Brands
Navdeep Sachdeva joins Zepto as senior VP and head of procurement
MUMBAI: Zepto has appointed Navdeep Sachdeva as its senior vice president and head of procurement, a strategic hire aimed at supercharging the company’s quick commerce operations. With a career spanning PhonePe, Flipkart, and Bharti Airtel, Sachdeva brings deep expertise in turning procurement into a strategic growth engine rather than a cost function.
Sachdeva shared his excitement about joining Zepto, saying his early discussions with founders Aadit Palicha and Ramesh Bafna convinced him of the company’s long-term vision. “It’s clear Zepto is building with purpose, scale, and ambition,” he said, adding that he looked forward to tackling meaningful challenges alongside a stellar team.
In his new role, Sachdeva will lead high-impact negotiations and strategic partnerships across supply chain, logistics, marketing, and technical procurement. He will focus on scalable sourcing strategies, cost efficiencies, and long-term vendor relationships to support Zepto’s hyper-growth ambitions.
Previously, Sachdeva headed strategic sourcing at PhonePe, overseeing marketing, IT, facilities, HR, and call centres. He also held leadership roles at Flipkart, managing commercials and services procurement, and spent over nine years at Bharti Airtel leading pan-India procurement operations. His expertise spans complex negotiations, performance-linked contracts, and operational resilience initiatives.
With Sachdeva on board, Zepto is set to strengthen its supply backbone, streamline procurement as a strategic lever, and gain an edge in India’s fiercely competitive quick commerce market.
Brands
Malaika Arora launches accessories brand Maejoy
The Bollywood star’s lifestyle brand, built with Myntra and Exceed Entertainment, promises aspirational fashion without the high price tag
MUMBAI: Malaika Arora is not the first Bollywood star to put her name on a brand, and she will not be the last. But Maejoy, the accessories label she has launched in partnership with Myntra Jabong India Private Limited (MJIPL) and talent outfit Exceed Entertainment, at least has a sharper pitch than most. The brand drops with 250-plus styles spanning handbags and lab-grown diamond jewellery, two categories that sit squarely in the sweet spot between aspiration and affordability, and lands on Myntra’s platform from day one, putting it in front of millions of shoppers without breaking a sweat.
The handbag range covers the full gamut: crossbody bags, structured shoulder bags, bucket bags, totes, workwear classics, backpacks and clutches, rendered in synthetic leather, raffia, braids, satin, rhinestone and metallic finishes. The jewellery line runs to rings, earrings, pendants, bracelets and tennis bracelets in silver, gold and rose-gold tones, set in 925 sterling silver with IGI and GCI certified lab-grown diamonds. The brand’s guiding philosophy, “The Joy of Being Me,” stakes its claim on individuality and self-expression; its three brand pillars, Authentic, Empowering, Accessible, are the usual suspects, though the lab-grown diamond bet is savvier than it sounds. Lab-grown stones now sell at a fraction of the price of mined ones, and the category is growing fast in India as younger buyers wise up to the arbitrage.
“Maejoy is a labour of love. Throughout my career, whether on screen, in business, or through my personal style, I’ve championed the idea that fashion should be empowering yet effortless. The brand aims to democratise global fashion trends while offering women something that extends the feeling of luxury every day, be it a lab-grown diamond or a perfectly crafted handbag,” said Malaika Arora, founder of Maejoy
MJIPL, the B2B wholesale arm of Myntra, is putting its design and brand-building muscle behind the venture. Suman Saha, chief experience officer and head of house of brands at MJIPL, was bullish on the tie-up.
“Maejoy brings together Malaika Arora’s distinctive style perspective with a strong proposition in the accessible yet elevated accessories space. We believe the brand’s fashion-forward designs and thoughtful positioning will connect strongly with discerning consumers.”
Suman Saha, chief experience officer, head of house of brands, MJIPL
Afsar Zaidi, chief executive of Exceed Entertainment, the talent management firm that helped broker the deal, has worked with MJIPL before and was characteristically direct about what makes Arora an unusually bankable partner.
“Building celebrity-led brands requires a delicate balance of authenticity and market viability. Malaika is a rare talent who commands equal respect as a fashion icon and a savvy businesswoman. We are proud to facilitate this partnership that brings together her creative clout and Myntra’s brand-building excellence,” said Zaidi
Celebrity fashion brands live or die on one question: does the star actually wear it, or is the cheque the only thing they signed? Arora, who has spent three decades as one of Bollywood’s most-watched style references, has at least built a plausible case. Maejoy is live now on www.myntra.com and the Myntra app. The real test, whether shoppers buy the handbag or just the hype, starts today.
