CEAT has roped in Rahul Gama as senior vice president–human resources, effective 15 January, 2026. Gama brings over 28 years of global HR leadership experience, having worked across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Indian subcontinent.
At CEAT, Gama is expected to focus on strengthening organisational capability, leadership depth, talent pipelines, and culture as the company navigates growth and increasing competitive intensity. His appointment underscores CEAT’s intent to place people strategy at the centre of its business agenda.
His career spans multiple industries including consumer goods, chemicals, agri-business, retail, manufacturing, and services, giving him deep exposure to managing complex, geographically-dispersed workforces.
Prior to joining CEAT, Gama served as chief human resources officer, Pidilite Industries, from June 2024 to January 2026. During this period, he led the HR function for the emerging markets *multinational*, supporting its people strategy across adhesives, waterproofing, pigments, and allied businesses.
Before Pidilite, Gama spent nearly 14 years with the Godrej Group in senior leadership roles. From June 2010 to June 2022, he served as global chief human resources officer at Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL), where he led HR across four continents spanning Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the US, Latin America, and the Indian Subcontinent. During his 12-year tenure, GCPL underwent significant transformation—scaling global operations, integrating acquisitions, and strengthening its people systems to build a future-ready organisation.
Subsequently, between June 2022 and May 2024, Gama held the role of group head – HR experience centre & technology and CHRO for Godrej Agrovet and Godrej Chemicals. In this capacity, he led HR for diversified businesses across FMCG, chemicals, animal feed, and agri sectors, while also overseeing the Group People Experience Centre (HR shared services). His mandate focused on driving experience, effectiveness, and efficiency across HR products and services, alongside leading HR technology, digitalisation, and analytics initiatives for the Group.
Earlier in his career, Gama was vice president–human resources at the Godrej–Sara Lee joint venture from July 2009 to July 2010. Before that, he spent over nine years at Marico, where he held multiple HR leadership roles, including head–corporate HR. During his tenure at Marico, he was also instrumental in setting up and leading the HR function for Kaya, the Group’s premium skincare and retail services venture.
Gama began his professional journey at Arvind, where he joined as a management trainee in June 1997 and went on to manage HR and employee relations at manufacturing units until March 2000.
An alumnus of Symbiosis Institute of Management, Gama holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics, combining strong academic grounding with decades of hands-on leadership experience. Known as a trusted partner to CEOs and senior leadership teams, he brings deep expertise in HR transformation, M&A integration, leadership development, and building high-performing organisations across fast-paced, global environments.
