Gillette India appoints Kapil Sharma as VP and Category Head – Grooming

INDIA – Gillette India Limited, the manufacturer of brands such as Gillette, Venus, and Oral-B, has announced the appointment of Kapil Sharma as Vice President and Category Head – Grooming, effective August 1, 2025. 

Sharma takes over from Abhishek Desai, who has been promoted to a regional leadership role for Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, and will be based in Dubai.

Kapil Sharma is a seasoned professional who joined Procter & Gamble (P&G) in 2001. Over his career spanning nearly 25 years, he has held numerous leadership positions across markets, including the United States, Asia Pacific, India, and the Middle East.

His areas of expertise encompass digital commerce, brand strategy, go-to-market execution, and global sales. 

In addition, Sharma has a reputation for business turnarounds, revenue acceleration, and delivering profitable growth within the organization.

Sharma holds an MBA from the S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai, and a degree in Electrical Engineering from the Institute of Engineering & Technology, Lucknow.

On his appointment, Kapil Sharma expressed enthusiasm about returning to India and leading the Grooming category, which he described as having “immense opportunities.”

He emphasized his commitment to delivering “best-in-class innovations” that enhance consumers’ daily lives and noted India’s pivotal role in the global P&G landscape.

Outgoing VP and Category Head, Abhishek Desai, served P&G for over 18 years, working in several markets including India, Korea, ASEAN, Australia, and China. 

Under his leadership, Gillette India achieved double-digit growth and maintained market leadership in the Blades and Razors segment. 

Desai described the role as rewarding and expressed confidence in the team’s future success under Sharma’s leadership.

Meanwhile, Gillette India Limited reported a strong financial performance for the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 (Q1 FY26). 

The company’s net profit surged by 25.6% to Rs 145.69 crore (USD 17.53 million), up from Rs 115.97 crore (USD 13.95 million) in the same quarter of the previous year. 

This strong profitability was supported by a 9.5% increase in revenue from operations, which rose to Rs 706.72 crore (USD 85.06 million) compared to Rs 645.33 crore (USD 77.65 million) in Q1 FY25.

The key driver of growth was Gillette India’s grooming segment, which recorded an 11% revenue increase to Rs 576.93 crore (USD 69.41 million). 

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