Justdial appoints Dinkar Ayilavarapu as CEO, Dinesh Taluja as CFO

MUMBAI: Justdial is dialing into a new chapter. The local search platform has announced a sweeping leadership transition, appointing former Flipkart executive Dinkar Ayilavarapu as its chief executive officer-designate and bringing seasoned finance leader Dinesh Taluja on board as chief financial officer, as founder V. S. S. Mani prepares to step down at the end of the month.

The appointments, disclosed in a regulatory filing, mark one of the company’s biggest leadership reshuffles in recent years, with both its chief executive and finance functions set to change hands within weeks.

Ayilavarapu assumed the role of chief executive officer-designate and key managerial personnel on July 10, 2026. He will formally take charge as chief executive officer from August 1, succeeding founder and managing director V. S. S. Mani, whose tenure concludes on July 31.

With more than two decades of experience spanning digital commerce, retail and technology, Ayilavarapu has built a career around scaling businesses and leading enterprise transformation. His expertise covers profit and loss management, long-term strategy and operational change.

Before joining Justdial, Ayilavarapu headed Flipkart Wholesale, where he led the business-to-business platform serving more than one million customers across India. During his tenure, he focused on transforming the legacy operation into a digital-first, customer-centric business while improving commercial performance, modernising technology and streamlining operations.

Earlier, he served as Flipkart’s group head of strategy, helping shape the company’s long-term growth plans.

Before entering the e-commerce sector, Ayilavarapu spent 15 years at Bain & Company, where he advised global telecom and technology clients on large-scale transformation, mergers and business turnarounds.

On the finance side, Justdial has appointed Dinesh Taluja as chief financial officer and key managerial personnel with effect from July 11, 2026. He succeeds himself as a non-executive director, having resigned from the board with effect from the close of business on July 10 to assume the executive role.

Taluja joins the company after serving as group chief financial officer at Reliance Retail. Over the course of his career, he has also held senior leadership positions at Credit Suisse, Peepul Capital Investment Advisors, Standard Chartered Bank and McKinsey & Company, giving him extensive experience across corporate finance, investment banking, private equity and management consulting.

The twin appointments signal a carefully planned transition as Justdial enters its next phase under a new leadership team. With a fresh chief executive steering strategy and an experienced finance veteran overseeing the company’s financial direction, the company is positioning itself for its next stage of growth after more than two decades under its founder’s leadership.