Brands
Manoj Kothiyal named CBO and global head of AI at LTIMindtree
MUMBAI: LTIMindtree has brought a seasoned AI strategist into its top leadership, appointing Manoj Kothiyal as chief business officer and global head of AI. The move signals the company’s intent to put artificial intelligence firmly at the heart of its next growth chapter.
Kothiyal steps into the role after more than a decade at Boston Consulting Group, where he was a managing director and partner. Known for translating complex data science into real business results, he has worked across industries to deliver large-scale digital and AI transformations.
At LTIMindtree, Kothiyal will shape global business strategy while leading the company’s AI initiatives. His focus will be on helping enterprises move beyond experimentation and adopt AI in ways that are practical, responsible and scalable.
“I’m excited to share that I’ve joined LTIMindtree as Chief Business Officer and Global Head of AI,” Kothiyal said. “After 11 wonderful years at BCG, I’m looking forward to helping organisations build AI-first strategies that create meaningful business impact.”
During his time at BCG, Kothiyal played a key role in digital manufacturing and supply chain innovation. He also founded Snow AI, a next-generation analytics platform that uses machine learning and generative AI to help companies simulate scenarios, optimise supply chains and make faster decisions.
Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at WNS and Absolutdata, where he built and scaled data science teams and delivered analytics programmes across global markets.
With Kothiyal on board, LTIMindtree is betting on experience, clarity and a touch of curiosity to turn AI ambition into everyday business value.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
