Brands
Dabur likely to name Herjit Bhalla as CEO
MUMBAI: Dabur India could be on the verge of a corner office reshuffle. According to media reports, the company is likely to appoint Herjit S Bhalla as its next chief executive officer, marking a significant leadership transition at one of India’s oldest consumer goods firms.
If the appointment is confirmed, Bhalla is expected to report to current CEO Mohit Malhotra, who might be slated to move into a more senior and elevated role within the organisation. The change would underline continuity at the top, rather than a sharp change in direction.
Bhalla is a familiar name in global FMCG circles. He is currently with The Hershey Company, where he has spent more than eight years in senior leadership roles across India, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and, most recently, Canada. Based in Dubai, he now serves as vice president for Canada and Global Customers, following earlier stints overseeing India and the wider AEMEA region.
Before joining Hershey, Bhalla was chief operating officer for North and East India at Metro Cash and Carry, leading growth and expansion in some of the country’s most competitive wholesale markets. His deepest roots, however, lie at Hindustan Unilever, where he spent over 16 years across sales, marketing and general management roles in India and overseas.
At HUL, Bhalla led large teams, managed multi brand portfolios and played a key role in high impact growth initiatives such as Winning in Many Indias. His international experience includes running Unilever’s foods business across Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, where he handled a complex turnaround in a fiercely competitive market.
For Dabur, the reported move suggests a preference for a steady hand with both global exposure and strong India credentials. Bhalla’s career has been built on scaling brands, sharpening distribution and delivering consistent growth, all familiar terrain for a company whose fortunes are closely tied to everyday consumption.
Malhotra’s expected move into a broader role would also mark an evolution rather than a departure. Under his leadership, Dabur has navigated volatile input costs and shifting consumer demand, while reinforcing its core health and wellness positioning.
While Dabur has not made an official announcement, the reports have already set the rumour mill buzzing. If they hold true, the baton at Dabur may soon pass to a seasoned insider to the FMCG playbook, keeping the company firmly on a steady, familiar path.
Brands
Sun Pharma launches ‘Heart ke Liye 8’ heart health drive
New campaign urges daily habits to build a stronger heart
MUMBAI: Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited has launched its ‘Heart ke Liye 8 – Making India Heart Strong’ campaign, urging Indians to prioritise heart health through simple, consistent daily actions.
The initiative comes at a crucial time. Cardiovascular disease accounts for nearly one-fifth of global heart-related deaths, with Indians often affected almost a decade earlier than many Western populations. The campaign reinforces a clear message: heart health is not built overnight, but through everyday choices.
Speaking on the launch, Sun Pharma senior vice president, marketing and sales Shailesh Joshi, said the company believes prevention is just as important as treatment. He noted that the campaign aims to spark regular conversations around heart health and encourage people to adopt small habits that can make a lasting difference.
At the centre of the campaign is the ‘Heart-strong Man’, a relatable and optimistic character symbolising a well-cared-for heart. The tone remains positive and practical, encouraging individuals to take charge of their wellbeing without fear. The campaign film has been created in multiple Indian languages to ensure wider accessibility.
The initiative is anchored around eight essential pillars of heart health, including eating better, staying physically active, managing weight, keeping blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol in check, avoiding tobacco, going for regular health check-ups, managing stress, and getting quality sleep.
Beyond awareness, the company’s Making India Heart Strong initiative takes an integrated approach to prevention and response. Sun Pharma organises around 10,000 heart screening camps annually, screening over 1.2 lakh people each year.
In addition, it conducts CPR training for more than 1.5 lakh individuals annually to strengthen emergency preparedness, while also investing in evidence generation to improve risk assessment and patient outcomes.
Its patient education efforts further extend to more than 15 million individuals every year through in-clinic print materials and awareness programmes, contributing to a broader, long-term effort to reduce the cardiovascular disease burden in India.
