Brands
Victorinox elevates Sengupta to top sales and marketing post
MUMBAI: Victorinox, the Swiss firm best known for its pocket knives and premium watches, has promoted Debraj Sengupta to managing director of sales and marketing, capping his impressive 15-year tenure with the company.
Sengupta, who was previously country head for watches and chief marketing officer across four product categories, steps into his new role with over three decades of experience in the luxury watch industry under his belt.
The promotion marks a crowning achievement for the executive who during his stint at Victorinox, has carved out an enviable position for the Swiss company in India’s premium watch segment, slicing through competition with a precision that would make one of the firm’s famous Swiss Army knives proud.
Sengupta’s track record at Victorinox includes expanding the company’s distribution network to more than 150 multi-brand watch stores across India, forging partnerships with major retailers including Helios and Ethos.
After joining Victorinox in 2010, he oversaw the successful launch and repositioning of the Swiss watch brand in the Indian market. His performance eventually earned him a promotion to chief marketing officer in 2016, adding responsibility for the firm’s travel gear, Swiss Army knives and cutlery divisions to his watch duties.
Before joining Victorinox, Sengupta spent three years at LVMH Watch and Jewelry, where he managed the Tag Heuer and Dior watch brands. Prior to that, he put in nearly seven years at Swatch Group, working with its Rado and Balmain brands.
In his LinkedIn profile—which reads like a luxury brand roll call—Sengupta describes himself as a “P&L maestro” and “market expansion specialist” who has “mastered the strategic oversight and development of elite watch brands.”
Victorinox, which opened its first flagship store in Mumbai in 2011, now operates six exclusive boutiques across major Indian cities, selling everything from its iconic red pocket knives to high-end chronographs.
With Sengupta at the helm of sales and marketing, the Swiss firm appears poised to cut deeper into India’s luxury retail market.
Brands
33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
