Chairman
Mr. Arun Kumar Nanda is a Founder Director of Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited. Mr. Nanda holds a Degree in Law from the University of Calcutta, is a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (FCA) and a fellow member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (FCS). Mr. Nanda has also participated in a Senior Executive Programme at the London Business School. He joined the Mahindra Group in 1973 and held several important positions within the Group over the 40 years he was with the company. He was inducted to the Board of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M) in August 1992 and resigned as Executive Director in March 2010 to focus on the social sector and create a favourable ecosystem for senior citizens. He was a non-executive director from April 2010 till August 2014. He is currently the Chairman of Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Ltd. and Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd. He is also the Chairman of Holiday Club Resorts Oy, Finland, Director of National Skill Development Corporation, Chairman of CII National Committee on Skill Development, Chairman on the Governing Board of Centre for Social and Behaviour Change Communication, Member of the Governing Body of Helpage India and on the Advisory Board of TechnoServe India. He is also Chairman Emeritus of the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce. He was Chairman of CII Western Region Council for the year 2010-2011 and Chairman of Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council. He was a Member of the Task Force set up by the B20 on Anti-Corruption which presented the policy paper to President Sarkozy at the G20 Summit held in Cannes in November 2011 and to President Putin in St. Petersburg in June 2013. Mr. Nanda was honoured with an award of “Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur” (Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour) by the President of the French Republic, Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008. Mr. Nanda is the recipient of the following awards: “Real Estate Person of the Year Award from GIREM Leadership Awards in India in 2008. “ICSI National Award” for Excellence in Corporate Governance for Mahindra & Mahindra as the best governed company in 2008. “CA Business Achiever Award - Corporate” at The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India Award 2009 “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the Golden Star Awards 2010 for his outstanding contribution to the Hospitality Industry and the Service Sector. “Aatithya Ratna Award” by the Business Hotels Network and Horwath HTL in 2014 for his contribution to the success of the Hospitality Industry. “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the CNBC Awaaz Real Estate Awards in December 2014 for his relentless pursuit of excellence and dynamic leadership that steered the growth of Mahindra Lifespaces. “Recognition of CAs in Social Service” by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India in August 2015 for best work for Senior Citizens. “IFCA Award of Excellence” by Indian Federation of Culinary Association in September, 2015 for outstanding contribution to the development of culinary profession and promotion of culinary art in India. “Lifetime Achievement Award” by National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) in September 2016 for exceptional contribution to India’s real estate sector. “Lifetime Achievement Award” by Hotelier India in December 2018 for the pioneering work and invaluable contribution to the hospitality industry.
Managing Director & CEO
Kavinder Singh is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited (MHRIL). Mr Singh is a Member of the Group Executive Board at the Mahindra Group. He is also the President (Leisure & Hospitality Sector) and Vice-Chairman of Holiday Club Resorts Oy in Finland, (Leading Vacation Ownership Company in Europe). Mr Singh’s aim is to develop MHRIL into a world-class Vacation Ownership Company focused on creating differentiated experiences for Club Mahindra’s members. His 36 years of extensive consumer-business experience in FMCG and hospitality industries include illustrious stints at Asian Paints, ITC Ltd, and Pidilite Industries. During his 17-year career at ITC, Mr Singh led the Biscuits and Confectionery business and played a crucial role in setting up and building the ‘Sunfeast’ biscuits business. After a successful stint as Chief Strategy Officer, he became the first CEO of the Consumer Products Business at Pidilite. Mr Singh is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Warangal, and has attended the General Management Program at Wharton School of Business.
Independent Director
Mr. Sanjeev Aga did his schooling from Scindia School, Gwalior, graduated with Physics Honours from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and post graduated from IIM Kolkata. Mr. Sanjeev Aga spent his early business years with Asian Paints in field sales and marketing responsibilities. He later headed the Furniture and the Leo-Mattel Toys businesses of the erstwhile Blow Plast, now VIP Industries, before leading that company as MD from 1993 to 1998. Subsequently, Mr. Sanjeev Aga was also appointed as Managing Director at Aditya Birla Nuvo, and the Managing Director of Idea Cellular from 2006 until he stepped down in 2011. For 2009, Mr. Sanjeev Aga received on behalf of Idea Cellular the ET Award for The Emerging Company of the Year. In 2009, Indira Innovation named him CEO of the Year, and in 2010 Tele.Net felicitated him for Outstanding Contribution to the Telecom Sector. In 2010, Forbes Magazine shortlisted Mr. Sanjeev Aga among 20 Indians for the Person of the Year. The Scindia School conferred upon him the Madhav Award 2014 for the Old Boy Of Eminence. Mr. Sanjeev Aga now engages in advisory and board roles for corporates and non-profits.
