Brands
Ahead names Prajwal UI as director of people and operations
GURUGRAM: Ahead, the digital platform engineering and transformation firm, has appointed Prajwal UI as director of people and operations for India, adding a seasoned people strategist to its growing leadership bench.
In his new role, Prajwal will steer Ahead’s people agenda while sharpening operational efficiency and guiding organisational transformation across the company’s India operations. In simple terms, he will help the business grow fast, smart and human.
With more than two decades of experience across global enterprises, Prajwal brings a rare mix of HR leadership, business transformation and HR technology expertise. His track record spans talent management, performance and rewards frameworks, compensation and benefits, diversity and inclusion initiatives, HR automation and SAP HCM led process transformation.
Before joining Ahead, Prajwal was director of human resources at Unisys India, where he helped strengthen talent strategy and improve operational efficiency across hybrid and multi location teams. Earlier, he spent over a decade at Wipro Technologies as senior manager human resources and HR business partner lead for the Telecom Business Unit and the CTO function. During this time, he also led HR for a US acquisition and managed Wipro’s persons with disabilities programme under its diversity and inclusion charter.
Speaking on his appointment, Prajwal said, “Ahead’s focus on building strong, integrated platforms mirrors my belief that people, processes and technology must evolve together. I look forward to working closely with leadership teams to strengthen people practices, enable scalable operations and support the company’s growth in India.”
Ahead has expanded rapidly in India since opening its first delivery hub in Gurugram in 2023, followed by a Hyderabad facility in 2024. Its India Centre of Excellence plays a key role in delivering high impact services to Fortune 500 clients worldwide, covering managed services, cloud platforms, data protection, automation and ServiceNow.
Ahead India managing director Sumed Marwaha said, “Prajwal brings a strong blend of strategic HR thinking and operational depth. His experience managing complex global workforces will be vital as we continue to invest in India as a core delivery and innovation hub.”
Earlier in his career, Prajwal held HR and consulting roles at Infosys Technologies, SAP India and Comat Technologies. He holds a PGDM in Human Resources, a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and is a trained SAP HR functional consultant with hands-on experience in automating enterprise HR processes.
With this appointment, Ahead signals that as it builds cutting edge platforms, it is equally serious about building the people who power them.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
