Brands
Libas appoints Saurav Shah as chief financial officer
Fashion retailer taps veteran finance hand to tighten discipline and fund expansion
NEW DELHI: Libas has appointed Saurav Shah as chief financial officer, bolstering its top deck as the ultrafast fashion brand pushes for sharper scale, tighter controls and sustainable growth in India’s crowded apparel market.
Shah will run financial operations, capital planning, performance management and governance frameworks, placing him at the centre of Libas’ expansion playbook as it grows its omnichannel and retail footprint.
A chartered accountant with nearly two decades of experience, Shah has worked across fashion, retail and consumer businesses, blending finance leadership with business strategy and commercial operations. His mandate at Libas is clear: build a financially agile, future-ready organisation that can fund innovation, absorb shocks and still grow fast.
He has served as chief financial officer at Jaypore Ecommerce, a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL), as well as at Reliance Brands and KAZO. In those roles, he drove financial discipline, profitability and expansion in high-growth, multi-channel environments. He also headed finance for ABFRL’s international brands division, overseeing labels such as Galeries Lafayette and The Collective. Most recently, he was associated with ABFRL and KAZO, leading finance operations.
Earlier stints at Landmark Group, KPMG and USPL (WROGN) gave him grounding in governance, audit, taxation, compliance and business advisory.
“We are thrilled to welcome Shah to our team,” said Sidhant Keshwani, founder and chief executive, Libas. “His deep understanding of the fashion and retail landscape, coupled with his strong financial acumen, makes him an invaluable addition. As Libas scales across channels, his strategic approach to finance will be instrumental in building a resilient and growth-oriented organisation.”
Shah called the timing pivotal. “I am excited to join Libas at this important stage of its growth journey,” he said. “My focus will be on creating robust financial systems that support responsible growth, faster decision-making and long-term value creation. I envision scaling Libas responsibly, investing wisely and building a business that is sustainable for the long run, while staying true to the brand’s customer-first ethos.”
The hire comes as Libas doubles down on expansion and operational efficiency, positioning finance as a growth engine rather than a back-office function.
In India’s ultrafast fashion race—where trends change by the week and margins by the season—Libas is signalling that style may win attention, but discipline wins endurance.
Brands
33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