Independent Director
Mr. Rohit Khattar graduated in 1985 from the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management, Michigan State University, U.S.A. He is the Founder Chairman of Old World Hospitality Private Limited (O.W.H.), which is India’s largest live entertainment organiser and operates India’s most comprehensive performing arts and convention centre Habitat World at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, as well as 2 hotels and over 35 restaurants, including the iconic ‘Chor Bizarre’ restaurant that he created 25 years ago as well as his latest restaurant ‘Indian Accent’, both of which have won numerous awards. Mr. Rohit Khattar is Founder Chairman of Cinestaan Film Company, a boutique studio which has several films under development and production. He is also Chairman of Mumbai Mantra Media Limited, the entertainment vertical of the $20.7 Billion Mahindra Group. Mr. Rohit Khattar has over 33 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He was featured amongst ‘The Big 10 of the F&B industry’ and amongst ‘the 99 superstars who changed our lives (across India)’ by TimeOut in 2013. He was honored by the ‘IFCA Award of Excellence’ by the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations in appreciation of his outstanding contribution to the development of the culinary profession and society.
Independent Director
Sangeeta Talwar is a seasoned Independent Director with 30+ years of corporate experience & over 15 years of Board experience. She has been associated with the diverse range of Industries like Consumer products, Hotels, Fashion, Energy (Thermal & Alternative), Education, Financial services, Social sector. She is an MBA from IIM Kolkata, India, Economics Graduate from Lady Shri Ram College, India and has completed the Executive Leadership Program from Wharton School of Business, USA and Advanced Digital Marketing-online course by Manipal & Google. She is a natural leader - held CEO & Managing Director positions with prior multifunctional exposure as Functional Head across the disciplines of Marketing, Sales and Human Resources. In a corporate career spanning over 30 years, worked across European, American and Indian multinationals and large companies, including a stint with Nestle in Switzerland. Spearheaded the implementation of a national level social sector project funded by World Bank. She was one of the first women in the Consumer Products industry in India, credited with the launch of one of the country’s most iconic packaged food brands (Maggi). She held the position of Regional Sales Head responsible for a quarter of India’s sales & distribution for Nestle. As Vice President HR for Nestle, was responsible for corporate, factories, regional sales offices and all aspects of HR. Led a very successful 360 degree leadership initiative across the company. Went on to head marketing as Director Marketing for Nestle India responsible for the entire business including P&L accountability. This was followed by a 3 years posting to HQ in Switzerland as Strategic Advisor. Innovation has been a hallmark - during the early years with Nestle India, helped craft, create, launch and establish what became a marketing legend in its time, Maggi 2-Minute Noodles. Also launched the first social marketing campaign in India, entitled “Jaago Re”, which won international acclaim. Was instrumental in catapulting Tata Tea into becoming the largest Tea brand in India. In her stint with National Dairy Development Board Dairy Services, spearheaded the design and establishment of an innovative business model for creating sustainable livelihood for dairy farmers in rural India. She has won the following awards: • Business Today’s 30 Most Powerful Women in Indian Business for 3 years (2007, 2009, 2010) • India Today Woman in the Corporate World • Women Super Achievers Award for Outstanding Contribution to Social Marketing She is a member of Women Corporate Directors (based out of Palm beach Florida), The UNGC Global Compact, All India Management Association and The Directors Collective run by Russell Reynolds.
Non-Executive Director
Dr. Anish Shah is the Managing Director and CEO of the Mahindra Group. He joined Mahindra Group in 2014, as Group President (Strategy), and worked closely with all businesses on key strategic initiatives, built capabilities such as digitization & data sciences and enabled synergies across group companies. In 2019, he was appointed Deputy Managing Director and Group CFO, with responsibility for the Group Corporate Office and full oversight of all businesses other than the Auto and Farm sectors, as a part of the transition plan to the CEO role. Dr. Anish Shah was President and CEO of GE Capital India from 2009-14, where he led the transformation of the business, including a turnaround of its SBI Card joint venture. His career at GE spanned 14 years, during which he held several leadership positions at GE Capital’s US and global units. As Director, Global Mortgage, he worked across 33 countries to drive growth and manage risk. As Senior Vice President (Marketing and Product Development) at GE Mortgage Insurance, he led various growth initiatives and played a key role in preparing the business for an IPO, as a spinoff from GE. In his initial years with GE, Dr. Anish Shah also led Strategy, eCommerce and Sales Force Effectiveness and had the unique experience of running a dot-com business within GE. Dr. Anish Shah also received GE’s prestigious Lewis Latimer Award for outstanding utilisation of Six Sigma in developing a “Digital Cockpit.” He has diverse experience with global businesses beyond GE. He led Bank of America's US Debit Products business, where he launched an innovative rewards program, led numerous initiatives in payment technology and worked closely with various teams across the Bank to enhance value for the customer. As a strategy consultant at Bain & Company in Boston, he worked across multiple industries, including banking, oil rigs, paper, paint, steam boilers and medical equipment. His first role was with Citibank in Mumbai, where he issued bank guarantees and letters of credit as Assistant Manager, Trade Services. Dr. Anish Shah holds a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business where his doctoral thesis was in the field of Corporate Governance. He also received a Masters degree from Carnegie Mellon and has a post-graduate diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He has received various scholarships, including the William Latimer Mellon Scholarship, Industry Scholarship at IIMA, National Talent Search and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust.
