In the ever-evolving world of startups, marketing stands as the force that turns bold ideas into powerful brands. Celebrating the innovators driving this transformation, we shine a spotlight on the dynamic leaders redefining the rules of marketing in India’s burgeoning startup landscape.
These rising stars are more than marketers—they are strategists, storytellers, and growth architects. Whether building iconic D2C brands, scaling tech platforms, or pioneering new trends in digital engagement, they exemplify a perfect blend of creativity, analytical acumen, and visionary thinking.
Akashdeep Singal (Head of Marketing, Jar): Akashdeep Singal is the Head of Marketing at Jar, a daily gold-savings app that saves every day and auto-invests it in digital gold. His key strengths are Demand Generation, Brand Marketing, Growth Marketing, New Business Launches, Content Marketing, B2B Sales, Business Development and Thought Leadership. As a Head of Marketing, he sets up the growth and marketing team at Jar and a long-term brand and communication roadmap by interconnecting cross-functional teams such as sales, business development, operations, marketing, customer experience and reporting to the CEO.
Saurabh Mathur (Head of Marketing, Giva): Saurabh Mathur serves the Head of Marketing role in Giva, a premium jewellery brand aiming to make authentic, elegant and fine jewellery accessible in India. His efforts have been instrumental in establishing GIVA as a leading direct-to-consumer (D2C) fine jewellery brand in the country.
Vishwajeet Singh (Head of Marketing, Zypp Electric): Vishwajeet leads the marketing initiatives at Zypp Electric, India’s leading EV-as-a-Service platform committed to achieving zero-emission last-mile logistics. His specialities are in brand strategy, digital outreach, and customer acquisition efforts, ensuring the company’s vision of sustainable delivery solutions is effectively communicated.
Joyeeta Ghosal (Head of Marketing, GoKwik): Joyeeta spearheads the marketing initiatives with a 12+ years of proven track record of igniting brands, generating leads, and driving results across B2C & B2B landscapes. She is a strategic leader with a creative spark and a relentless focus on ROI. Her key strengths are brand storytelling, demand generation, data driven growth, team builder and coach, and startup agility.
Shreyas Achar (Head of Marketing, Plum): Shreyas commands the marketing operations at Plum, creating the new standard of insurance & health benefits. With a keen focus on data-driven strategies and creative storytelling, Shreyas has played a pivotal role in scaling Plum’s reach and solidifying its presence as a trusted name in the insurtech space.
Hemant Seta (Head of Marketing, Niramai Health Analytix): Hemant leads the marketing department at Niramai Health Analytix, a health tech company with a mission to save lives by enabling early detection of breast cancer in a privacy-aware manner, through an AI-based technique called Thermalytix. He has 9+ years of experience in creating strategies that make brands stand out and sales numbers climb. He specializes in both online and offline strategies designed to boost sales, elevate customer experience, and strengthen brand visibility.
Vanda Ferrao (Chief Marketing Officer, WOW Skin Science): Vanda heads WOW Skin Science as the Chief Marketing Officer. As a CMO, she leads the demand generation activities across channels like Marketplaces, D2C, GT & MT. She leads the Brand, Content & Social Media, Influencers, Creative and PR teams in building WOW as the go-to brand for effective offerings having the unique proposition of natural + activities. Also, Vanda is a business leader with nearly two decades of experience in driving Growth and Revenue, Brand Management, Digital Marketing, Sales, Innovation & Customer Marketing.
Gauri Malhotra (Chief Marketing Officer, Bombay Shaving Company): Gauri serves as the CMO at Bombay Shaving Company, a premium men’s grooming brand that offers high-quality products to customers across India. She is a marketing professional with 15 years of experience in the personal care & beauty category; across both New Product Development in Hair Care & Skin Care as well as Business management. Gauri’s experience comprises developing new product innovations end to end and devising a scale-up approach, large-scale business management as well as consumer acquisition & retention for new and existing brands.
Munish Vashishat (Head of Marketing, Solar Square Energy): Munish oversees all marketing operations at Solar Square Energy, India’s most trusted and fastest growing residential solar company. He has 12 years of experience across P&L leadership roles in sales, marketing, and growth. He is proficient in building & leading high-performing teams, scaling multiple demand/revenue channels and business categories from scratch.
Ramandeep Saggu (Head of Marketing, Nurture.Farm): Ramandeep manages the marketing strategy and execution at Nurture Farm, an open, digital platform for sustainable agriculture globally. He drives brand strategy, digital campaigns, and outreach efforts to build awareness about eco-friendly farming practices.
