Castrol India has appointed Kedar Lele as its new managing director starting 1 November, 2024. Lele joins Castrol India after a distinguished 20-year career with Hindustan Unilever (HUL), where he most recently served as executive director, sales and customer development for South Asia.
Renowned for his expertise in steering growth and fostering innovation, Lele’s leadership is expected to drive Castrol India’s progress in the dynamic automotive and lubricants landscape.
To ensure a smooth transition, Lele has been working closely with Sandeep Sangwan, outgoing MD, since 1 September, 2024. Starting 1 November, Sangwan will assume his new role as global chief marketing officer at Castrol’s headquarters in London.
Lele began his career with Mudra Communication in the year 1998. He joined the company as its account supervisor. After two years, he moved to bplnet.com for a year-long stint as its product manager.
His next stop was Monster.com, which he joined in 2001. He was associated with the company for about two years as its brand manager (B2B).
It was in 2004 that he first joined HUL. He joined as the company’s brand sales manager-ice cream division. In this role, he was responsible for sales operations and channel management. With his efforts, he managed to turn the business around with a sustainable double-digit growth and won ‘The Branch Enterprise Award’ for the year 2004-2005. In 2006, he was elevated to the role of marketing manager-ice cream division.
In 2008, Lele moved to Kimberly Clark Lever (joint venture of Hindustan Unilever & Kimberly Clark) as its head-sales and marketing. As the functional leader, he managed the brand team for infant and feminine care businesses with end-to-end marketing responsibility. In 2010, he again moved to HUL as its general manager-East region.
Rakesh Makhija, chairman, Castrol India, commented on the appointment, saying, “We are thrilled to welcome Kedar to Castrol India. His exceptional experience in expanding markets and leading teams makes him a standout choice for our next phase of growth.” He also expressed his deep appreciation to Sangwan for his outstanding leadership.
In his remarks, Lele also expressed enthusiasm for his new role, stating, “My priorities will be expanding our portfolio and implementing effective growth strategies, leveraging our trusted brand, innovative products, and advanced technology to drive momentum in India’s mobility sector.”
