Affle appoints Nikhil Kumar as growth and marketing chief

MUMBAI: If growth had a face, Affle has just given it a new one. Affle 3i Limited has appointed Nikhil Kumar as chief growth and marketing officer for India and Emerging Markets, signalling a sharper push towards scaling its AI-led consumer intelligence and mobile advertising business. The move comes as part of the company’s broader leadership evolution tied to its long-term “Affle 3i” vision and an ambitious 10X growth plan, as it looks to deepen its presence across high-growth economies.

Kumar is no stranger to the ecosystem. Having spent over five years with the company, he most recently served as chief growth officer at mediasmart, where he led expansion across both India and international markets. With nearly two decades of experience spanning FMCG, retail, food and beverage, and ad-tech, his role now expands to integrating marketing more tightly with business growth.

The appointment reflects Affle’s ongoing effort to strengthen execution agility while scaling its AI-powered consumer platform stack globally. The company is increasingly leaning into verticalised, AI-first strategies, where data, intelligence and performance marketing converge.

In his new role, Kumar is expected to drive thought leadership positioning, align marketing with growth initiatives, and enhance Affle’s visibility across emerging markets areas that are becoming central to its next phase of expansion.

The timing is telling. As Affle steps into its 22nd year, the company is attempting to transition from steady growth to exponential scale, building on a two-decade foundation of consumer-focused innovation.

In a market where algorithms are the new billboards, Affle’s bet is clear, growth isn’t just about reach anymore, it’s about intelligence at scale.