Flying Machine is India’s first homegrown denim brand and one of the coolest youth apparel brands in the country. Driven to innovate, Flying Machine continues to experiment and push boundaries, much like today’s millennials. The brand chooses to be a trendsetter rather than a fad-follower and this attitude is reflected in each and every one of its products.
Arvind Fashions Limited,
CEO - Lifestyle Brands Division, Arvind Fashions
Alok Dubey is the CEO of Lifestyle Business Division at Arvind Fashions and responsible for strategising, building and growing a spectrum of very successful iconic brands like US Polo Assn, Flying Machine and Ed Hardy.
An alumni of IIM Bangalore, Alok has over 30 years of work experience in the fashion and lifestyle industry of which the last 15 years are with Arvind. Prior to joining Arvind, Alok has held pivotal positions across industries and worked with well-renowned companies like The Swatch Group, Titan Industries, and The Times Of India Group.
Chief Sourcing Officer, Arvind Fashions
Anindya Ray is the Chief Sourcing Officer at Arvind Fashions and is responsible for sourcing, quality, product development, and technical support for the entire Arvind Fashions brands and retail group. He has over 3 decades of experience in buying and merchandising, design, product development and sourcing and quality.
Anindya started his career in 1987 and has worked with renowned companies like Arvind, UCB, Bombay Dyeing, and Madura garments. He has previously been the Design Head for Allen Solly, Buying and Merchandising Head for Unlimited chain of stores and is currently the Sourcing and Quality head for Arvind Fashions. Some of his most noticeable achievements has been launching brands like Lee and SF jeans in India. Anindya’s excellent knowledge of the Indian market, fashion trends, product and sourcing has immensely helped and played a significant role in the company’s growth over the past decade.
Chief Information Officer, Arvind Fashions
Piyush Kumar Chowhan is the CIO at Arvind Fashions. As CIO he works closely with businesses, corporate functions and partners, providing them with strategic direction and thought leadership to the digital initiatives. He is responsible for formulating and administering IT policies covering standards, information risk management, and governance. His past work experience with global retail giants like Walmart, Target, Circuit City, Tesco, and Best Buy has made Piyush an acknowledged domain expert in retail, E-commerce & supply chain management.
He has an MBA from XIMB and engineering degree from NIT Surat and has over 20+ years of experience in setting up new centre of excellence (COE) in retail technology operations and business transformation.
Chief Financial Officer, Arvind Fashions
Mr. S Kannan is the CFO at Arvind Fashions. A well respected member of the Institute Of Chartered Accountants of India for more than 30 years, he has helped create businesses, monetise and sustain value through initiatives on all aspects such as strategic planning, business acquisitions, and divestitures.
Prior to joining Arvind Fashions, he has work with Indian and Global MNC companies like Murugappa Group, Unilever (earlier Hindustan Lever), and TVS Group. His areas of specialisation include finance, accounting, risk management, commercial, governance and compliance, information technology and taxation (IT & T) and supply chain experience across retail, engineering, FMCG, and IT hardware and services sector.
CEO - Heritage Brands Division, Arvind Fashions
Sumit Dhingra is the CEO of Heritage Brands Division at Arvind Fashions. He has been a part of Arvind since 2009 and has been driving business operations, planning, and brand management.
Sumit started his illustrious career in retail and merchandising industry with Madura garments. He has an engineering degree from National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli and PGDM from IIM Lucknow and has over 15 years of experiences in the industry. Over the years, he has taken up major assignments in the areas of business strategy, competitive analysis, brand management and marketing, inventory management and key account management.
For his dedicated contribution to the industry, Sumit has been awarded ET 40 under Forty: India’s hottest business leaders in 2017 by Economic Times and Spencer Stuart.
CHRO, Arvind Fashions
Shilpa Vaid is the CHRO at Arvind Fashions. Currently she handles the overall responsibility for the human resources & administration functions for Arvind Fashions and associate/ JV companies.
Shilpa has been an HR leader with over 17 years of local & international experience spanning across all functional areas of HR, with a deep specialisation in performance and talent management. She started her illustrious career in HR consulting with Ernst & Young/ Arthur Andersen and thereafter worked with Aviva Life Insurance and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance.
Prior to joining Arvind Fashions, Shilpa has worked with MetLife as the Country Head of Human Resources wherein she led the HR function for the India business of the global insurance giant. Her last assignment with MetLife was as the Talent Management lead for Asia. Thereafter, she served as the Chief HR and Corporate Responsibility Officer for Bharti AXA General Insurance wherein she had overall responsibility for the Human Resources, Corporate Responsibility and Internal Communications functions.