Abhinav Upadhyay (Chief Marketing Officer, College Dekho): Abhinav is the executive in charge of marketing at College Dekho, and connects prospective students with colleges using its proprietary technology and AI-based chatbot. As the Chief Marketing Officer, he uses a mix of traditional and digital marketing supported by over 2500 CollegeDekho champions. He has 20 years of success in brand building, product development, and business growth across Telecom, Fintech, Remittances, Forex, Education, Food, and EdTech sectors.
Abhimanyu Mishra (Chief Marketing Officer, Bewakoof): Abhimanu is at the helm of marketing as the CMO at Bewakoof. He has spent 12 years shaping the brand from its inception and has executed diverse marketing strategies to build a strong brand identity and vibrant social media presence while leading high-performing teams. He led revenue growth and scaled the brand from inception to a multi-million-dollar annual revenue run rate, oversaw large-scale marketing budgets, optimizing spend across digital channels.
Manikaran Singh (Head of Marketing, Bytebeam): Manikaran is responsible for the company’s marketing efforts at Bytebeam, one stop cloud backend for all smart IoT devices. In this role, he is responsible for developing and executing marketing strategies that enhance Bytebeam’s market presence and drive customer engagement. His efforts have been instrumental in positioning Bytebeam as a key player in the IoT industry.
Anita Nerkar (Head of Marketing. Biofuel Circle): Anita drives the marketing strategy at BioFuel Circle, a digital platform for biomass and biofuel supply chains. She performs the key role in BioFuel Circle like formulating and executing marketing strategy across segments, both industrial and rural; Deploying media strategy leveraging both digital and conventional media channels to drive results; Driving brand awareness, lead generation and high engagement among the focus business segments – B2B and B2F; and Directing market research and business intelligence programs to provide critical inputs to formulating strategy
Khalid Kamal Rumi (Chief Marketing Officer, The Indus Valley): Khalid heads the organization as the Chief Marketing Officer at The Indus Valley, India’s No 1 healthy cookware brand that revolutionizes the very essence of cooking by merging health, safety, and innovation into your kitchen. He has an exceptional P&L management track record of turning around 3 businesses into profitable ones with accelerated sales growth. Khalid has been recognized as Top 100 CMOs in India 2023 by Startuplanes and 40 Under 40 Startup Leader 2023 by International Brand Equity, and has been rewarded with the coveted Consulting Achiever Award at Cognizant for 4 consecutive years.
Isha Sharma (Head of Marketing, Wholsum Foods (Slurrp Farm and Millé): Isha leads the Wholsum Foods marketing endeavours. Wholesum Foods is the parent company of the award winning children’s food brand Slurrp Farm and the recently launched supergrain company Millé. She drives the company’s brand strategy, consumer engagement, and campaign execution. Known for crafting relatable narratives, she has successfully positioned the brands as household favourites in the healthy food segment.
Mayank Sinha (Head of Marketing, Attero): Mayank is at the helm of the marketing division of Attero, a Noida-based company that specializes in recycling e-waste and lithium-ion batteries. With a focus on building awareness around sustainable practices, he has implemented campaigns that have significantly elevated the brand’s visibility in the circular economy space. His innovative approaches have helped position Attero as a trusted name in the recycling industry.
Nameeta Saigal (Head of Marketing, Nua): Nameeta is responsible for Nua’s marketing efforts. Nua was founded on a dream to transform women’s wellness in India. She has played a pivotal role in positioning Nua as a trusted women’s wellness brand in India. By fostering authentic connections with the audience and leveraging data-driven insights, she has significantly contributed to the brand’s growth and resonance in a competitive market.
Aditya Davey (Head of Marketing, The Plated Project): Aditya is the marketing head of The Plated Project, uses art to end world hunger and is featured on Shark Tank India S2, NY Times, The Guardian and Forbes. Aditya oversees marketing strategies and forms partnerships to amplify the project’s mission.
Sahil Singhal (Head of Marketing, Nat Habit): Sahil manages the marketing strategy and execution at Nat Habit, a 100% natural, ultra-potent beauty & wellness product, made with high-grade herbs, nuts, grains, grams, milk, yogurt, fruits, flowers, oils, butter & more, with zero chemicals & preservatives. He is a marketing professional with 14 years of experience in Retail marketing, Visual merchandising, ATL & BTL activations, Vendor management, Conceptualizing marketing campaigns, Demand generation & Preparation of marketing calendars.
