Biography:

Mr. Lalatendu Panda, is the Chief Marketing Officer at Reliance Grocery Retail, India’s largest Retailer with the largest network of retail outlets across the nation. He is a Sr. Vice President and part of the leadership team. He is the man behind the successful launch of JioMart in India in 2020 and is currently reshaping the new JioMart growth trajectory for the grocery business. He has been behind launching and strengthening multiple successful brands across formats He leads India’s largest Omni-channel Grocery vertical in the country with more than 3900+ brick & mortar stores across 1200+ cities across India. He has also helmed the success story of Reliance Fresh - India’s No1 Neighbourhood Supermarket chain; SMART Superstore - A value destination Hypermarket which he launched in 2017 & SMART Point - last mile delivery neighbourhood supermarkets which he launched in 2019. He is widely recognized as India’s Top Marketer and has been the keynote speaker & panelist at various marketing and business summits. Mr. Panda is a 1999 batch MBA graduate from the prestigious XIMB, Bhubaneswar & has more than 2 decades of extensive experience in consumer-facing businesses & brands in the FMCG and Retail sector.

Biography:

Lavanya is a distinguished leader with over two decades of experience in e-commerce, retail, telecom, and IT sectors. Known for her results-driven leadership style, she has made significant contributions through strategic collaborations and senior roles. As a Chartered & Cost Accountant, Lavanya excels in business strategy, financial management, and crafting comprehensive business plans. Currently, as Chief Operating Officer at Zivame, Lavanya's vision and direction are instrumental in propelling the company to new heights. Her emphasis on developing a seamless omnichannel strategy ensures Zivame remains at the forefront of innovation, providing a cohesive and engaging shopping experience across all platforms. Lavanya's professional journey is a narrative of excellence, showcasing her unwavering commitment to effective omnichannel strategies. Her ability to integrate various retail channels seamlessly reflects her adaptability and forward-thinking approach, ensuring a consistent and engaging customer experience in the ever-evolving landscape of modern retail.

Biography:

Manish Kapoor as Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer at Pepe Jeans India Limited, is responsible for the growth of the existing business portfolio and is instrumental in designing effective strategies that are aligned with the broader global strategy. Manish joined Pepe Jeans India in the year 2014 as Vice President Sales. Within a span of two years he was promoted to Sales Director and was heading the sales vertical for the entire business that comprises of company and franchisee owned exclusive stores, department stores, e- commerce, distribution and off-price verticals. With his growing understanding and contribution to the growth of the brand, in April 2019, he was elevated to Chief Business Officer and shortly appointed as Chief Executive Officer in September 2019 to head the entire Pepe Jeans business in India. Starting Jan 2022, he was promoted to the position of Managing Director in continuation to his existing role as CEO. Manish Kapoor is a skilled business professional, with overall experience of 20 plus years in the world of fashion retail with great exposure to all business functions like product, supply chain, brand management, marketing, brand operations and retail operations. During his time with Pepe Jeans India, Manish Kapoor has led the brand to win numerous industry accolades and helped the company earn recognition for its consumer focused business strategy. Pepe Jeans was the recipient of the Images Retail Most Admired Retailer: Retail Re-imagined 2021 for its ground-breaking & innovative campaign Pepe HD (Home Delivery) for having converted Pepe stores in to fulfillment centers to cater to its customers and offer same day delivery in the absence of a website. Kapoor has often been awarded for his exemplary leadership and business know-how. In 2021 he was recognized as The Economic Times Inspiring CEO for his efforts in helping steer Pepe Jeans to great heights even during unprecedented times of the Covid 19 aftermath. In the same year Kapoor was also acknowledged for his efforts towards sustaining a high-trust high-performance culture by Great Place to Work – India’s best Leaders in Times of Crisis 2021. Manish Kapoor is a strategist & implementer with demonstrated abilities in accomplishing business growth on a consistent basis. He has previously held key leadership roles in brands such as French Connection, Sisley, Benetton India, Pantaloons and Madura Garments to name a few.  Kapoor acquired a B-Tech degree from the Technological Institute of Textiles and Science in 2000 and further continued to pursue a diploma degree in Apparel Marketing and Merchandising Management from NIFT in 2002. He was awarded the Gold Medal for Academic Excellence at NIFT and was an All India topper in his PGDAMMM course across all NIFT centers.

