Kunal Sharma Appointed as Vice President – Marketing, Modern Trade & E-Commerce at KRBL Limited
In a significant leadership development for India’s FMCG and agri-business landscape, Kunal Sharma has been appointed as the Vice President – Marketing, Modern Trade & E-Commerce at KRBL Limited, headquartered in Noida. KRBL, the world’s largest rice miller and India’s most trusted basmati rice brand, has entrusted Kunal with a critical mandate — to drive integrated marketing, accelerate digital transformation, and expand modern trade and e-commerce channels in alignment with the fast-evolving retail landscape.
This appointment marks a defining moment, not just for KRBL, but also for the FMCG sector, where consumer behavior is rapidly shifting and brands are compelled to embrace data-driven, consumer-first, and omni-channel strategies.
Shaping the Future of India’s Basmati Powerhouse
As Vice President, Kunal will spearhead national marketing strategy while deepening consumer engagement and amplifying KRBL’s brand footprint. His role encompasses:
- Leading modern trade partnerships and scaling KRBL’s e-commerce business.
- Building consumer-first campaigns that strengthen the brand’s premium positioning.
- Innovating across product categories to keep pace with emerging consumption trends.
- Aligning sales, marketing, and channel development to deliver sustainable growth.
With this elevation, Kunal becomes one of the youngest FMCG leaders to hold such a prestigious position in a company of KRBL’s scale and legacy.
A Proven Marketer with 16+ Years of Excellence
Kunal’s professional journey is a story of resilience, versatility, and brand transformation. Over the last 16 years, he has worked with some of India’s most admired FMCG giants — KRBL Limited, Dabur India Limited, and ITC Limited — building a track record of consistent growth, category innovation, and consumer-focused leadership.
KRBL Limited
Prior to his current role, Kunal served as Head of Marketing for KRBL’s India business, where he led brand modernization, digital expansion, and portfolio diversification. His campaigns not only reinforced consumer trust in KRBL’s flagship products but also paved the way for new high-growth categories, strengthening KRBL’s leadership in the Indian market.
Dabur India Limited
Kunal’s decade-long stint at Dabur shaped him into a well-rounded FMCG leader:
- Dabur Honey (₹400+ Cr portfolio): Launched iconic, celebrity-led campaigns such as “Stop Making Excuses, Start Dabur Honey”, repositioned the brand around fitness, and created new consumer rituals like New Year’s “honey-in-warm-water” resolutions.
- FEM Brand & Dabur Glucose: Revitalized FEM with bold innovations like FEM Gold Ultra and FEM De-Tan Crème Bleach, while reenergizing Dabur Glucose with sharper positioning in the hydration space.
- Trade & Category Development: Directed trade marketing across Dabur’s legendary brands — Vatika, Amla, Almond Hair Oil, Odonil, Sanifresh, and Odomos — driving double-digit growth and stronger market penetration.
ITC Limited
Kunal began his career with ITC, managing trade activations, branch operations, and sales execution across Hyderabad, Nagpur, and Pune. These early years instilled in him a strong grounding in sales fundamentals, retail execution, and consumer connect — a foundation that continues to shape his approach to marketing and leadership.
Educational Excellence – A Strong Foundation for Leadership
Kunal’s achievements are rooted in a strong academic background:
- MBA (Marketing) from IIT Kharagpur – where he sharpened his leadership and strategic thinking, also serving on the Placement Committee.
- Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) from PES Institute of Technology, Bangalore – equipping him with analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Schooling at Don Bosco, Park Circus – where discipline, values, and curiosity were nurtured from the start.
This blend of technical rigor and management expertise has empowered Kunal to navigate complexity, balance creativity with data, and lead with both strategy and execution.
Career Highlights and Impact
Across his career, Kunal has consistently demonstrated transformational impact:
- Launching celebrity-led national campaigns that strengthened brand equity.
- Turning around legacy brands to stay relevant to new-age consumers.
- Driving double-digit growth through trade, digital, and category innovation.
- Building omnichannel presence, integrating modern trade, e-commerce, and traditional retail.
- Championing a data-driven, consumer-first, and innovation-led marketing philosophy.
His elevation as Vice President at KRBL is not just recognition of past achievements but also a bold investment in his future potential to shape the next era of Indian FMCG leadership.
A Leader for the New Era of Indian FMCG
In a sector where consumer expectations evolve daily, Kunal embodies the qualities of a modern FMCG leader: strategic foresight, executional rigor, digital acumen, and a deep consumer connect. His leadership is expected to accelerate KRBL’s journey as not just India’s rice giant, but also a consumer-first FMCG powerhouse.
CXO Gateway Congratulates
At CXO Gateway, we celebrate leaders whose journeys inspire and whose work creates lasting impact. We congratulate Kunal Sharma on his appointment as Vice President – Marketing, Modern Trade & E-Commerce at KRBL Limited. His story is one of resilience, reinvention, and relentless pursuit of excellence — a story that will continue to shape India’s FMCG and consumer markets for years to come.