Shilpa has done her graduation from Hindu College, Delhi University and has an MBA in Human Resources from the International Management Institute, New Delhi.
CEO – Sephora, Arvind Fashions
Vivek Bali is the CEO of Sephora India at Arvind Fashions. Here he leads the development and execution of the India strategy marketing, category management, store development & operations, and training & development He is a passionate leader whose career experience spans across international and Indian markets. Vivek is a renowned marketing & sales strategist with a rich blend of brand building, business development, and retail experience in India, Eastern Europe, Canada, Middle East, and North Africa. His expertise spans across the beauty business & non-food FMCG industries and across consumer segments in Premium, Mass and Value.
Vivek has previously held leadership roles with Lifestyle at Landmark Group, Reliance Retail Ltd, Avon Beauty products India Pvt Ltd, and Lakme Lever Ltd.
Director, Arvind Fashions
Mr. Kulin Lalbhai is the Director at Arvind Fashions and Executive Director at Arvind Limited. He is driving new initiatives in the consumer businesses of the group. He has been instrumental in setting up several new retail concepts and also spearheads the group’s digital initiatives. He also plays an active role in the overall Corporate Strategy. Kulin holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and a BSc in Electrical Engineering from the Stanford University. Prior to his current role, he has also been a management consultant at Mckinsey & Co.
CEO - UNLIMITED, Arvind Fashions
C.S. Shekar is the CEO of Unlimited. A dynamic personality, Shekar has a rich experience of 28 years, making him a stalwart of the retail industry. An engineer by qualification, Shekar has previously worked with Singer (India) Ltd., Stencil Apparels, Weekender (Gokaldas Images) and Landmark Group and has worked in diverse locations like India, Indonesia and the Middle East. He has served in various leadership positions across different channels of retailing.
He has been associated in the past with the Landmark Group (Dubai) for over 12 years. As President of Max Retail, Shekar was responsible for the strategic leadership of the company’s business with focus on design, buying, sourcing and quality assurance. He has played a pivotal role in Max Retail’s swift growth in India as a leading value fashion brand from its inception in 2006.
VP, Alternate Channels, Arvind Fashions
Mohul Sinha is the Head of private Label Brands Ruf & Tuf, Ex By Excalibur, QUADS and Oxford Street and VP (Alternate Channels) at Arvind Fashions. He manages exports and corporate sales of all brands. With over 29 years of experience, he brings with him a lot of industry experience and knowledge. Prior to joining Arvind Fashions, he has worked with Titan for 14.5 years, handling International operations based in Dubai, and Glaxo, where he worked in the Food Sales division for 2.5 years.
MD and CEO, Arvind Fashions
J Suresh is MD and CEO, Arvind Fashions. Mr. Suresh has over 30 years of experience in the FMCG, Lifestyle Brands & Retail industries. This included an 18-year stint at Hindustan Unilever Limited, where he headed the Sales Operations of the beverages business and was a management committee member of the Foods & Beverages business between 1999 and 2002. After HUL, he joined MTR Foods Ltd as its Chief Executive Officer and turned a regional brand into a national and global brand. He is an engineering graduate and has a Master's degree in Business Administration from Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.
Head, Corporate Strategy, Arvind Fashions
Ritesh Kumar is the Head of Corporate Strategy at Arvind Fashions. He handles Arvind Fashions strategic initiatives and works on identification of strategic opportunities that influences business growth and profitability. Ritesh is a fellow (Ph.D) of IIM Calcutta and an engineer from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra. Prior to joining Arvind in 2016, he has worked in the management consulting industry with A.T. Kearney advising clients in India, US, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and China and in other industries with MuSigma and TCS.
MD & CEO, Tommy Hilfiger Apparels India
Shailesh Chaturvedi is Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Tommy Hilfiger Apparels India, a joint venture between the Murjani Group and Arvind Limited. Mr. Chaturvedi has over 15 years’ experience in the branded apparel industry. He is an engineering graduate with a Master’s in Business Administration.
CEO, Premium to Bridge to Luxury Businesses, Arvind Fashions
Parag Dani is the CEO for the Premium to Bridge to Luxury business at Arvind Fashions Ltd. In his current role, he is responsible for strategizing, building and growing iconic brands like GAP, GANT, and Nautica. Parag is a turnaround specialist who has transformed loss-making and nascent businesses into scale-able and profitable ones. He has previously worked for organizations like Madura Garments, Reliance Retail and Levis and holds an MMS in Marketing from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies.
