Talent tracker of the week: Leadership changes across marketing, media and tech

New Delhi: The industry saw a wave of leadership movements this week as companies across technology, media, marketing, and consumer sectors announced key appointments, promotions, and exits. From seasoned executives taking on new strategic roles to organisations reshaping leadership teams, these developments reflect the evolving priorities of businesses navigating growth and transformation. Several leaders stepped into positions focused on marketing, communications, and digital innovation, while others concluded long tenures to explore new opportunities. 

Ex Ipsos India CEO Amit Adarkar joins i-Genie.ai as CEO, India

Amit Adarkar has taken on the role of Chief Executive Officer, India, at i-Genie.ai. Previously CEO at Ipsos India, he brings over a decade of leadership experience in market research and consumer insights. At i-Genie.ai, Adarkar will lead the company’s expansion across India, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, overseeing operations that process large volumes of unstructured consumer data in real time. The company provides AI-powered insights for multinational clients, integrating generative AI to deliver real-time consumer intelligence. Adarkar holds degrees from XLRI, Jamshedpur, and IIT Mumbai.

Motorola India appoints Ipshita Chowdhury Marketing Head; elevates Gagandeep Bedi to APAC Marketing Strategy Lead

Motorola has appointed Ipshita Chowdhury as Marketing Head for India and elevated Gagandeep Bedi to Lead, Asia Pacific Marketing Strategy and Operations. Chowdhury will lead Motorola India’s marketing strategy and integrated initiatives, reporting to Shivam Ranjan, Head of Marketing for Asia Pacific. She brings over two decades of experience across telecommunications, automobiles and FMCG, with previous roles at Nokia, Microsoft, Philips Lighting and Valvoline Cummins. Bedi, who earlier headed marketing for Motorola India, will now work with regional leadership and country marketing teams to support strategy and operations across Asia Pacific markets.

Vanita Keswani bids adieu to Madison after three decades

Vanita Keswani, Chief Executive Officer of Madison Media Sigma, part of Madison World, has stepped down after more than three decades with the organisation. During her tenure, she held several leadership roles and eventually led the Sigma unit, overseeing media planning and buying operations while managing key client relationships across sectors. Keswani began her career with The Times Group before moving into the agency ecosystem. Reflecting on her journey in a LinkedIn note, she highlighted the professional experiences and relationships built over the years at Madison. Keswani now plans to pursue independent entrepreneurial work after leaving the agency.

Flipkart appoints Digbijay Mishra as Vice President, Corporate Communications

The Flipkart Group has appointed Digbijay Mishra as Vice President, Corporate Communications. In this role, he will lead the company’s corporate communications function and oversee stakeholder engagement across the organisation. Mishra brings over a decade of experience across journalism and strategic advisory within India’s digital economy. He previously served as Deputy Bureau Chief (Startups) at The Economic Times and later founded Ringsight Advisory, where he advised founders and investors on narrative strategy and communications. At Flipkart, he will lead integrated communications efforts as the company continues to expand its presence in India’s e-commerce ecosystem.

Juhi Singh steps down as Marico’s Head of Digital Transformation after seven years

Juhi Singh has stepped down from Marico, concluding a seven-year tenure in which she led digital transformation, ecommerce, and growth initiatives. During her time, she oversaw the company’s D2C strategy, marketplace partnerships, and omnichannel initiatives across India and international markets, contributing to global digital commerce capabilities. Singh held multiple leadership roles and collaborated with teams across India, Southeast Asia, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and Egypt. Prior to Marico, she held senior positions at JioMart Digital, Myntra, and Markelytics Solutions, with earlier experience in research and insights at Ipsos and IMRB International.

Game Developer Association of India appoints Shruti Verma as CEO

The Game Developer Association of India (GDAI) has appointed Shruti Verma as Chief Executive Officer as part of a leadership restructuring. The industry body has also inducted Sean (Hyunil) Sohn, Chief Executive of Krafton India, to its board, while former Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Secretary Apurva Chandra has been named advisor to the board. Verma previously led operations for Epic Games in India. The expanded leadership team aims to combine industry and policy expertise as India’s videogaming sector grows. 

