Nikhil Kumar bids farewell to Affle after nearly six years

MUMBAI: Nikhil Kumar has stepped down from Affle after nearly six years, ending a stint during which he played a key role in expanding the company’s programmatic advertising business across India and emerging markets.

Kumar most recently served as chief growth and marketing officer for India and emerging markets at Affle. He also held the position of chief growth officer at Affle-owned mediasmart, where he led growth initiatives, strategic partnerships and market expansion across the region.

During his tenure, Kumar occupied several leadership positions within mediasmart. He was appointed vice president for India and Southeast Asia in 2021 before taking on wider responsibilities covering India, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. In 2023, he was elevated to chief growth officer, overseeing the company’s commercial growth strategy and becoming one of its key public voices on connected TV, programmatic advertising and AI-driven marketing.

Earlier this year, Kumar assumed the additional responsibility of chief growth and marketing officer for India and emerging markets at Affle, reflecting a broader mandate across the parent company’s operations.

Before joining Affle and mediasmart, Kumar briefly served as business head, global business solutions at TikTok in India. Prior to that, he spent more than two years at InMobi as director, brand strategy, working with leading brands on mobile-first marketing, digital transformation and advertising technology.

His earlier career includes a stint as head of marketing at Housejoy, where he led brand strategy, communications and growth marketing for the home services startup. He also advised several startups on branding and customer acquisition.

An alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Lucknow and Ramaiah Institute of Management, Kumar has built a career spanning adtech, digital marketing, consumer technology and brand strategy. 

His next professional move has not been disclosed.