COO, Innerwear Business, Arvind Fashions
Nitin Agarwal is the COO for the innerwear division of Arvind Fashions. He drives strategy, business growth and profitability for Hanes and U.S Polo Innerwear brands. Nitin has over 14 years of experience in supply chain and business consulting with a focus on FMCG and retail sectors. He has previously worked with organizations like Miebach Consulting India Pvt. Ltd and Tata Motors. He holds an MBA from IIM Lucknow and a BTech degree in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Delhi.
Chairman & Non-Executive Director
Mr. Sanjay Lalbhai is the Chairman and Managing Director of Arvind Ltd., a 1.3 Billion Dollar Indian conglomerate. Over last four decades he has led the transformation of Arvind from a traditional textile mill into one of the world's leading manufacturers of denims, fine woven fabrics, and apparel solutions. He laid the foundations for the branded apparel business by bringing India's initial brands Flying Machine and Arrow, and opening Exclusive Brand Outlets. Sanjay Lalbhai serves on the Board of Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd. He is the president of Ahmedabad Education Society, Ahmedabad University and CEPT University, and the Chairman of Council of Administration of Ahmedabad Textile Industry Research Association (ATIRA). Mr. Lalbhai believes that addressing societal concerns and creating long lasting benefit to society is integral to the business strategy and a duty of every business leader. He provides strategic leadership SHARDA Trust, the CSR arm of Arvind. Mr. Lalbhai is an MBA from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute.
(Additional Director)
Mr Shailesh Chaturvedi is one of Arvind's strongest leaders who has successfully led several of our brands over the last 15 years. Mr. Shailesh Chaturvedi joined Arvind in 2006 to lead our Tommy Hilfiger JV. Over the past 15 years he has made Tommy one of the most admired and aspirational brands in the country. He also took over the Calvin Klein brand in FY18 and has scripted a strong turnaround of the business. Most recently he took over the Arrow business in FY19 and is currently working on a plan to energise and reinvigorate the franchise. Shailesh is a proven leader in the apparel space with a total career that spans 28 years in leadership roles in Madura coats, UCB and then Arvind. His deep expertise in working with international brands gives him a unique insight into global best practices and trends. Before his long stint in building the bridge to luxury brand portfolio for Arvind he has worked extensively in the mass premium men's wear segment as well.
Non-Executive Director
Ms. Nithya Easwaran has over 20 years of rich experience in financial services. She is Managing Director of Multiples Alternate Asset Management, a private equity platform with over US$1 billion of assets under management. Prior to joining Multiples Alternate Asset Management, she headed the Structured Finance Team of Citibank in India and before that she was a part of the structured finance business of ICICI Ltd.
Non-Executive Independent Director
Mr. Nilesh Shah is the Managing Director (MD) of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Co. Ltd. He has over 25 years of experience in capital markets and market related investments, having managed funds across equity, fixed income securities and real estate for local and global investors. In his previous assignments, Mr. Nilesh Shah has held leadership roles with Axis Capital, ICICI Prudential Asset Management, Franklin Templeton and ICICI securities. Mr. Nilesh Shah is the recipient of the inaugural Business Standard Fund Manager of the year award Debt in 2004. Kotak, Franklin Templeton and ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund has received many awards including the best fund house of the year award under his leadership. Mr. Nilesh Shah is a gold medalist chartered accountant and a merit ranking cost accountant. His hobbies include reading and educating investors on financial planning. Mr. Nilesh Shah has co-authored book on Financial Planning called A Direct Take.
Non-Executive Independent Director
Mr. Vallabh Bhanshali is a well-known thought leader and investment banker. He is the Co-founder of ENAM group, a reputed home-grown investment banking and long-term investor groups of the country. He has keen interest in several subjects outside his core activity such as behavioral science, economic and national development and scientific spirituality. He is widely recognized across business, media, social and spiritual circles for his work, talks, interviews and innovative ideas. Amongst his many honors, he is a doctorate from Teerthankar Mahavir University. He is a Chartered Accountant and has a degree in law. He has recently accepted the position of President at FJEI (Federation of Jain Educational Institutes). He is a trustee and former chairman of the Global Vipassana Foundation. He was a Trustee of the Bombay Stock Exchange. He is the founder and chief mentor of Desh Apnayen Sahayog Foundation and the founder Director of FLAME University - India's innovative Liberal Arts University.
