Honasa, Pocket Entertainment, and Slikk Announce Key Appointments
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Honasa Consumer Appoints Yatish Bhargava as Chief Business Officer
Honasa Consumer, the parent company of popular beauty and personal care brands like Mamaearth and The Derma Co., has named Yatish Bhargava as its new Chief Business Officer.
In his new role, Bhargava will lead business operations across Honasa's brand portfolio and sales channels, with a focus on strengthening category leadership and driving omnichannel growth.
Bhargava brings with him extensive experience from senior roles at Flipkart and Hindustan Unilever, where he led initiatives across general trade, modern retail, and ecommerce. He holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow.
"With a strong track record in P&L management, GTM strategy, and execution, Yatish brings the right balance of strategic insight and operational rigour needed for this phase of our journey," said Varun Alagh, Co-founder and CEO of Honasa Consumer.
Bhargava's appointment comes after the resignation of former CBO Zairus Master in February. The company recently restructured its leadership team, elevating Karan Bajwa as Chief Human Resources Officer and Avinash Dhagat as Chief Supply Chain Officer.
In Q4 FY25, Honasa reported a net profit of Rs 24.9 crore, an 18% decline from the previous year. However, its revenue rose 13% year-on-year to INR 533.5 crore.
Pocket Entertainment Elevates Umesh Bude to CTO
AI storytelling leader Pocket Entertainment, the parent company of Pocket FM, Pocket Toons, and Pocket Novel, has announced the promotion of Umesh Bude to Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
Formerly the Senior Vice President of Engineering, Bude will now oversee the company's overarching technology strategy as it deepens its commitment to AI-powered storytelling.
In his new role, Bude will lead innovation across all platforms, focusing on building immersive, AI-enhanced user experiences and driving the company's vision of turning technology into an active storytelling partner.
"It's a privilege to take on this responsibility at such an exciting time for Pocket Entertainment," said Bude. "I look forward to driving the next wave of innovation, where technology and AI are not just enablers, but storytellers in their own right."
With nearly 20 years of experience in engineering, data science, and platform security, Bude has played a crucial role in scaling the company's tech infrastructure from the ground up. His promotion reflects Pocket Entertainment's growing emphasis on fusing technology with creativity.
"We are at a pivotal moment in our journey where technology and creativity are deeply intertwined," said Prateek Dixit, Co-founder of Pocket Entertainment. "Umesh's elevation is a reflection of our ambition to lead this transformation from the front. His leadership will be central to creating intelligent, emotionally aware experiences that push the boundaries of what storytelling can be."
Bude will continue reporting to Dixit as he leads the development of next-gen AI capabilities, ensuring Pocket Entertainment remains at the forefront of responsible and transformative innovations in entertainment technology.
Slikk Appoints Sachin Kataria to Lead Beauty and Personal Care Vertical
Gen Z-focused quick commerce platform Slikk has announced the appointment of Sachin Kataria as Head of Beauty and Personal Care (BPC), marking a major milestone in its expansion into the beauty and wellness space. With over 17 years of experience, Kataria will lead Slikk's newest vertical as part of the Founder's Office.
A former Vice President at Nykaa, Kataria brings deep domain knowledge in beauty, personal care, and consumer tech. "I've always believed that beauty is deeply personal—but it's also rapidly evolving," said Kataria. "Slikk's model offers a unique opportunity to reimagine how beauty can be discovered, experienced, and delivered. I'm excited to build this vertical from the ground up."
Founded in 2024 by Akshay Gulati, Om Prakash Swami, and Bipin Singh, Slikk delivers fashion and lifestyle products within 60 minutes across Bengaluru. The company is now eyeing beauty and self-care as key growth engines.
"Sachin's depth of experience in building and scaling consumer businesses makes him the ideal leader to build our beauty and personal care vertical," said Co-founder Akshay Gulati. "This is a key milestone in accelerating our vision to become India's fastest and most reliable lifestyle marketplace."
Backed by USD 10 million in Series A funding led by Nexus Venture Partners, Slikk aims to offer high-performance beauty assortments, strategic brand tie-ups, and seamless quick-commerce experiences for India's next-gen consumers.
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