Brands
Knya appoints Chintan Adeshara as Head of Retail
Lifestyle and medical apparel brand eyes 100+ stores in three years as it ramps up offline push
MUMBAI: Knya is doubling down on bricks and mortar. The lifestyle and medical apparel brand has appointed Chintan Adeshara as head of retail, tasking the retail veteran with scaling the brand’s physical footprint across India as it accelerates its offline expansion.
Adeshara joins with a clear brief: help take Knya to more than 100 stores over the next three years and steer the next phase of the company’s retail growth.
The brand has already opened more than 20 stores and plans to add two new outlets every month this year, signalling an aggressive offline strategy and a push to build a strong national retail presence.
Adeshara brings more than 19 years of experience in large-scale retail operations. Over the years he has handled multi-state business management, store operations and region-led expansion, managing annual business portfolios exceeding Rs 320 crore and leading teams of more than 1,300 employees across functions and hierarchies, while keeping a firm grip on profitability and execution.
He has previously worked with fast-growing retail brands such as Zudio and Lenskart, where he played a key role in building and scaling operations from the ground up. His experience spans expansion planning, process standardisation, shrinkage control initiatives and driving sustained double-digit growth across regions.
Abhijeet Kaji, co-founder of Knya, said, “As we continue to scale our retail presence across India, it is important for us to strengthen our leadership bench. Chintan’s extensive experience in managing complex retail operations and building scalable growth models aligns well with Knya’s vision. We are confident that his leadership will add significant value to our expansion journey.”
Adeshara said the timing of the move made the opportunity particularly compelling. “I am excited to join Knya at a pivotal stage of its growth journey. My vision is closely aligned with the brand’s ambition to build India’s most structured and scalable medical apparel retail network. I look forward to driving disciplined expansion, strengthening store-level profitability, standardising retail operations, and building high-performing teams that can support Knya’s goal of scaling to 100+ stores over the next three years.”
The hire underscores Knya’s push to strengthen its leadership bench as it expands its physical presence nationwide. With stores opening at a brisk clip and the 100-store milestone firmly in sight, the brand’s retail ambitions are now moving from plan to full-throttle execution.
Brands
Rohini Laya Venkateswaran named executive director at Gillette India
P&G veteran with two decades of experience steps into leadership role
NEW DELHI: Rohini Laya Venkateswaran has been appointed executive director at Gillette India Pvt. Ltd., bringing with her more than two decades of experience across sales, strategy and brand leadership within the consumer goods sector. In her new role, she will help steer the company’s strategic direction and growth while strengthening its footprint in the grooming and personal care category.
Venkateswaran joins the board after a long career at Procter & Gamble, where she spent nearly 21 years shaping sales strategy, building brands and driving market expansion across India and international markets.
Most recently, she served as chief sales officer for India at P&G. Prior to that, she was vice president and country manager for east gulf markets, overseeing operations in Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar while also guiding sales strategy across the Gulf region, including the UAE.
Earlier in her career, she led sales strategy and planning for India while serving as marketing leader for brands such as Olay and Old Spice. During this stint, she focused on reshaping go-to-market channels and building awareness through digital, social and influencer-led campaigns to drive growth.
Her journey at P&G also included roles such as director sales strategy and planning leader India, associate director modern retail and ecommerce, regional manager for Delhi and Rajasthan, and several key account and trade marketing roles across the country. She also spent time in the United States working on the P&G Walmart international team, collaborating on global retail initiatives.
Venkateswaran holds an MBA in marketing from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from RV College of Engineering.
With her mix of sales acumen, brand-building experience and global exposure, Venkateswaran’s appointment signals a sharpened focus on growth and market leadership for Gillette India.