Non-Executive Independent Director
Ms. Abanti Sankaranarayanan leads the Strategy and Corporate Affairs functions at Diageo India. She is an accomplished business leader with over two decades experience across general management, marketing, public policy, corporate reputation and sustainability in the consumer products and luxury industry. A considerable part of her career was spent with the Tata Group, as part of the elite Tata Administrative Services (TAS). In June 2010, since joining Diageo India Private Ltd, she went on to take the mantle of Managing Director responsible for its business, brands and people in India. She also serves on the CII National Committee on FMCG, Vice Chairperson of ASCI and member of the board of ISWAI (industry body for domestic alcohol beverage producers in India) and the Chairman of Four Seasons Wines Ltd. Her contribution to the business has been recognized by Fortune India, India Today and Fast Company, New York. Abanti is an Economics Graduate from St. Stephen's College, Delhi and an MBA from Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad.
Non-Executive Independent Director
Mr. Achal Bakeri is the Chairman and Managing Director of Symphony Limited. He leads the management of critical organizational functions such as corporate strategy, international growth opportunities and people development. He is an Architect and has studied Master of Business Administration from University of Southern California. Mr. Bakeri has 32 years of experience in varied fields, including construction, exports, manufacturing and design development. Under his guidance and leadership, Symphony has established its position as the largest manufacturer of air coolers in the world.
Non-Executive Independent Director
Mr. Nagesh Pinge is an Expert in Ethics, Corporate Governance, Risk Management and Internal Audit. He is a Chartered Accountant and Law Graduate from India. He has also completed Executive Education Program from The Stephen M Ross School of Business of the University of Michigan, USA. In a career spanning 35 years, he has worked with many organizations of repute like Tata Motors as Chief-Internal Audit, Risk Management and Ethics. Prior to that he has also served Reliance Retail Ltd, JSW Steel Ltd. and ICICI Bank and its Group Companies. He is an Independent Director in many reputed Companies. He is a past President of the Institute of Internal Auditors, India.
CHRO, Arvind Fashions
Priya Gopalakrishnan is the CHRO at Arvind Fashions Limited. She is a Commerce graduate from Mumbai University and completed her Post Graduation in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad in 1994. Priya brings with her a deep understanding of business context and HR's role in enabling & supporting the business. She worked with Hindustan Unilever during the initial part of her career for more than 12 years, starting as a Management Trainee and then working her way through various roles in the HR function. Prior to joining AFL, Priya was heading the HR function for more than a decade at Exide Life Insurance (formerly known as ING Vysya Life Insurance). She has served as a member of the Executive Committee of NHRD, Bangalore Chapter and their Advisory Council. She loves reading & is a fitness enthusiast.
Non-Executive Director
Mr. Punit Lalbhai is Executive Director of Arvind Limited and leads Arvind’s Advanced Materials, Engineering, and Agribusinesses. He also spearheads initiatives in sustainability, CSR, and Innovation at Arvind. He has an MBA from INSEAD and a Masters of Environmental Science from Yale University.
Non-Executive Director
Ms. Vani is an idea lover and a trend spotter. After being a successful serial entrepreneur in the Silicon Valley, she moved back to India to get involved in the start-up ecosystem, when the entrepreneurial landscape was still in its infancy. Vani is also on the Board of several companies and has nurtured successful startups like Dream11, Snapdeal and Urban Ladder which are redefining the landscape of Indian business. Vani received the 2015 Economic Times Midas Touch award for her record in spotting entrepreneurs and disruptive ideas that scale to become large and successful businesses.
CEO, The Unlimited business, Arvind Fashions
Himanshu Chakrawarti joined as Chief Executive Officer for the Unlimited business. Himanshu is a seasoned professional with 28 years of experience in the fields of sales and marketing, business development, strategy & retail operations across diverse industries in organizations such as Lakme Lever Limited, Unistar International, Trent Limited and The Mobile Store Limited. Prior to joining us, Himanshu was the CEO at Hicare Services Pvt Ltd. He has completed his Bachelor's in Technology in Metallurgy from IIT, Kanpur and PGDM in Marketing & Finance from IIM, Bangalore. Himanshu is passionate about distance running and enjoys playing golf, chess, soccer and lawn tennis.
CFO, Arvind Fashions
Pramod Gupta, 53, a Chartered Accountant by qualification, is the Chief Financial Officer of Arvind Fashions. In addition to leading Finance and Legal, he is also responsible for outbound Supply Chain. Pramod is an accomplished Finance and Operations Leader, with proven capabilities in managing rapid growth as well as turnaround, while keeping a keen eye on governance and organizational development. He has over three decades of experience in Finance, Operations and Supply Chain across diverse industries and organisations like Hindustan Unilever, DHL, Novartis and Microsoft. Prior to joining us, he was the Chief Financial Officer at Rivigo, a Logistics Start-up. He has actively participation in Industry and Functional Forums as speaker and has written for professional magazines. He has received multiple Global and local awards in the organizations he has worked in.
