Sharath Kumar joins Hector Beverages as avp marketing, platform head

BENGALURU: From quick commerce to cold drinks. Sharath Kumar has joined Hector Beverages as avp marketing, platform head, taking up the post in October 2026 in Bangalore Urban, Karnataka.

Hector Beverages is thrilled to welcome him, and the pitch is clear. Kumar brings eight years of experience across leading organisations, including Zepto and Dabur India, with a strong blend of category management, brand building, sales and marketing. Having worked in both fast-paced digital commerce and established fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) businesses, he has a valuable perspective on driving growth, understanding consumer needs and building successful categories.

The Zepto chapter is the freshest. Kumar spent two years and one month at the quick-commerce firm, first as associate director from October 2024 to March 2026, a spell of one year and six months, and then as director from April 2026 to October 2026. He led large categories across chocolates, biscuits, bakery and confectionery, driving growth through strategic pricing, promotions and category development.

Dabur India Limited came before, and it was a long and varied stay of four years and one month. Kumar began with a summer internship in April and May 2019, based in the Greater Hyderabad area. There he conducted a market study of more than 1,700 outlets in 24 areas, which lifted effective coverage more than fourfold, from 93 outlets to 431. He analysed competition on coverage, schemes and distribution to design a pilot in Vellore, then scaled the model to reach 3,000 outlets in Tamil Nadu. He also developed a standard operating procedure covering storytelling methodology, product emplacement, follow-up diaries and quarterly incentives for sales representatives, which raised sales by volume by 120 per cent.

He joined the management trainee programme in October 2020, became area sales manager in Bengaluru from February 2021 to January 2022, and then brand manager in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, from January 2022 to October 2024, a stretch of two years and 10 months. His skills there include P&L management and marketing strategy. In all, he played a key role in growing the foods portfolio, building new categories, strengthening distribution and executing go-to-market strategies that delivered tangible business results.

The entrepreneurial streak runs deep. Kumar co-founded L.E Agro LLP in Bangalore, where he spent two years from August 2015 to July 2017. He held profit and loss responsibility and led a team of ten to coordinate production and sales. He negotiated deals with major Indian retailers, e-tailers and hotels, and built relationships that generated repeat purchase orders. He improved production methods to lift output by 15 per cent and forecast demand and supply to keep operations smooth through the business cycle. He also spotted inefficient supply chain mechanisms and cut costs by 12 per cent month on month. Food fairs, expos and trade shows helped rejuvenate online sales by 25 per cent over six months.

Teaching was another early sideline. From August 2017 to June 2018 he was a part-time academic tutor at Vedantu in Bengaluru, delivering more than 500 hours of sessions and earning a rating of 4.9 out of 5 for content delivery. He is an alumnus of IIM Trichy (2020) and RVCE (2015), and served as secretary of Consulate at IIM Trichy.

Hector Beverages says his ability to connect consumer insights with commercial strategy, spot emerging opportunities and turn them into impactful marketing initiatives will be a valuable addition. His cross-functional experience and grasp of both brand building and business performance will be instrumental in shaping marketing priorities, unlocking new growth opportunities and driving sustainable business impact. The company adds that he will bring fresh perspectives to strengthening its platform, building deeper consumer connections and creating greater value for its brands.

The fit looks sound. Kumar has sold on the street, priced on the app and built brands in between. For a drinks maker looking to grow its portfolio and deepen its bond with consumers, that is a useful set of lenses.