Grand Jury

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  Aditya Vikram

  VP & Head Marketing

  
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  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.
• 

  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.
• 

  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.
• 

  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