Novartis India has appointed Rahul Vijayvargiya as chief human resources officer (CHRO) effective July 2026. He will be based in Mumbai.
Immediately before this role, he was with Alkem Laboratories as the head of HR from June 2024 to June 2026, where he managed the full spectrum of people operations.
Before Alkem, Rahul Vijayvargiya led HR at Reliance Retail’s pharma business for three years, from June 2021 to May 2024. A large part of his career has been in the pharmaceuticals space. He spent seven years at Glenmark Pharmaceuticals from December 2013 to June 2021 and two years at Pfizer from July 2011 to December 2013.
His experience also spans the retail sector. He worked at Aditya Birla Group’s Retail Business between April 2007 and June 2011, covering Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Pune. He also served stints at Future Group India from September 2006 to March 2007 and at Shoppers Stop from December 2004 to September 2006.
Vijayvargiya started out as a human resources consultant at Ma Foi Randstad, serving there from November 2003 to December 2004.
Across his career, he has built expertise in talent management, organisational development, and strategic HR. At Novartis India, he will focus on strengthening employee experience, leadership pipeline, and culture to support the company’s growth in the healthcare space.
HRKatha wishes Rahul Vijayvargiya all the best!
