusing on plastic recycling and water conservation. His efforts have made Bisleri a water and plastic-positive organization, while engaging millions of consumers in these crucial environmental initiatives. He was recently honored with ‘The CMO Sustainability Award’ at the Laqshya Pitch Best CMO Awards 2025.
  Tushar has strongly built and restructured business processes where cost and operational efficiency drive competitive advantage in line with core organizational values. Bringing strong leadership skills in leading multicultural teams, he inspires young team members with the prowess to design and lead large-scale businesses.
  In the past, Tushar has led dynamic roles across geographies in the consumer goods and luxury brand spectrum. He has held strategic positions in organisation such as Pernod Ricard, BMW Group and ITC. Tushar is an alumnus of the Faculty of Management Studies, University of New Delhi and has completed his MBA in Marketing.
• 

  Vikram Jeet Bhayana

  Head of Marketing

  
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  Vinay Shroff

  Chief Marketing Officer

  JSW Steel