Vitasta Kaul (Chief Marketing Officer, Hoopr): Vitasta directs all marketing operations as the CMO at Hoopr, India’s leading music-tech platform launched in 2021. She is an accomplished marketing leader and brand storyteller with a 17+ year track record of building early-stage and emerging brands across B2C, D2C, ecommerce and retail channels. Vitasta expertise lies at the intersection of brand strategy, creativity and leadership while championing purpose, digital transformation and innovation.
Konark Gaur (Chief Marketing Officer, Pilgrim): Konark leads Pilgrim as its Chief Marketing Officer. Pilgrim is an innovative and one of the fastest growing D2C (Direct-to-consumer) businesses in the beauty space. He has over 19 years of experience in building and scaling successful businesses and brands in India and global markets, across various FMCG categories such as snacks, beverages, personal care, and baby care.
Ramya Ramachandran (Head of Marketing, Uppercase): Ramya spearheads the marketing initiatives at Uppercase, D2C company building India’s biggest and global D2C sustainable Travel accessories brand. She has 13 years of marketing experience in consumer goods and consumer internet businesses and in this role she leads the Product & Category launches and expansions, Brand and Digital Strategy, Retail Marketing & PR.
Varshabh Iyer (Head of Marketing, Ludic): As the Head of Marketing at Ludic, Varshabh Iyer is responsible for driving brand strategy and shaping the company’s bold, lifestyle-oriented identity. Through innovative campaigns, Varshabh has helped the brand connect with its audience, embodying its ethos of being #alwaysatplay. His efforts have not only enhanced customer engagement but also established Ludic as a standout name in the lifestyle segment.
Tarang Shah (Head of Marketing, Bummer): Tarang is the Head of Marketing at Bummer, a Direct-To-Consumer Innerwear brand hand-crafted to cater to India’s 200M+ digital millennials. In this role, Tarang is responsible for developing and executing marketing strategies that enhance brand visibility and drive customer engagement. Under his guidance, Bummer has effectively engaged India’s millennial audience, contributing to the brand’s growth in the competitive innerwear market.
Rajeshwari Jayaraman Iyer (Head of Marketing, Beyond Snack): Rajeshwari heads the Marketing department of Beyond Snack, aspiring to redefine snack aisles globally by placing a pack of banana chips next to a pack of potato chips on every retail shelf. Rajeshwari has 10+ years in the FMCG industry across the Personal care and food categories. She has robust proficiency in mix creation (new product and innovation, brand positioning and communication) and mix deployment (media planning, scaled trial sampling programs, GTM and shopper marketing).
Rajavi Shah (Head of Marketing, Kiro Beauty): Rajavi is the Marketing Chief at Kiro Beauty, a clean beauty makeup brand that is high-performing and infused with the goodness of skin care. By driving innovative campaigns and leveraging digital platforms effectively, Rajavi has positioned Kiro as a go-to choice for conscious consumers. Her efforts have resulted in increased customer engagement and notable growth for the brand.
Sukita Tapadia (Chief Marketing Officer, The Pant Project): Sukita holds the position of Chief Marketing Officer at The Pant Project, a digital native direct-to-consumer apparel brand that is bringing bottom wear with the highest quality fabrics and international fashion trends to our customers. With over 15 years of experience in B2C Marketing and Sales Management, she has led revenue growth and P&L units across various roles.
Sukriti Sachdev (Head of Marketing, House of Chikankari): Sukriti commands the marketing operations at House of Chikankari striving to create a fusion of elegance and comfort. She has 8 years of diverse experience spanning project management, sales, and revenue-driven growth. In marketing, Sukriti has built a proven track record of driving growth through innovative branding, storytelling, and performance campaigns.
Their work is not only shaping their organizations but also setting new benchmarks for innovation and impact in the industry. By crafting meaningful connections with customers, leveraging data-driven insights, and daring to experiment, these marketing leaders are the catalysts of change driving India’s startup ecosystem forward.
Join us as we delve into the stories of these trailblazers, whose remarkable contributions are inspiring a new era of marketing excellence.
–Authored and edited by Sandhya Bharti, Deputy Editor, Indian Startup Times
Disclaimer
The selection process involves rigorous evaluation but is based on subjective criteria, which may lead to variations. Parameters include industry influence, reputation, experience, contributions, education, accolades, and followership. While comprehensive, assessments may not capture every aspect of a candidate’s profile. Selection does not imply endorsement or guaranteeing future performance. Feedback is welcomed for improvement.
