MAM
Alok Varman rejoins Pepperfry as head of supply chain
Mumbai: Pepperfry, an e-commerce furniture and home decor company, has announced the return of Alok Varman as head of supply chain. Alok will be instrumental in further strengthening Pepperfry’s position as India’s leading furniture and home decor company. In his new role, he will focus on optimising the supply chain to ensure a seamless customer experience across all channels. His deep understanding of Pepperfry’s business, supply chain and a proven track record will be crucial in driving Pepperfry’s continued growth by ensuring a seamless customer experience across all channels.
Alok brings over 23 years of experience in strategic business management, supply chain, omnichannel business and customer experience spanning across sectors ranging from retail, e-commerce to B2B & B2C wholesale marketplace. As a founding team member of Pepperfry, Alok played a critical role in building its strong logistics and warehousing infrastructure. His decade-long association with the brand saw him lead the expansion of the company’s experience stores, making it an integral part of the omnichannel strategy.
Before rejoining Pepperfry, Alok was the COO at Isho.com, a D2C eCommerce furniture startup in Bangladesh, where he enhanced customer experiences and led the brand’s entry into the Indian market. He has also held notable positions such as VP at Wydr.in, senior manager at Carnation Auto India, and manager of consumer operations at Guthy-Renker LLC.
Speaking on the new appointment, Pepperfry co-founder & CEO Ashish Shah said, “We are excited to welcome Alok back to Pepperfry. His deep understanding of the business operations and passion for the category will be invaluable as we continue to optimise our operations towards delivering a superlative experience to our customers through our proprietary big box supply chain that reaches 300 cities across the country.”
Expressing his enthusiasm about his new role, Varman added, “I am thrilled to rejoin Pepperfry at this exciting time and to work under the leadership of Ashish Shah. I look forward to working with the team to further optimise our supply chain, deliver an exceptional customer experience, and continue to drive the growth of Pepperfry with excellence and innovation.”
Since Alok’s expertise spans across diverse industries, he is known for his ability to identify opportunities, build people-driven and technology-enabled processes, and cultivate value-based businesses. Pepperfry is confident that the newly-appointed head of supply chain’s leadership will drive the company to new heights, reinforcing its commitment to providing exceptional furniture and home goods to customers across India.
Brands
Ascenta elevates Adheip Bakshi to sales director amid growth push
Move aligns with expansion plans and flagship Basalt Hills development
MUMBAI: Ascenta has elevated its co-founder Adheip Bakshi to the role of sales director, signalling a sharper focus on scaling operations and expanding its market footprint.
Bakshi, who has been instrumental in shaping the company’s sales and marketing strategy since its early days, brings over a decade of experience in real estate sales and operational planning. He has played a central role in building Ascenta’s channel network and refining its go-to-market approach.
The leadership move comes as the company gears up for its next phase of growth, anchored by Basalt Hills, a 20-acre low-density villa estate positioned within the emerging Mumbai 3.0 corridor. Designed as a hospitality-led, lifestyle-focused community, the project combines serviced plots, bespoke villas and curated infrastructure within a natural basalt landscape.
Speaking on his new role, Bakshi said, “I’m excited to take on this role at a pivotal stage in Ascenta’s journey. Our focus remains on building a disciplined, channel-driven sales ecosystem while aligning closely with evolving buyer expectations for lifestyle-oriented developments. Basalt Hills is a strong reflection of this direction, and we aim to scale thoughtfully while maintaining the integrity of the product and experience.”
Commenting on the elevation, Ascenta founder and managing director Karan Bahl said, “This elevation reflects a natural progression, recognising Adheip’s contribution to the business and his ability to scale sales operations in a competitive luxury segment. As we expand our portfolio of boutique, design-led developments, strengthening leadership across functions remains a key priority.”
With this leadership shift, Ascenta appears to be doubling down on structured growth while keeping its focus firmly on design-led, premium real estate, a space that continues to evolve with changing buyer aspirations.
