Board of Directors

Mr. N. Chandrasekaran is the Chairman of Tata Sons, the holding Company and promoter of all Tata Group companies. Mr. Chandrasekaran joined the Board of Tata Sons in October 2016 and was appointed Chairman in January 2017. He also chairs the Boards of several group operating companies, including Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power, Air India, Tata Chemicals, Tata Consumer Products, Indian Hotel Company, and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) – of which he was the Chief Executive Officer from 2009-17.

His appointment as Chairman of Tata Sons, followed a 30-year business career at TCS, which he joined from university. Mr. Chandrasekaran rose through the ranks at TCS to become the CEO and Managing Director of the leading global IT solution and consulting firm. Under his leadership, TCS generated total revenues of USD 16.5 billion in 2015-16 and consolidated its position as the largest private sector employer in India and the country’s most valuable Company.

Since he has taken over as Chairman, Mr. Chandrasekaran has been driving transformation of the Group towards digital, sustainability and supply chain resilience. The Group has forayed into new businesses including electronics manufacturing, consumer internet platform and mobile technology for 5G in India. The Tata Group has expanded its aviation presence with the acquisition of Air India and is building a large global airline. The Group turnover stood at over USD 125 billion with a market cap of USD 311 billion as on 31 March 2022.

In addition to his professional career at Tata, Mr. Chandrasekaran is on the International Advisory Council of Singapore’s Economic Development Board. He is the Chairman of Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow as well as the President of the Court at Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. He is the member of the Mitsubishi’s International Advisory Committee and the Co-Chair of the India US CEO Forum. He is also on the Board of Governors of New York Academy of Sciences and has been elected as an international member of the United States National Academy of Engineering (NAE).

Mr. Chandrasekaran was conferred with the Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian awards in India, in the field of trade and industry in 2022. He has also been conferred the President Eisenhower Global Award for Leadership by the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU). Mr. Chandrasekaran has been awarded several honorary doctorates by leading Universities in India and internationally, including an honorary Doctor of Letters from Macquarie University, Australia, Doctor Honoris Causa by Nyenrode University, The Netherlands, honorary Doctor of Science by the Aligarh Muslim University, and Doctor of Letters from the Regional Engineering College, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, where he completed a Masters Degree in Computer Applications, before joining TCS in 1987.

Mr. Chandrasekaran is also the author of Bridgital Nation, a groundbreaking book on harnessing technological disruptions to bring Indians closer to their dreams.

Mr. Chandrasekaran is an avid photographer, and a passionate long-distance marathon runner. He is a Six Star Finisher of the World Marathon Majors and continues to champion fitness.

Born in 1963, Mr. Chandrasekaran lives in Mumbai, with his wife Lalitha.

Mr. P.B. Balaji has been serving as the Group Chief Financial Officer of Tata Motors Limited (“TML”) since November 2017. He is a member of the Executive Committee of TML and plays a key role in TML Group’s profitable and sustainable growth journey. He is also on the boards of Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Motors Finance Group, Tata Technologies, and Tata Consumer Products Ltd.

With nearly three decades of experience in the corporate sector, Mr. Balaji is a seasoned global finance professional who has worked across the FMCG and Automotive industries. He started his career at Unilever in 1995, where he held different corporate finance and supply chain positions in India, Singapore, UK, and Switzerland, Prior to joining Tata Motors, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of Hindustan Unilever.

Mr. Balaji holds a post-graduate degree in management from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, and is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai.

Mr. Siraj Chaudhry is a renowned industry expert, innovator, thought leader, and prominent voice in the agriculture and food industry. He has collaborated extensively with various sectors, including the government, social sector, and industry, on various transformational and nation-building projects. He holds a degree in B. Com (Hons.) from Delhi University, Masters in International Business from Indian Institute of Foreign Trade.

With over 34 years of experience in building, acquiring, divesting, and turning around businesses, Mr. Chaudhry currently serves as the Chief Advisor and Non-Executive Chairman for SATS India. Previously, he was the Managing Director and CEO of NCML, where he played a pivotal role in expanding the Company’s footprint across the country and diversifying its operations, establishing it as a trusted and preferred agri-supply chain and solutions provider.

