MAM
VML ES Hub India appoints Rakesh Chawla as CEO
MUMBAI: VML has named Rakesh Chawla as the new CEO of its Enterprise Solutions Hub in India, signalling a renewed push towards next generation technology, sharper delivery and accelerated client impact.
The ES Hub is one of VML’s fastest expanding technology engines and plays a central role in blending creativity with advanced engineering to solve complex business challenges. Chawla will now lead this mandate, ensuring clients benefit from high quality solutions built on emerging technologies including agentic and generative AI.
The Hub functions as a global centre of excellence, teaming up seamlessly with strategists, creatives and technologists across VML’s worldwide network. The aim is simple, help clients do more and do it faster.
Chawla brings deep experience from leadership stints at Microsoft, Amazon, Sears and IBM. His background in building high performing tech teams and establishing global delivery centres positions him to further strengthen the Hub’s reputation for speed, scale and a people-first engineering culture.
VML APAC CEO YiChung Tay said, clients can expect sharper access to cutting edge tech and creative thinking delivered with precision.
Rakesh Chawla added that he looks forward to helping clients innovate boldly and turn ambitious ideas into business results. APAC chief experience officer Symon Hammacott, highlighted that the Hub’s focus on people and innovation continues to help clients convert bold visions into measurable growth.
Brands
Ekart expands IKEA partnership with EV deliveries in Chennai
3PL to handle 600 plus products with 48 hour delivery via EV fleet.
MUMBAI: Flatpacks are going electric and your sofa might now arrive with a smaller carbon footprint. Ekart has expanded its partnership with IKEA to power last-mile deliveries in Chennai, doubling down on speed, scale and sustainability in one of India’s key urban markets. Under the collaboration, Ekart will manage end-to-end large-format deliveries for IKEA across the city using a 100 per cent dedicated electric vehicle fleet. The move makes Chennai the second major market after NCR-Delhi where Ekart handles IKEA’s last-mile logistics, signalling a broader rollout of EV-led supply chains.
The mandate is no small load. Ekart will oversee deliveries for over 600 products from IKEA’s catalogue, ranging from furniture to home décor—categories that demand specialised handling and precision logistics.
Backed by its technology-driven fulfilment network, Ekart is targeting deliveries within a 48-hour window, offering real-time tracking and end-to-end visibility from warehouse to doorstep. The focus is clear: faster turnarounds without compromising on control or customer experience.
The EV-first model also aligns with both companies’ sustainability goals, as urban logistics increasingly shifts towards zero-emission solutions. For IKEA, which continues to expand its omnichannel presence in India, reliable and eco-conscious last-mile delivery is becoming central to scale.
For Ekart, the partnership reinforces its positioning as an enterprise-grade logistics player in large-format commerce. The company already supports over 1,800 retail, D2C and enterprise brands, spanning last-mile delivery, part-truckload services and warehousing.
As India’s logistics ecosystem evolves, this collaboration highlights a growing trend: delivery is no longer just about distance, it’s about efficiency, experience and increasingly, emissions.
