Brands
Mehak Gulati exits Airtel after seven-year stint as chief brand officer
Award-winning marketer signs off after leading Airtel’s brand and AI journey
MUMBAI: Mehak Gulati has stepped down from her role at Airtel, bringing to a close a seven-year stint marked by high-profile campaigns, Cannes wins, and a growing focus on AI-led brand transformation.
Announcing her departure in a LinkedIn post, Gulati described her time at the telecom giant as “an absolutely wonderful 7 years”, reflecting on everything from creative brainstorms and celebrity shoots to consumer insight trips and late-night campaign discussions.
During her tenure, she led Airtel’s brand, media, and insights functions and briefly took on the role of AI transformation lead in 2023. Before becoming chief brand officer in October 2023, she served as head of branding, where she helped the company win three Cannes awards.
The marketer also thanked Sunil Bharti Mittal and the company’s leadership team for their support, recalling receiving the Chairman’s Award and an emotional farewell that included a billboard outside the office.
Prior to Airtel, Gulati spent more than eight years at Unilever, working across global Dove and Baby Dove portfolios. She is an alumna of Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and St Stephen’s College, Delhi.
While Gulati has not yet announced her next move, she said she plans to take time to reflect and embrace “this new person” she has become after seven years in one of India’s most competitive consumer-facing sectors.
