Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, February 2026 — EssilorLuxottica has appointed Venu Ambati as President, Greater India. In this role, he will be responsible for driving the company’s growth strategy, strengthening market presence, and expanding business operations across the Greater India region. His appointment reflects his extensive leadership experience in the healthcare and consumer wellness sectors, along with his strong track record of delivering sustainable business growth and market expansion.
With a career spanning multiple geographies and high-impact leadership roles, Venu brings deep expertise in regional business leadership, strategic execution, and building strong brands at scale. His appointment further underscores EssilorLuxottica’s focus on accelerating its footprint and business momentum across the Greater India market.
Prior to joining EssilorLuxottica, Venu Ambati spent nearly a decade with Abbott, where he held several senior leadership roles and was instrumental in strengthening the company’s pharmaceuticals business across South Asia. Over close to six years, he served as Vice President, Pharmaceuticals, Abbott India, leading strategic and operational priorities across a highly competitive and evolving healthcare environment.
Before that, Venu served for over three years as Managing Director, Abbott India Ltd., where he was responsible for the overall pharmaceuticals business spanning India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan, playing a critical role in driving growth, strengthening execution, and deepening the organisation’s leadership presence across the region.
Earlier in his career, he spent approximately 16 years with GSK, where he built a strong track record in consumer healthcare leadership across Asia, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. He served as Vice President & General Manager (Consumer Healthcare) – Asia, managing 11 Asian countries and leading a high-performing team of 750+, with a focus on accelerating both sales and profitability through category-defining brands.
Prior to that, he was Vice President & General Manager (Consumer Healthcare) – Middle East, where he spearheaded growth across 17 countries in the Middle East & North Africa region. His leadership was marked by consistent strong performance, including sustained 20%+ growth in sales and profit for four consecutive years, delivered through distributor-led strategy and execution.
Venu also held key earlier leadership positions including Sales Director (Consumer Healthcare) – Indian Sub Continent, where he was responsible for $300m sales across multiple South Asian markets and led a large team of 350+, along with Sales Director (Consumer Healthcare) – Middle East, and General Manager roles across regions in India and neighbouring markets, building deep expertise in market expansion, channel execution, and leadership at scale.
About EssilorLuxottica
EssilorLuxottica is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of advanced vision care products, eyewear and med-tech solutions. Its mission is to help people around the world to see more and be more by addressing evolving vision needs, personal style aspirations and the desire to feel more connected to the world.
The group is home to innovative lens technologies including Varilux, Stellest and Transitions, iconic brands such as Ray-Ban, Oakley and Supreme, and world-class retailers including Sunglass Hut, LensCrafters, Vision Express and Apollo. With over 200,000 employees across 150 countries, 600 operations facilities, 18,000 stores, and service to 300,000 eye care professionals, EssilorLuxottica generated consolidated revenue of Euro 26.5 billion in 2024.
Through the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, the company has supported access to sustainable vision care for nearly 1 billion people in underserved communities. EssilorLuxottica’s ambition is to build a platform where the eyes are the gateway to new possibilities—bridging the digital world and human experience—while continuing to advance innovation and inclusion across global markets.
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