MAM
JK Cement promotes Nitish Chopra to group president role
Veteran executive takes charge of white cement and paints division amid mixed quarterly results.
MUMBAI: When a company decides to paint a brighter future for one of its fastest-growing segments, it helps to have someone who’s already been mixing the colours for nearly two decades. JK Cement has promoted Nitish Chopra as Group President and Business Head of its white cement and paints division, marking a key leadership transition within the company’s expanding portfolio. Chopra announced the development in a LinkedIn post, expressing gratitude for his journey with the organisation and optimism about future opportunities.
Chopra joined JK Cement in 2008 as head of branding and communication and has since held multiple leadership roles, including Head of Business Strategy, Head of Paint Business, and most recently president and deputy dusiness head. Prior to this, he worked with HSBC in retail banking and wealth management.
His elevation comes as JK Cement navigates a mixed financial performance. The company reported an 8.56 per cent year-on-year decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 173.61 crore for the third quarter ended December FY26, compared with Rs 189.87 crore in the year-ago period. However, revenue from operations rose 18.18 per cent to Rs 3,463.07 crore during the quarter, reflecting strong top-line growth. Total income stood at Rs 3,509 crore, up 17.95 per cent year-on-year, while total expenses increased 18.42 per cent to Rs 3,192.91 crore.
Chopra’s appointment is expected to strengthen JK Cement’s strategic focus on its white cement and paints business, a segment that has been gaining traction amid rising competition and evolving consumer demand.
From branding rookie to Group President, Nitish Chopra has clearly mastered the art of building layers and in the world of cement and coatings, that kind of steady rise is worth celebrating.
Brands
Ekart expands IKEA partnership with EV deliveries in Chennai
3PL to handle 600 plus products with 48 hour delivery via EV fleet.
MUMBAI: Flatpacks are going electric and your sofa might now arrive with a smaller carbon footprint. Ekart has expanded its partnership with IKEA to power last-mile deliveries in Chennai, doubling down on speed, scale and sustainability in one of India’s key urban markets. Under the collaboration, Ekart will manage end-to-end large-format deliveries for IKEA across the city using a 100 per cent dedicated electric vehicle fleet. The move makes Chennai the second major market after NCR-Delhi where Ekart handles IKEA’s last-mile logistics, signalling a broader rollout of EV-led supply chains.
The mandate is no small load. Ekart will oversee deliveries for over 600 products from IKEA’s catalogue, ranging from furniture to home décor—categories that demand specialised handling and precision logistics.
Backed by its technology-driven fulfilment network, Ekart is targeting deliveries within a 48-hour window, offering real-time tracking and end-to-end visibility from warehouse to doorstep. The focus is clear: faster turnarounds without compromising on control or customer experience.
The EV-first model also aligns with both companies’ sustainability goals, as urban logistics increasingly shifts towards zero-emission solutions. For IKEA, which continues to expand its omnichannel presence in India, reliable and eco-conscious last-mile delivery is becoming central to scale.
For Ekart, the partnership reinforces its positioning as an enterprise-grade logistics player in large-format commerce. The company already supports over 1,800 retail, D2C and enterprise brands, spanning last-mile delivery, part-truckload services and warehousing.
As India’s logistics ecosystem evolves, this collaboration highlights a growing trend: delivery is no longer just about distance, it’s about efficiency, experience and increasingly, emissions.
