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Vivek Abrol named MD and CEO of Luminous Power Technologies
Gurgaon: Luminous Power Technologies has tapped Vivek Abrol as managing director and chief executive, signalling a sharper, more aggressive push into consumer energy, solar and sustainable solutions.
Abrol brings over 25 years of leadership experience across FMCG, consumer electricals and energy-led businesses. Most recently, he served as chief executive officer of RR Kabel’s consumer business (FMEG), where he led a multi-year transformation to scale the consumer electricals portfolio through a mix of organic growth and inorganic expansion. He was instrumental in the acquisition of Luminous from Schneider Electric and its integration into a promoter- and private equity–driven Indian business, unlocking operational and portfolio synergies. Abrol also played a key role in delivering RR Kabel’s successful IPO.
At Luminous, his mandate includes strengthening the company’s core consumer energy franchise, accelerating its solar and sustainable energy portfolio, and advancing its evolution into an integrated consumer energy fulfilment platform. Innovation, digital transformation and building a future-ready, high-performance organisation will be central to the role.
Before RR Kabel, Abrol was business head at Pidilite Industries, where he led the consumer business (ASF), scaling growth ahead of industry trends while sustaining category leadership. He has also served as chief executive of a private equity-backed FMCG foods business, overseeing diverse categories and end-to-end operations.
A significant part of Abrol’s career was spent at ITC, where he held senior leadership roles across sales, marketing and supply chain over more than 15 years. His experience spans national sales leadership, regional sales management, supply chain transformation, and brand-building roles, including shaping the Mangaldeep agarbatti franchise. He began his career in manufacturing with the Cadbury Schweppes Bottling Group.
Luminous also confirmed that Preeti Bajaj, who steered the company through a key growth phase, will move to Schneider Electric to lead its global home solutions division.
As consumer energy pivots towards decentralisation, digitisation and sustainability, Luminous is betting on execution over rhetoric. Abrol’s appointment signals an intent to move faster, integrate deeper and compete harder in a market that is no longer waiting.
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33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
