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Titan announces leadership reshuffle in jewellery and watches
BENGALURU: Titan Co Ltd has announced key appointments within its senior management, effective later this year and early next. These changes follow previous intimations regarding the succession of C.K. Venkataraman as managing director and the resignation of Suparna Mitra, CEO of the watches division.
Arun Narayan, currently overseeing the Tanishq India business for retail, marketing, and merchandising, is set to become the chief executive officer of the jewellery division from 1 January 2026. He will succeed Ajoy Chawla, who is slated to take over as managing director on the same date.
A post-graduate from IIM Calcutta and a veteran of the Tata Administrative Services cadre, Narayan brings nearly three decades of experience in retail, marketing, and sales leadership roles within the Tata group and Titan. Since April 2020, he has been leading the Tanishq India business and previously held key positions as regional business head (west, all categories), Helios business head, and national sales & retail head for Titan watches.
Meanwhile, Kuruvilla Markose, currently the CEO of Titan’s international business division, will take over as the chief executive officer of the watches division from 13 August 2025. He steps into the role vacated by Suparna Mitra. Markose, who holds degrees in agriculture and an MBA from IIFT, New Delhi, also joined the Tata Administrative Services in 1995. His three decades of experience span diverse sectors including FMCG, telecom, BPO, consulting, digital, and retail across the Tata group. He joined Titan in 2015 as chief digital officer and has been leading the company’s international expansion in watches, jewellery, and eyecare as CEO of the international business division.
These appointments are part of a broader leadership transition within the company’s senior management.
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Tata Elxsi CFO Gaurav Bajaj quits, Nalin Rana to take over
Gaurav Bajaj exits on May 29th; Nalin Rana, a veteran of Standard Chartered and Tata Sons, steps in the next day
BENGALURU: Tata Elxsi is getting a new man on the money. The design and technology services company announced on Monday that its chief financial officer, Gaurav Bajaj, has resigned, effective close of business on May 29th, 2026, to pursue opportunities outside the organisation. He will be succeeded the very next day by Nalin Rana, whose appointment has been approved by the board on the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.
Rana is no stranger to big numbers. He brings roughly 17 years of experience spanning strategic finance, corporate strategy, investment banking, mergers and acquisitions, and fund-raising. He currently holds leadership roles within the Tata Group, including at Tata Sons, and sits on the boards of Tata Teleservices Limited and Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited. Before joining the Tata Group in 2021, he was executive director in investment banking at Standard Chartered Bank, where he advised clients on mergers, acquisitions, and fund-raising transactions worth over $15 billion.
Rana will also serve as a key managerial personnel under the Companies Act, 2013, in line with regulatory disclosure requirements under SEBI Listing Regulations.
The Nomination and Remuneration Committee and the board placed on record their appreciation for Bajaj’s contribution during his tenure, the company said in a regulatory filing.
One CFO out, one in, and barely 24 hours between them. For Tata Elxsi, the transition is textbook neat. For Rana, the real work starts May 30th.
