MAM
Sarvita Sethi appointed as Coca-Cola India and southwest Asia VP M&A, Harsh Bhutani as CFO
MUMBAI: Keeping with developing business needs and investment in talent development, Coca-Cola India has made two-key changes at its top management. It has appointed Sarvita Sethi as vice-president, merger, and acquisitions (M&A) and new ventures, and Harsh Bhutani as vice president – finance (CFO), for Coca-Cola India and southwest Asia. The appointments will be effective from 1 August.
Sethi, who was earlier VP finance India and southwest Asia, had become the first woman to head the company’s finances for the region. In her new role, she will be responsible for the firm’s crucial incubator, which involves conceptualising, developing and launching new products relevant to the market, besides scaling up these new brands or products until they can be managed by general marketing and sales teams.
Sethi is a chartered accountant with more than 15 years of experience in corporate finance, and had worked for Sainsbury’s and Viacom in London before joining Coca-Cola in 2008.
She is known for her “results-oriented” mindset and her expertise in financial operations of fast-moving consumer goods firms. Her journey in the professional world began as an audit manager for the global audit and consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCooper in London in 1996. Before joining the professional world, Sethi went to City University London to finish her Bachelor’s in Science degree in economics and accountancy in 1995.
Bhutani, a veteran at Coke’s bottling arm Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages will take over from Sethi. Before joining HCCB in 1999, he was with Swiss industrial products and solutions conglomerate – Asea Brown Boveri.
A chartered accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Bhutani has earned a name for himself, among his friends and colleagues, as an efficient business planner.
Brands
Hyundai and TVS Motor partner to develop electric three wheelers
Joint development pact targets last mile mobility with localisation push
MUMBAI: Three wheels, one big ambition and a charge towards the future. Hyundai Motor Company and TVS Motor Company have signed a joint development agreement to co-create electric three-wheelers (E3Ws), aiming to crack India’s complex last-mile mobility puzzle. The collaboration moves beyond concept talk into execution mode, building on the E3W prototype first showcased at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025. The goal now is clear, design, develop and commercialise a purpose-built vehicle tailored to Indian roads, riders and realities.
Under the agreement, Hyundai will lead design and co-development, bringing its global R&D muscle and human-centric engineering approach to the table. TVS Motor, meanwhile, will anchor the product on its electric platform, leveraging deep three-wheeler expertise and local market insight. It will also handle manufacturing and sales in India, with an eye on exports down the line.
The timing is strategic. India remains the world’s largest three-wheeler market, where affordability, durability and adaptability often outweigh sheer innovation. The upcoming E3W aims to strike that balance combining advanced technology with practical features such as adaptive ground clearance for monsoon-hit roads, improved thermal management for tropical climates, and flexible interiors suited for passengers, cargo or emergency use.
A key pillar of the partnership is localisation. Major components will be sourced and manufactured within India, a move expected to strengthen the domestic supply chain, create jobs, lower costs and improve after-sales support.
The shift from prototype to production will involve rigorous testing, certification and refinement to meet regulatory standards and consumer expectations. Dedicated cross-functional teams from both companies are already in place to accelerate timelines.
At a broader level, the tie-up reflects a growing trend in mobility, global players partnering with local specialists to navigate emerging markets. For Hyundai and TVS, the bet is that combining scale with street-level insight could unlock a new chapter in sustainable urban transport, one that runs not just on electricity, but on relevance.
