Brands
Kabeer Biswas quits Flipkart after brief stint scaling quick-commerce arm
BENGALURU: Kabeer Biswas has skipped out from Flipkart after barely ten months, leaving behind the quick-commerce outfit he helped scale to over 300,000 daily orders. The Dunzo co-founder, who joined the e-commerce behemoth in January 2024 as vice-president of Flipkart Minutes, is already eyeing his next move—likely within the cut-throat world of ten-minute delivery.
Flipkart confirmed the exit, with company veteran Kunal Gupta, currently vice-president, taking the reins. “Biswas has contributed notably to the growth of Flipkart Minutes and strengthening of customer experience,” a spokesperson told Moneycontrol, which first reported the departure.
During his blink-and-you’ll-miss-it tenure, Biswas expanded Flipkart Minutes to multiple cities including Guwahati, marking the firm’s deeper thrust into India’s north-east. He built out a network of roughly 800 dark stores, narrowing the gap with established rivals Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart. Executives reckon the platform pulled in over 50 million new visitors to Flipkart’s ecosystem last year—proof that rapid delivery has become a potent customer magnet.
Biswas founded Dunzo in 2015 before stepping down from the Reliance-backed startup ahead of his Flipkart move. Industry watchers now expect him to resurface at one of the big three quick-commerce players, either at the helm or whispering strategy from the sidelines. In India’s breakneck delivery wars, a ten-month pit stop counts as a breather.
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.
