Talent Tracker: Key leadership moves across tech, media, FMCG and more

New Delhi: From strategic hires to high-profile exits, companies across digital, media, FMCG, tech, and retail are reshaping their top teams to meet changing consumer demands and growth ambitions. 

This week’s highlights include Arun Srinivas becoming Meta India’s head, Vinod Khandelwal joining Team Pumpkin as Chief Growth Officer – Product & E-Commerce, Sanchayeeta Verma stepping down as CEO of Carat India, and new leadership roles across Flipkart, Bata, Meta, NDTV India, and more. Here's a comprehensive round-up of the key talent movements making headlines.

Arun Srinivas elevated to MD & Head of Meta India

Meta has appointed Arun Srinivas as Managing Director and Head for India, effective July 1, 2025. Srinivas, who previously led Meta’s ads business in India, will now drive the company’s business, innovation, and revenue priorities across the market. He will report to Sandhya Devanathan, VP for India and South Asia. With nearly 30 years of experience at firms like HUL, Reebok, OLA, and WestBridge Capital, Srinivas has been instrumental in advancing Meta’s efforts in AI, Reels, and WhatsApp since joining in 2020.

Sanchayeeta Verma steps down as CEO of Carat India

Sanchayeeta Verma has exited her role as CEO of Carat India after nearly a year with the Dentsu-owned media agency. Verma, who joined in July 2023, brought nearly three decades of experience in media, marketing, content, and tech. Prior to Dentsu, she held senior roles at Mindshare and Wavemaker under WPP, and contributed to agencies like Lintas Media Group and JWT. Over her career, she has led strategy for marquee brands including Google, Titan, ITC, Nestlé, Myntra, and Ford across categories ranging from FMCG to fashion.

Vinod Khandelwal joins Team Pumpkin as Chief Growth Officer

Team Pumpkin has appointed Vinod Khandelwal as Chief Growth Officer, Product & E-Commerce. With over 17 years of experience across product development, e-commerce, sourcing, and omnichannel strategies, Khandelwal will lead the agency’s growth efforts by enhancing client brands through strategic planning, product innovation, and seamless digital-offline integration. He has previously held leadership roles at Springwel Mattresses and Nilkamal Limited, where he contributed to brand building and marketplace expansion.

Mihir Wakharkar joins Flipkart as Director, Growth Marketing

Mihir Wakharkar has been appointed Director – Growth Marketing at Flipkart. With over a decade of experience in fintech, digital marketing, and consulting, he will focus on driving growth initiatives at the e-commerce giant. Prior to this, he led D2C and Q-Commerce at Rebel Foods and held senior roles at Bajaj Markets and Paisabazaar. He also brings consulting experience from Positive Integers and TCS, with expertise spanning revenue strategy, analytics, and P&L management.

Slikk appoints ex-Nykaa VP Sachin Kataria to lead Beauty vertical

Quick commerce startup Slikk has named Sachin Kataria as Head of its Beauty and Personal Care division. Kataria, a former VP at Nykaa, brings 17+ years of experience in building consumer brands and will oversee Slikk’s expansion into skincare, makeup, and wellness. Launched in 2024, Slikk currently delivers fashion products within 60 minutes in Bengaluru and aims to become a rapid lifestyle commerce platform. Kataria will help drive the BPC strategy from the Founder’s Office, focusing on product curation, partnerships, and go-to-market execution.

Panos Mytaros to take over as Global CEO of Bata Group

Bata Group has appointed Panos Mytaros as its new Global CEO, effective September 15, 2025. He succeeds Sandeep Kataria, who led the company since 2020 through a pivotal phase marked by digital transformation and global retail shifts. Mytaros brings over three decades of experience in the footwear and leather sector and most recently served as CEO of ECCO. 