He was also the Chairman of Cargill India, the Indian arm of Cargill Inc., where he led the build and expansion of Cargill’s food business in India, making it a leading player in edible oils, flour, corn products, and food ingredients. During his tenure, Cargill’s animal nutrition business and global business services footprint in India saw significant growth. Mr. Chaudhry is credited with spearheading Cargill’s efforts in edible oil fortification, which was recognised by Fortune Magazine as a Change the World activity.

In addition to serving as a Non-Executive Director and Chairman Board of NCML, Mr. Chaudhry is an Independent Director on the boards of several companies, including Tata Consumers Products Ltd., Tata Coffee Ltd., Dhanuka Agritech Ltd., Jubilant Ingrevia Ltd, Bikaji Foods International Ltd., and Carrier Airconditioning and Refrigeration Ltd. He is also a member of the non-statutory advisory council of AB InBev, India.

Mr. Chaudhry has previously served as an Independent Director on the Board of IndusInd Bank and as a member of CDC Group plc (now BII) Food and Agriculture Advisory Council. He has chaired the National Committee on Food Processing and served as the Co-chair of the National Committee for Agriculture at FICCI. Mr. Chaudhry has also chaired the Agriculture and Food Committees at the American Chamber of Commerce and US India Business Council in India.

Mr. Bharat Puri is the Managing Director of Pidilite Industries Limited since April 2015, having first joined the Board of Pidilite Industries Ltd. as an Independent Director in 2008. With a proven track record as a successful global business leader, he has effectively built, motivated, and directed diverse teams across various regions in both developed and developing markets. He is graduate in Commerce from Punjab University and holds post-graduate diploma in Management (MBA) from IIM, Ahmedabad.

Mr. Puri’s professional journey began at Asian Paints in 1982, where he started as a Sales and Marketing executive and eventually rose to the position of Head of Sales and Marketing. In 1998, he transitioned to Cadbury India, serving as Director of Sales and Marketing before being appointed as its Managing Director in 2002. Throughout his career, he has held several senior leadership positions in Sales, Marketing, and General Management at both regional and global levels. His exceptional performance culminated in his appointment as the Global President of Chocolates, Gum, and Candy for Mondelez International.

Ms. Shikha Sharma holds a degree in B. A (Hons.) in Economics, post-graduate diploma in Software Technology from National Centre for Software Technology and Post Graduate Diploma in Management from IIM, Ahmedabad. With a wealth of experience in banking and insurance, she boasts an impressive track record. During her tenure, she successfully transformed Axis Bank Limited from a predominantly corporate lender to a bank with a robust retail deposit franchise and a well-balanced lending book.

Ms. Sharma embarked on her career with ICICI Bank in 1980. She served as the MD and CEO of ICICI Personal Financial Services from May 1998 to December 2000. Subsequently, she held the position of Managing Director and CEO at ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company from December 2000 to June 2009. She later became the Managing Director and CEO of Axis Bank from June 2009 to December 2018.

Ms. Sharma has earned numerous accolades, including the CNBC TV18 Outstanding Businesswoman of the year, AIMA JRD TATA Corporate Leadership, and Business Standard’s Banker of the Year. She has also been recognised as one of the Top 20 Women in Finance-by-Finance Asia and one of the 50 most powerful women in business by Fortune.

Ms. Sharma serves on the board of directors for several publicly listed companies, including Tata Consumer Products Limited, Tech Mahindra Limited, Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Limited, and Piramal Enterprises Limited. Additionally, she is an advisor /consultant to Piramal Enterprises Limited, Billionbrains Garage Ventures Private Limited, Bahaar Foundation - a unit of Akshati Charitable Trust and Google India Digital Services Pvt. Ltd. She is also a member of the Board of Governors of IIM, Lucknow.

Dr. K.P. Krishnan retired from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) on 31 December 2019, after serving for 37 years. Through his career, he held various positions in the Government of Karnataka, the Government of India, and the World Bank, serving in departments dealing with agriculture, co-operatives, marketing, urban development and infrastructure, commercial taxes, and finance. He also held field positions such as District Collector Mangalore.

