Nikhil Rao joins Gullak Money as Brand Advisor

New Delhi: Gullak Money has brought on board marketing veteran Nikhil Rao as a brand advisor. Rao, who is currently the Chief Marketing Officer at Mars Wrigley India, has spent over two decades in brand-building across consumer categories. 

He has played a key role in shaping campaigns such as Cadbury’s “Shubh Aarambh,” 5 Star’s “Ramesh-Suresh,” Snickers’ collaboration with Rohit Shetty, and Boomer’s “Boom Boom Boomer.” His previous work includes the launch of Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk and Bournville, as well as a global refresh of the Cadbury Dairy Milk brand.

An alumnus of IIT Madras and IIM Calcutta, Rao has held leadership positions at Cadbury, Mondelez Southeast Asia, and now at Mars Wrigley, where he oversees brands such as Snickers, Galaxy, Orbit, Bounty, and Boomer, in addition to e-commerce responsibilities.

At Gullak, he will work closely with the founding team to advise on brand strategy, product positioning, and go-to-market planning. His involvement comes at a time when the company is looking to sharpen its identity in the competitive fintech landscape.

"I’m excited to be part of Gullak’s journey," said Nikhil Rao. "Gold is emotional, aspirational, and universal to Indian households. Gullak is making it digital, disciplined, and effortless, and I’m thrilled to contribute to that evolution."

Commenting on his appointment, Naimisha Rao, Co-founder of Gullak, said, "Nikhil has a rare instinct, the kind that turns ideas into brands everyone remembers. With him guiding us, we’re a step closer to making digital gold synonymous with Gullak. We’re grateful to have someone like Nikhil believe in what we’re building and share his time and experience with us."