Bata India Appoints Gunjan Shah As The New CEO
Footwear major Bata India Limited today announced the appointment of Gunjan Shah as its new Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Shah will be at the helm of the brand’s operations in India. He takes over from Sandeep Kataria who has been elevated as the Global CEO of Bata Brands.
Gunjan has extensive experience of working across varied sectors spanning Consumer Durables, Telecom, and FMCG. He brings to the table an innate knack for understanding consumers, passion for action, people development experience, and clarity of thought and purpose. In his previous role, Gunjan was the Chief Commercial Officer at Britannia Industries. He spent the early stages of his career working with brands such as Asian Paints and Motorola before moving on to Britannia in 2007.
Welcoming the new CEO, Ashwani Windlass, Chairman – Bata India Ltd, stated: “I am delighted to welcome Gunjan on board as Bata India’s new CEO. Over the past few years, we have been consistently delivering strong growth in the highly competitive footwear market. Backed by decades of experience working with powerhouse brands, Gunjan understands the Indian market’s complexities and varied nuances. I’m confident that he will add value and strengthen Bata’s position in the Indian market.”
Congratulating Gunjan on his appointment, Sandeep Kataria, Global CEO – Bata Brands, said: “India has always been a significant market for us from a global perspective. A dynamic leader like Gunjan will spearhead the company’s operations in India and given his extensive experience and track record, I am confident that he will take the Bata brand to even greater heights and deliver strong growth.”
Gunjan Shah, CEO-designate – Bata India Ltd, added: “I feel both honored and humbled on being appointed as the CEO of India’s favorite footwear brand and on the confidence reposed in me by the board. I’m also excited about the journey ahead. As an iconic brand, Bata has become an integral part of the Indian fabric. I realize that I have big shoes to fill in and I’m thrilled about working with the talented & experienced Bata team. I look forward to building on the legacy of my predecessors in taking the Bata brand to new heights alongside creating long-term sustainable value for all stakeholders in the company.”
Gunjan holds a Bachelor of Technology (Computers) from VJTI, Mumbai, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata. Gunjan will be joining Bata during June 2021 and will be based out of Gurugram.
Bata has held a unique place in the hearts of Indians for more than 85 years. Probably the only footwear brand that offers footwear and accessories for the entire family, Bata has redefined the modern footwear industry in India. It has established a leadership position in the industry and is the most trusted name in branded footwear. It sets more than 47 million pairs of footwear every year and serves 120,000-plus customers almost every day. Bata India is the largest footwear retailer in India, offering footwear, accessories, and bags across brands such as Bata, Hush Puppies, Naturalizer, Power, Marie Claire, Weinbrenner, North Star, Scholl, Bata Comfit, and Bubblegummers, to name a few. It retails in more than 1600 Bata's own and franchisee stores, on bata.in and in thousands of multi-brand footwear dealer stores pan-India. To make its products accessible to millions of Indians, Bata has evolved its channels and has recently launched new channels like Bata Chat Shop, Bata Home Delivery, and Bata Store-on-Wheels for neighborhood communities.