Samsung Ads promotes Nishit Kanchan as General Manager and Head of Revenue India

Samsung Ads has promoted Nishit Kanchan to General Manager and Head of Revenue for India. In the role, he will oversee the company’s revenue strategy, operations and overall P&L in the country, with a focus on expanding its connected TV (CTV) advertising business. Kanchan will lead teams across sales, marketing, product, operations and technology while working on integrating hardware capabilities with advertising technology to strengthen the CTV ecosystem. He previously served as Sales Head India at Samsung Ads and was involved in building the company’s national sales framework. Before joining Samsung Ads, he held roles at Times Internet, ZigWheels and Business Standard.

Salesforce promotes Nipun Sharma to Vice President of Marketing for South Asia

Salesforce has promoted Nipun Sharma to Vice President of Marketing for South Asia. Sharma, who led marketing operations in India for the past three years, will now oversee regional go-to-market planning and integrated marketing programmes across South Asia and ASEAN markets. He has over 25 years of experience spanning technology and industrial companies, including leadership roles at Adobe, Apple, and General Electric. During his tenure in India, he directed key marketing initiatives for Salesforce, including a brand campaign featuring former cricketer Rahul Dravid, and will continue to expand the company’s regional marketing presence.

Shubhankar Mishra quits NDTV India after 7 months

Journalist and anchor Shubhankar Mishra has moved on from NDTV India after a seven-month stint. He joined the channel’s prime-time lineup in July 2025. Prior to this, Mishra worked with several Hindi news networks including Aaj Tak, TV9, Zee News and India News, building experience across television journalism. He also has a strong digital presence, with over 30 million followers across social media platforms. Mishra initially aspired to pursue engineering but later shifted to journalism. His next professional move has not been publicly disclosed.

Greaves Electric Mobility names Pranesh Urs as Head of Marketing

Greaves Electric Mobility (GEML) has appointed Pranesh Urs as Head of Marketing. Urs, with over thirteen years of experience across automobile and consumer electronics sectors, will oversee marketing for GEML’s Ampere, Ele, and Eltra brands. Reporting to Managing Director and CFO Vikas Singh, he will lead brand positioning, integrated marketing initiatives for electric two- and three-wheelers, and support GEML’s focus on sustainable mobility. Urs has previously held roles at Ather Energy, Samsung India Electronics, and Hewlett-Packard India, and holds a mechanical engineering degree from Mangalore University and an MBA diploma from Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies, Pune.

NDTV appoints Siddharth Narula as Revenue Head for NDTV 24x7 and Profit Brand Studio

NDTV has appointed Siddharth Narula as Revenue Head for NDTV 24x7 and NDTV Profit Brand Studio. Narula brings more than 25 years of experience in media and digital revenue leadership, with expertise in building monetisation frameworks across television, web, social and OTT platforms. Prior to joining NDTV, he served as Chief Revenue Officer at Zee Digital and Culture Machine, overseeing multi-market digital businesses. Earlier in his career, he worked with organisations including The Walt Disney Company, Bloomberg UTV, CNBC, ESPN and Sony. In his new role, Narula will lead revenue strategy, partnerships and monetisation initiatives for NDTV’s English news and business platforms.

Nester appoints Kunwarjeet Grover as Co-founder and Chief Business Officer

Homeware brand Nester has appointed Kunwarjeet Grover as co-founder and chief business officer, expanding its leadership team as it builds its presence in the design-focused homeware category. Grover previously worked with Honasa Consumer and Wellbeing Nutrition, where he helped scale digital-first consumer brands and expand distribution and e-commerce operations. His earlier experience also includes roles at Himalaya Wellness Company, Havells and Philips. At Nester, he will oversee business strategy, revenue growth, go-to-market planning and marketing functions, while founder and CEO Abhinav Singh continues to lead product design, sourcing, operations and supply chain.