Pidilite names Amit Agarwal chief financial officer-designate

MUMBAI: Fevicol knows a thing or two about holding things together, and now Pidilite Industries has found a finance chief to do the same for its numbers. The company has appointed Amit Agarwal as chief financial officer-designate (CFO-designate) and senior management personnel, effective 9th October 2026, according to a regulatory filing.

He will take over from Sandeep Batra, who will superannuate upon completing his full five-year term from 2022 to 2027. The board approved the appointment through a circular resolution on 9 October, following a recommendation from the nomination and remuneration committee. Pidilite disclosed it under Regulation 30 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India’s Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements Regulations, 2015.

Agarwal brings more than 22 years of experience across finance functions, including accounting, financial reporting, audit and controls. He has previously worked with Pfizer, Hindustan Unilever and Vedanta Resources. He is a chartered accountant, cost accountant and company secretary.

His range is wide. His background spans pharmaceutical, consumer goods and resources businesses, with experience in financial planning and analysis, business partnering, risk management, taxation, mergers and acquisitions, and engagement with boards and audit committees, according to his professional profile.

At Pfizer, Agarwal has served as executive director, finance, and chief financial officer since February 2024, based in Mumbai. Before that, he spent nearly 18 years at Hindustan Unilever, where he held multiple finance roles.

His most recent post at Hindustan Unilever was general manager, finance, sales and customer development, which he held from July 2022 to January 2024. He was responsible for finance and commercial operations supporting sales and customer development teams across general trade, modern trade, e-commerce, business-to-business and institutional business. He led a team of more than 60 members across five regions, with responsibilities spanning trade and channel-spend efficiency, customer profitability, credit policy and commercial risk assessment.

The appointment places Agarwal in Pidilite’s senior management as CFO-designate. The company’s regulatory disclosure does not specify a separate date for his assumption of the full CFO role, and it does not give further details about the transition or the responsibilities he will take on.

For Pidilite, the hire brings a senior finance executive with experience in large consumer-facing businesses to an adhesives and construction chemicals company. Pidilite markets adhesives, sealants, construction chemicals and other specialty products, with Fevicol among its established brands. Its portfolio spans consumer and industrial applications, which makes finance and commercial management relevant across several business segments.

The 9th October filing was signed by Manisha Shetty, company secretary, and submitted to the BSE and the National Stock Exchange of India as part of the company’s disclosure obligations.