Coca-Cola India names Aditya Kankaria as senior director – integrated operations (HCCB)

NEW DELHI: Coca-Cola is adding a seasoned operator to its leadership mix. Aditya Kankaria has joined Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia as senior director, integrated operations, at Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), bringing more than 16 years of experience across the telecom and fast-moving consumer goods sectors.

In his new role, Kankaria will oversee integrated operations for HCCB, focusing on operational excellence, business transformation and sustainable growth. He will work closely with bottling partners and cross-functional teams to strengthen commercial execution and enhance organisational capabilities across the business.

Kankaria joins Coca-Cola after serving as chief executive officer of Bharti Airtel’s Mumbai circle, where he was responsible for driving market leadership, customer growth and profitability in one of the company’s key markets.

Before his telecom stint, he spent several years at Unilever across South Asia and Bangladesh. His most recent assignment at the consumer goods giant involved leading the nutrition, foods and refreshments business, giving him extensive exposure to large-scale operations, distribution networks and commercial strategy.

An alumnus of XLRI Jamshedpur and National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli, Kankaria brings experience spanning business leadership, operational transformation and growth management.

His appointment comes as Coca-Cola continues to sharpen its focus on execution, capability building and long-term growth across India, one of the beverage giant’s most strategically important markets. With experience across both consumer goods and telecommunications, Kankaria’s blend of operational and commercial expertise is expected to support the company’s next phase of expansion and transformation.