Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, January 2026 — DMart – Avenue Supermarts Ltd has appointed former Unilever executive Anshul Asawa as Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 February 2026, marking a planned leadership transition at the DMart owner. Asawa will succeed Ignatius Navil Noronha, who completes his term at the end of January, as the retailer prepares to balance store expansion with cost discipline amid intensifying competition in India’s organised retail market.
Bringing nearly three decades of experience from Unilever across India, Asia and Europe, Asawa steps into the role at a critical phase for Avenue Supermarts, as it looks to sustain growth while protecting its low-cost operating model. His background in large-scale operations, sales and distribution transformation, and digital initiatives is expected to shape the company’s next phase of execution and long-term leadership continuity.
In the months leading up to this elevation, Anshul Asawa has been serving at DMart – Avenue Supermarts Ltd as CEO Designate (based in Mumbai) since March 2025, working closely on the transition and strengthening leadership continuity ahead of taking charge as CEO effective February 2026.
Prior to joining Avenue Supermarts, Asawa spent close to 30 years at Unilever, most recently as General Manager, Greater Asia, Home Care and Head of Country, Unilever Thailand (based in Bangkok). In this role, he led regional growth and operations while steering market leadership responsibilities in Thailand.
Before Thailand, he was based in Greater London in senior leadership roles including Chief Customer Officer – Home Care, VP Digital Commerce, and General Manager – Unilever Professional. This phase of his career reflected a strong focus on customer development, digital commerce, and B2B growth models, aligned with evolving channel dynamics in the consumer goods ecosystem.
Earlier in his London tenure, he served as Global VP for Digital, E-commerce and Customer Development and General Manager – Home Care Professional (B2B), where he led global channel transformation agendas for Home Care, accelerated growth in new channels, built the e-commerce business, and drove route-to-market innovation at scale.
Before his global roles, Asawa was VP Marketing – Home Care, Unilever Europe (based in the Netherlands), where he led a large portfolio across European markets, drove innovation programs to future-proof the portfolio, and steered strategic category expansion, including the entry of laundry in key markets. Earlier in India, he held leadership roles such as Regional Category VP for South Asia and other senior commercial and marketing responsibilities, including shaping rural go-to-market strategy and leading large teams and distribution transformations.
About DMart – Avenue Supermarts Ltd
DMart is a one-stop supermarket chain focused on offering a wide range of home and personal products under one roof at competitive prices. DMart stores stock home utility products including food, toiletries, beauty products, garments, kitchenware, bed and bath linen, and home appliances, built on the core objective of offering customers good products at great value.
DMart was started by Mr. Radhakishan Damani and his family, beginning with its first store in Powai in 2002, and has since expanded to 439 locations across multiple Indian states and regions including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, NCR, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Rajasthan. The supermarket chain is owned and operated by Avenue Supermarts Ltd (ASL), headquartered in Mumbai.
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