Puneet Biyani joins TOI as VP and Head of OOH, Branded Content & Exhibitions

Puneet Biyani has been appointed Vice President and Head of Out-of-Home (OOH), Branded Content and Exhibitions at Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. (The Times of India Group). With over 20 years of experience in business strategy, operations, and media, Biyani previously served as President and Chief Strategy Officer at Lemma Tech, where he led APAC operations and drove innovations in digital OOH. A former executive at Times OOH, Goldman Sachs and PwC, he will now focus on expanding BCCL’s cross-platform partnerships and client solution capabilities.

Amitabh Kant steps down as G20 Sherpa after 45 years in public service

Amitabh Kant has resigned as India’s G20 Sherpa, concluding a distinguished 45-year career in government. The former NITI Aayog CEO played a pivotal role in India's 2023 G20 presidency and was instrumental in bringing the African Union into the grouping. A 1980-batch IAS officer, Kant now plans to support India’s growth through collaboration with startups, think tanks, academia, and enterprises. 

Sandeep Kataria steps down as Global CEO of Bata

Sandeep Kataria has stepped down as Global CEO of Bata after a five-year tenure marked by global leadership and brand transformation. He will stay on for up to six months to support a smooth transition. Kataria’s exit comes amid slowing business performance, with Bata India reporting a 27.8% drop in Q4 profits. The first Indian to hold the global CEO position, Kataria had previously led Bata India and held leadership roles at Unilever, Yum Brands, and Vodafone across India and Europe.

Nucleus Software names Aabhinna Suresh Khare as CMO

Nucleus Software has appointed Aabhinna Suresh Khare as Chief Marketing Officer to lead its global marketing, brand transformation, and stakeholder engagement. With nearly 20 years of experience across fintech, media, and consumer-tech, Khare has held senior roles at Bajaj Capital, IndiaMart, and Star. A MICA gold medallist and NIT Raipur alumnus, he brings a vision of AI-led storytelling and purpose-driven brand building as Nucleus accelerates global growth.

Mukund Acharya joins SPNI as Chief Technology Officer

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has appointed Mukund Acharya as its Chief Technology Officer, effective June 19, 2025. Acharya, who was previously Head of Engineering at Disney+ Hotstar (now JioHotstar), brings nearly 30 years of experience in platform development and tech leadership. At SPNI, he will lead digital transformation across enterprise, OTT, and broadcast tech functions, and support innovation across both linear and digital platforms. He reports to SPNI MD & CEO Gaurav Banerjee.

NDTV India strengthens editorial team with Meenakshi Kandwal and Rohit Vishwakarma

NDTV India has expanded its editorial leadership with the appointment of Meenakshi Kandwal and Rohit Vishwakarma. Kandwal, a seasoned anchor with 15+ years of experience, joins from Times Now Navbharat and Aaj Tak, known for her impactful ground reporting and people-first journalism. She will now be seen on NDTV India with a focus on stories that matter beyond the headlines.

Vishwakarma returns to NDTV India as Managing Editor after leading RTV Network as Editorial Director. With over two decades in broadcast and digital, he is known for multilingual newsroom leadership and content innovation across platforms like India TV, TV9, and Editorji. His return is part of NDTV’s broader editorial reset, aimed at building a bold, ground-up, and trust-driven newsroom.

GTPL’s Anirudhsinh Jadeja elected President of AIDCF

The All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) has elected Anirudhsinh Jadeja, MD of GTPL Hathway, as its new President, succeeding DEN Networks CEO SN Sharma. A first-generation entrepreneur with over 30 years in the cable and broadcasting sector, Jadeja pledged to enhance collaboration and industry engagement. Sankaranarayana of Asianet Satellite is the new Vice-President, and Sanjay Goyal of Fastway takes over as Treasurer.

ShareChat’s CBO Gaurav Jain steps down

Gaurav Jain, Chief Business Officer at ShareChat, has exited the company after nearly three years. He joined in October 2022 as Head of Emerging Business, spearheading monetisation efforts. Prior to ShareChat, Jain held leadership roles at Snap Inc., Meta, and Google, focusing on business expansion and sales strategy. Announcing his departure on LinkedIn, he reflected on the challenges and growth that defined his tenure.