Gurugram, Haryana, India, June 2026 — Bata India Limited, India’s leading footwear retailer, has announced the appointment of Sanjay S. Rao as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective August 24, 2026. The appointment marks a significant leadership transition for the company as current CEO Gunjan Shah completes a successful five-year tenure leading the organization.
A highly accomplished global retail executive with extensive leadership experience across Europe, Asia, North America, and India, Sanjay brings a unique combination of expertise in retail operations, brand management, consumer business growth, international market expansion, and organizational transformation. His appointment comes at a pivotal time as Bata India continues to strengthen its market leadership position and accelerate its growth strategy in one of the world’s largest footwear markets.
Prior to joining Bata India, Sanjay served as Senior Director, Nike Retail – France & Benelux, where he was responsible for leading retail operations across key European markets. Before that, he held the position of Senior Director, Nike Retail – France & Francophone Europe, overseeing business performance, customer experience, retail excellence, and growth initiatives across the region. During his tenure at Nike, he played an important role in strengthening retail capabilities and driving business growth within one of the world’s most iconic sportswear brands.
Before Nike, Sanjay served as President and Director General, Guess France at GUESS?, Inc., where he led the company’s operations in the French market. His leadership focused on brand growth, commercial expansion, retail performance, and strengthening customer engagement in a highly competitive fashion and lifestyle retail environment.
Earlier, Sanjay spent more than a decade with Inditex, one of the world’s largest fashion retail groups. During this period, he held several senior leadership positions across multiple international markets. Most notably, he served as Managing Director and Board Member – ZARA & Massimo Dutti, India, where he played a pivotal role in expanding the brands’ presence and strengthening their position in the Indian retail market. Simultaneously, he served as Managing Director – ITX Trading, South Asia, overseeing strategic growth and operational excellence across the region.
Prior to his leadership responsibilities in India, Sanjay served as Managing Director – China North, where he led business operations in one of the world’s most dynamic retail markets. Earlier, he worked as Controller – ZARA USA and Canada, gaining valuable experience in financial management, retail operations, and international business leadership. He also participated in Inditex’s prestigious Management Development Program, which prepared future global leaders within the organization.
Before transitioning into global retail leadership, Sanjay built his professional foundation in technology and consulting roles with The TJX Companies, Model N, and Citi, developing expertise in systems, analytics, business processes, and operational management.
Sanjay holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from INSEAD, one of the world’s leading business schools. Throughout his career, he has earned a reputation as a strategic leader capable of driving business growth, building high-performance teams, scaling international operations, and delivering customer-centric transformation across diverse markets.
As CEO of Bata India, Sanjay is expected to focus on strengthening the company’s market leadership, enhancing customer experience, accelerating retail and digital growth, expanding brand relevance among new consumer segments, and driving long-term sustainable growth across India’s rapidly evolving footwear and lifestyle market.
About Bata India Limited
Bata India Limited is India’s largest footwear retailer and one of the country’s most trusted consumer brands. With a heritage spanning more than 88 years in India, Bata serves customers across a broad spectrum of footwear and accessories for the entire family.
The company operates more than 1,450 retail stores across over 600 cities, occupying more than 2 million square feet of retail space nationwide. Bata India is a subsidiary of the global Bata Shoe Organization (BSO), which was founded in 1894 by Thomas Bata.
Globally, Bata serves approximately one million customers every day through more than 5,000 retail stores across over 70 countries and employs more than 30,000 people worldwide. The company continues to combine innovation, quality, affordability, and customer-centricity to maintain its leadership position in the global footwear industry.
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