Chaitanya Rathi, former COO of Sula Vineyards, rejoins the Company, this time as a member of the Board, bringing over two decades of experience across consumer businesses, alcobev, hospitality, investments and entrepreneurship.
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, August 2026 — Sula Vineyards Limited, India’s leading wine producer, today announced the appointment of Chaitanya Rathi as an Additional Non-Executive Non-Independent Director, effective August 6th, 2026.
The appointment marks Mr. Rathi’s return to Sula, where he spent over a decade across two leadership tenures and played an integral role in several key chapters of the Company’s growth journey. Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer from 2019 to 2023, overseeing multiple business functions and leading a team of more than 400 members, while also playing a key leadership role in Sula’s successful Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 2022.
His association with Sula began in 2006. During his first tenure from 2006 to 2013, he contributed to the Company’s formative years and was instrumental in establishing and scaling its hospitality and wine tourism business. Today, Sula welcomes over 400,000 visitors annually and has built a growing wine tourism and hospitality footprint.
Commenting on the appointment, Rajeev Samant, CEO, Sula Vineyards, said, “Chaitanya has played an important role in Sula’s journey and brings a deep understanding of our business and culture. Over the years, he has helped shape our wine tourism business and played a key role in Sula’s IPO journey. We are very pleased to welcome him back to Sula, this time on the Board, and I am confident that his entrepreneurial mindset and diverse experience will bring valuable perspective as we take Sula into its next phase of growth.”
Commenting on his appointment, Chaitanya Rathi said, “Sula continues to be very close to me, having been an important part of my journey for many years, and I am delighted to return in this new role. I look forward to bringing the perspective and experience I have gained from working with and investing in diverse consumer businesses to support Sula’s next phase of growth. I am excited to work alongside Rajeev and the Board to contribute meaningfully to the Company’s journey and create long-term value for all stakeholders.”
Beyond Sula, Mr. Rathi has held senior operating and investment roles across high-growth businesses and has served as a board member and strategic advisor to several companies. He is currently the Founder of Searchlight ETA, an Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) and Search Fund platform in India.
With over two decades of experience spanning consumer businesses, alcobev, hospitality, investments and entrepreneurship, he brings a broad strategic and commercial perspective to Sula’s Board. His experience across business strategy, scaling operations, investments and value creation will support Sula as it strengthens its core wine business, expands its wine tourism and hospitality footprint, explores new growth opportunities and continues to create long-term value for its stakeholders.
Sula Vineyards Limited is India’s largest wine company, commanding over 50% of the domestic premium wine market. With a diverse portfolio of over 50 labels spanning multiple price points, Sula has firmly established itself as the market leader in every category of wine.
A pioneer of wine tourism in India, Sula’s Nashik campus is the most visited vineyard destination globally, attracting over 3.5 lakh visitors annually. Its hospitality portfolio includes three luxury resorts in Nashik— The Source, Beyond, and our newest addition The Haven—with a combined 154 keys. The company also operates four standalone wine-themed restaurants and tasting rooms, co-located with wineries in Nashik and near Bengaluru, Karnataka.
With five state-of-the-art wineries across Maharashtra and Karnataka, Sula produces India’s most loved wine brands distributing over 1 million cases annually across India. A trailblazer in the industry, Sula introduced India’s first winery tasting room in 2005, launched the country’s first vineyard resort in 2010, and launched India’s first wine-in-a-can in 2020 — milestones that have helped shape India’s modern wine culture.
Sula’s unwavering focus on innovation and quality has earned it numerous international accolades, including honours at the world’s leading wine competitions. Beyond winemaking, the company is deeply committed to sustainability and to supporting local communities, playing a vital role in the development of the rural economy.
Read Also : How HR Leaders Are Redefining Talent Development for the Future of Work
Selective Increments, Strategic Hiring: How AI Skills Are Reshaping India Inc’s Appraisal Cycle
From Org Charts to Skill Graphs: The Reinvention of Enterprise Design
Rethinking Talent in the Age of AI: Why Workforce Agility Starts with the 4Bs
The HR Leader’s Real AI Problem Is Not Adoption. It Is Architecture.