Independent Director
Mr. Diwakar Gupta was Vice-President for Private Sector and Public-Private Partnerships at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) upto August 31, 2020. He assumed office in August 2015. Mr. Gupta oversaw ADB's assistance to private sector projects with a clear development impact but limited access to capital. Earlier, Mr. Gupta was Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of the State Bank of India, where he was responsible for setting strategies and direction alongside other members of the State Bank’s Central Management Committee. He joined the State Bank of India in 1974 and held several positions at its various units and subsidiaries. Mr. Gupta also worked as Independent Director on the boards of various business councils, financial services companies and other private organizations in India. He holds a Master of Science degree in Physics from the University of Delhi, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics (with Honors) from St. Stephen’s College in Delhi. Professional history 2015-2020 Vice-President (Private Sector and Co-financing Operations) of the Asian Development Bank 2013-2015 Senior Advisor (Banking Project), Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd., Mumbai 2011-2013 Managing Director & Chief Financial Officer, State Bank of India, Mumbai 2010-2011 Deputy Managing Director (National and Rural Banking), State Bank of India, Mumbai 2008-2009 Chief Executive Officer, SBI Card & Payment Services (P) Ltd, Gurgaon (a joint venture with GE) 2006-2008 Chief General Manager, State Bank of Patiala, Patiala 2003-2006 General Manager/Chief General Manager, Mumbai Circle, State Bank of India, Local Head Office, Mumbai 2003 General Manager (HR & Change Management), State Bank of India, Corporate Centre, Mumbai (short assignment – 8 months Apr-Nov 2003) 2000-2003 Deputy General Manager, Corporate Accts Group Br, Chennai Education M.Sc. in Physics, University of Delhi, Delhi B.Sc. (Honours) in Physics, St. Stephen College, Delhi
Non-Executive Director
Ruzbeh joined the Mahindra Group in 2007, as Executive Vice President – Corporate Strategy, heading the Group's Strategy function. He became the Chief Brand Officer of the Group; during that time, he spearheaded Mahindra's entry into racing, and led the development of the Group's brand position and core purpose, 'Rise'. He then moved to head International Operations for the Automotive and Farm Equipment Sectors of M&M. Subsequentially he led Group Corporate Brand, PR and Communications, Ethics as well as Mahindra’s Racing team. In April 2020, Ruzbeh has taken over as President – Group Human Resources & Communications. He is now also responsible for Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Services. He is a member of Mahindra’s Group Executive Board. Ruzbeh completed his Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Bombay University in 1983. He went on to receive his Masters in Management Studies from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai in 1985. He is an alumnus of the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School. Post his Master's degree, Ruzbeh worked with Hindustan Lever and Unilever for close to 22 years, across geographies, in marketing, customer management and general management. This included stints as Marketing Manager – Home and Personal Care (with Unilever Central Asia), Regional Manager – Western India (with Hindustan Lever), Vice President – Customer Development (with Unilever’s Africa Regional Group), and Customer Development Director on the Board of Unilever Maghreb
Independent Director
An IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad Alum, Rajat Jain is a Founder Director of PadUp Ventures, a Knowledge and Mentoring Platform, focusing on providing deep mentoring and incubation services to early stage tech startups as well as a knowledge partner to other Incubators in India. The primary mission is to impact hundreds of early stage startups through proprietary PadUp mentoring programs, leading to improved rates of success and helping them grow successfully to the next level and to institutional funding. Over 200 startups have been impacted by PadUp Ventures over the last 5 years and it has built up a portfolio of over 50 such companies. After a 30 year career in Corporate India in leadership roles, Rajat is now a Non-Executive on several Boards and Advisory Boards including Fino Payments Bank, Droom Technologies, Intelligent Resource Group, part of the 1Bn GBP UK group RSG and Zydex Industries (Advisory Board) a specialty chemicals conglomerate. Recently he retired from the Board of TIMDAA, a Bennett Colman GMR JV for Delhi Airport, Neva Garments, a leading branded thermal wear player and Securenow Tech Services, a PE funded InsureTech startup. He is also a Trustee on the Braj Foundation, an NGO focused on environment and water conservation and an Advisor to the E&H Foundation, working for the education and health of underprivileged kids in UP and FIIB, a leading MBA school in NCR. Apart from this, his key work areas include mentoring entrepreneurs and executives alike as an angel investor & a startup mentor. Having worked across Consumer, Telecom, Media & Technology sectors, he has acquired expertise in distribution, sales and commercial; understanding consumers and enterprises across various spaces, building and working with teams and growing businesses that revolve around services & brands. He has also built multifunctional expertise, strong market and industry knowledge and an enviable industry network.