Biography:

Niharika NM has made a name for herself as a talented content creator. Through her hard work and dedication, she has achieved numerous accolades and opportunities in the industry. In 2022, Niharika received the Youth Icon - Entertainer of the Year award at the World Influencers and Bloggers Awards in Cannes. She has also served as a global ambassador for "Creators for Change" program twice in a row for YouTube and been featured as a case study at Chapman University in California. Niharika has had the chance to work with notable figures in the industry, including Rocking Star Yash, Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Vijay Devarakonda, Aamir Khan, and Ranbir Kapoor, and made her television debut on the popular Indian talk show "Koffee With Karan" becoming one of the first content creators to be on the show along with Kusha Kapila, Danish Sait and Tanmay Bhatt. In addition, Niharika has also worked with reputable brands such as boAt, Disney + Hotstar, Zomato, Asian Paints, and KFC. As a Forbes Asia 30 under 30 honoree, Niharika continues to make a positive impact in the content creation industry.

Biography:

Marketing evangelist with a focused, result and process oriented approach in cross-functional areas of Marketing. An experienced Brand Custodian and leader with over 18 years of learnings at Business & Corporate levels in 360° Brand Marketing, Brand Strategy, Content Creation, Digital Marketing, Social Commerce, Trade/Channel Marketing, CRM, Product Management, Alliances & Promotions. Since joining Universal Sportsbiz as a part of its Founding Team, Nishant Poddar has helped grow the company from a lone brand Collectabillia to a strong House of Fashion Brand with the launch of Wrogn, Wrogn Active & others. As Chief Marketing Officer, he is responsible for driving Brand strategies, Marketing, Visual Merchandising, Displays, Establishing Retail Identity & importantly the showcase of the brands at USPL, along with driving business across the Sales Network. A Marketer with an analytical bent of mind, following a simple process of decision making i.e. Emotions of Brain and the Analysis of Heart. Coz’ numbers don’t lie. Marketing evangelist with a focused, result and process oriented approach in cross-functional areas of Marketing. An experienced Brand Custodian and leader with over 18 years of learnings at Business & Corporate levels in 360° Brand Marketing, Brand Strategy, Content Creation, Digital Marketing, Social Commerce, Trade/Channel Marketing, CRM, Product Management, Alliances & Promotions. Since joining Universal Sportsbiz as a part of its Founding Team, Nishant Poddar has helped grow the company from a lone brand Collectabillia to a strong House of Fashion Brand with the launch of Wrogn, Wrogn Active & others. As Chief Marketing Officer, he is responsible for driving Brand strategies, Marketing, Visual Merchandising, Displays, Establishing Retail Identity & importantly the showcase of the brands at USPL, along with driving business across the Sales Network. A Marketer with an analytical bent of mind, following a simple process of decision making i.e. Emotions of Brain and the Analysis of Heart. Coz’ numbers don’t lie.

Biography:

Rajesh Jain is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for Sports And Leisure Apparel Limited - Lacoste Licensee in India. He has been constantly nurturing the brand since October 2009. With his persistent efforts and focused vision, he has built and propagated Lacoste in India as a complete Lifestyle brand, offering unique and original universe for different verticals including clothing for women, men and children, shoes, leather goods, watches etc. His strong belief in his own quote, “Top Line, Bottom Line, Growth, Customer Delight and Human Resource Development - Everything else is merely incidental” has cultivated the brand with firm establishments reaching out to every major city/ metro of the country today. From a financial background analyzing and evaluating company strategies to details, Rajesh’s inclination for retail industry was not a mere milestone but an opportunity to adapt to an industry which is characterized by ever changing demands and varied preferences. A persona of high esteemed spirit, Rajesh embraced the retail industry justifying his position as an ethical and process-oriented leader always open to experimentation and taking calculated risks. He possesses wide ranging knowledge and unique perspective on the retail industry having worked for leading organizations across the spectrum. Prior to his position as CEO, Rajesh served Sports and Leisure Apparel Limited (Lacoste Licensee in India) as CFO for three years wherein with his steep prophecy, he directed and motivated the company to achieve desired results. Managing responsibilities that included supervising the financial risks of the corporation, designing and implementing systems and processes across the board and empowering people to execute them, Supply Chain, IT, Sourcing and Legal functions, Rajesh has imbibed the essential values of authenticity, performance and elegance from the brand. As a gregarious socialite, team cohesive professional, process-oriented entrepreneur, he has fostered the brand with remarkably positive sales growth, strategically implemented marketing campaigns and pioneering media and financial planning. Rajesh is a Master of Commerce from the University of Delhi and a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. He obtained his Company Secretary degree from the Institute of Company Secretaries of India. Born and brought up in Delhi, Rajesh follows an ethical and aesthetic attitude towards life.