MAM
Gemba Capital strengthens advisory board with Somak Ghosh’s expertise
Mumbai: Gemba Capital enhances its advisory board with the addition of Somak Ghosh, a seasoned banking and investment management expert. With over 30 years of experience spanning corporate and development banking, venture capital, private equity, infrastructure finance, and corporate strategy, Ghosh is poised to bring invaluable insights to the table.
Ghosh began his career in 1993, spending a decade at prominent firms like ICICI, Reliance, and Rabo India before joining Yes Bank as Group President in 2004. At Yes Bank, he led the bank’s Corporate and Development Banking Charter and was recognized as a Professional Co-Founder for his pivotal role in establishing one of India’s most successful mid-sized banks. By the time he departed in 2012, Ghosh managed over ₹40,000 crore of the bank’s assets and contributed to over 50% of its profits.
Driven by a passion for the startup ecosystem, Ghosh established the SEBI-registered Contrarian Vriddhi Fund in 2013 and made seed investments in 12 startups, including Pratilipi, Progcap, Signzy, Squadstack, and Minjar.
In addition to his role at Gemba Capital, Ghosh serves on the Investment Committee of Motilal Oswal Real Estate Fund. He earned his MBA from FMS (Delhi) and is an Advanced Leadership Fellow at Harvard University in the USA.
On joining the advisory board at Gemba Capital, Somak Ghosh stated, “I always wanted to contribute towards the development of the startup and fintech ecosystem in India. This engagement with Gemba Capital is an effort to help the ecosystem with my experiences and learnings. I have known both Adith and Govind for a long time, and I look forward to adding strategic value to Gemba Capital and their portfolio companies.”
Gemba Capital founding partner, Adith Podhar commented, “Ghosh brings a vast wealth of experience across BFSI and Venture Capital domains. The Fund will seek his advice on governance and strategic decisions. With his expertise and mentorship, we will add real value to our Portfolio Companies since fintech is a core investment focus for our Fund-II. We are super elated to have him as part of the Gemba Capital family.”
Gemba Capital has already invested in over 50 startups, including Plum Insurtech, Grip Invest, Wint Wealth, Zuper, Navadhan, Volt Money, Click Post, Showroom, Strata, and Kredmint. The firm recently received a SEBI license for its second fund of $30 million, which aims to invest in seed and pre-seed stage startups across Fintech, Consumer Tech, and B2B platforms.
Brands
Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail reshuffles top deck; Nikhil Modha to take over as CFO
Phased transition sees Marco Agnolin head OWND!, Nikhil Modha lined up as CFO as company readies next growth leg
MUMBAI: Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail is redrawing its leadership map, lining up a new generation of executives across key roles as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
The company has named Suraj Bahirwani as chief executive (designate) of Pantaloons, effective April 1, 2026, with a full transition to the top role slated for October 1, 2026. He will also be designated as senior managerial personnel.
A two-decade veteran of the Aditya Birla Group, Bahirwani joined as a group management trainee in 2002 and has since held a string of leadership roles across retail and manufacturing. His resume spans stints at Aditya Birla Retail, a tenure as chief operating officer of Pantaloons, and most recently, head of global sales at the group’s cellulosic fibres business, where he drove international expansion and strengthened value-added portfolios.
Academically, he holds a PhD from the University of Mumbai, a postgraduate management diploma from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, and is a chartered accountant. Over the years, he has picked up multiple chairman’s awards, including distinguished achiever, exceptional contributor and accomplished leader.
The transition at Pantaloons will be staged. Incumbent chief executive Sangeeta Tanwani will continue until September 30, 2026, steering the handover before moving into an advisory role to the managing director from October 1, 2026. She is set to retire on January 31, 2027, at which point she will step down as whole-time director and key managerial personnel.
Alongside, the company has brought in Marco Agnolin as chief executive of OWND! and senior managerial personnel, effective April 6, 2026. Agnolin arrives with over three decades of global experience, having held senior roles at Inditex, where he helped expand Zara in Italy, and later served as chief executive of Bershka and Diesel. His track record spans fast fashion, brand turnarounds and youth-focused retail.
On the finance side, Nikhil Modha has been appointed chief financial officer (designate) and senior managerial personnel from April 1, 2026. He will assume full charge as chief financial officer and key managerial personnel from January 1, 2027.
Current chief financial officer Jagdish Bajaj will oversee a phased transition until December 31, 2026, before retiring and stepping down from his roles.
The reshuffle signals a calibrated succession plan rather than a sudden overhaul, with the company staggering exits and appointments to ensure continuity even as it refreshes leadership across verticals.
As Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail juggles legacy brands and new-age formats, the message is clear: steady hands for the present, sharper ones for the future—and no pause in the push for scale.
