The Board of Directors of the Retailers Association of India (RAI) has announced, post its meeting on 30 September 2020, the appointment of Bijou Kurien, Independent Consultant and member-Strategic Advisory Board, L Catterton Asia as the Chairman.
Kulin Lalbhai, ED of Arvind Ltd. will serve as the Vice Chairman of RAI.
BS Nagesh is stepping down for Bijou and Kulin to take charge in these tough times of COVID-19.
In the 15 years since its inception, BS Nagesh has served as the Chairman and has been instrumental in bringing all modern retailers together to mutually benefit and grow.
He helped lay the foundation of an integrated, cohesive industry that looks out for one and all.
Speaking on the appointments, Nagesh said “This combination of Bijou as the Chairman, Kulin as the Vice Chairman and Kumar Rajagopalan as the CEO will add tremendously to the work already been done in the industry during COVID-19 times. With Kulin joining, we get a young leader with omni experience that represents the second generation of businesses.”
Bijou Kurien has over 35 years of experience in India retail. He started his journey with Hindustan Unilever Ltd. after which he joined Titan Industries, helping it grow its watch and jewellery brands like Titan, Tanishq, Fastrack and Sonata.
Bijou has also dedicated years to Reliance Retail and currently serves as a member and independent consultant of the Strategic Advisory Board of L Catterton Asia (a part of the LVMH Group). As part of his profile, he advises select consumer product companies and mentors a few start-ups.
Kulin Lalbhai, Director at Arvind Fashions and ED at Arvind Ltd., has been instrumental in bringing in new digital initiatives as well as new retail concepts to the group. He plays an active role in the overall Corporate Strategy and has previously worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Co.