During his time in the Government of India, he served as Secretary of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship from 1 February 2017, to 31 December 2019, as Special/ Additional Secretary of the Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development (2014-2017), Additional Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance (2013-2014), Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (2010-2012), and Joint Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance (2005-2010). In these roles, he served on the boards of corporations, banks, and statutory regulatory authorities.

Dr. Krishnan has also been actively involved in research and academia throughout his government career. He has been a visiting faculty member at various institutions, including IIM Bengaluru, ISB, and Ashoka University, and was the Bok Visiting Professor of Regulation at the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2012-13. He served as the IEPF Chair Professor of Economics at the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) in New Delhi from 7 August 2020 to 31 December 2021, and is currently an Honorary Research Professor at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) in New Delhi.

Dr. Krishnan is also an Independent Director on the Boards of Shriram Capital Private Limited and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Limited. He studied Economics at St. Stephens College and Law at the Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi, and earned his FPM (Ph.D.) in Economics at IIM Bangalore’s 2003 graduation ceremony.

Mr. David Crean is a highly accomplished and experienced professional in the food industry with over 35 years of expertise in leadership, talent development, innovation, research and development, science, quality management, and food safety. He is graduated with a BA (Hons.) Degree in Applied Biology from Liverpool Polytechnic.

He held multiple senior leadership positions at Mars Incorporated, including, when he retired, the dual roles of Vice President of Corporate R&D and Chief Science Officer, where he contributed significantly to the Company’s strategy.

Throughout his career, he led business growth initiatives, established global technology and research platforms, and most recently established various governance processes and performance standards for Mars’ global businesses. He launched over 70 Mars products in multiple geographies and drove profitable business growth across emerging and developed markets.

Mr. Crean’s passion and leadership have guided Mars’ highly principled approach to science, research practices, policies, innovation, quality and food safety standards.

Mr. Crean’s contributions extend beyond Mars as he participated in many events organised by the United Nations FAO and WHO while advocating for food security and safety.

Since he retired from Mars in 2021, he has continued to share his knowledge and expertise, serving as Chair of the Global Food Safety Initiatives (GFSI) Science and Technology Advisory Group and advising numerous global businesses and start-ups.

Mr. Sunil D’Souza has been serving as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Tata Consumer Products since April 2020. Prior to this, he held the position of Managing Director at Whirlpool India Ltd. for over four years and had a significant contribution in transforming the Whirlpool business in India. He has also worked with PepsiCo for almost 15 years, where he held various leadership positions, managing the commercial aspects of the Company’s food and beverage portfolio, and steering the business in a large cluster of Asian countries. Sunil started his career with Hindustan Unilever in 1993 and has 29 years of extensive experience in the consumer products sector with a strong emphasis on strategy, growth, and execution.

In addition to his current role as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, he is also a Director on the Board of Tata Coffee Limited, NourishCo Beverages Limited, Tata Starbucks Private Limited, Tata Consumer Soulfull Private Limited, and several of Tata Consumer Products’ overseas subsidiaries.

Mr. Sunil holds a degree in engineering from the University of Madras and is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIM-C).

Mr. L. Krishnakumar is currently serving as the Executive Director and Group CFO of Tata Consumer Products. Mr. L. Krishnakumar began his career with A. F. Ferguson and Co. in India and the Middle East as a management consultant. He later joined Larsen and Toubro Ltd., where he served as General Manager, Finance, gaining extensive experience across various functions in industries such as engineering, information technology, and shipping.

In the year 2000, he joined The Indian Hotels Company Limited, a Tata Group Company in the hotels business, as Vice President - Finance. Four years later, he was appointed as the Senior Vice President - Finance of Tata Tea Limited (now Tata Consumer Products Limited) in India in 2004. During his tenure at Tata Consumer Products, Mr. L. Krishnakumar held several leadership and strategic roles in the Company’s operations in India and its international business.

In addition to his current role as Executive Director and Group CFO of the Company, he is also a Director on the Board of NourishCo Beverages Limited, Tata Starbucks Private Limited, Infiniti Retail Limited, and several of Tata Consumer Products’ overseas subsidiaries, Mr. L. Krishnakumar has also been a member of finance forums of CII and Bombay Chamber. He holds qualifications in Chartered Accountancy, Cost Accountancy, and Company Secretarial.