#e4mExclusive:  Ashwin Moorthy takes charge of expanded global mktg & media mandate at Godrej Consumer

The exit of Harsh Deep Chhabra from Godrej Consumer Products has triggered a significant leadership reshuffle within the company’s global marketing structure, with Ashwin Moorthy emerging as one of the most influential consumer and brand leaders inside the FMCG major.

Following Chhabra’s move to Sony Pictures Networks India as Head – Strategy & New Business, GCPL has redistributed a substantial portion of his responsibilities to Moorthy, dramatically widening his mandate across media, marketing, brand development, and strategic consumer growth functions.

Moorthy, who currently serves as Global Head of Categories and Head of Marketing – India at GCPL, has now been entrusted with additional responsibilities spanning media buying, influencer marketing, India marketing, global strategic direction, brand building, brand development, and oversight linked to Lightbox, the company’s in-house creative agency.

The restructuring consolidates several critical growth and consumer-facing verticals under a single executive at a time when global consumer goods companies are attempting to integrate media, commerce, digital influence, and brand strategy into unified leadership structures.

Confirming the development, Moorthy said the company has consistently focused on building leaders internally and creating pathways for talent mobility within the organisation.

“At Godrej Consumer Products, we have always believed that building strong brands starts with building strong people and leaders from within the organisation. One of the most important responsibilities that comes with a leadership role is nurturing the next line of talent and creating opportunities for people to grow, take ownership, and bring fresh thinking to the table,” Moorthy said.

He added that leadership transitions often create opportunities for internal elevation and succession planning.

“While transitions and exits are a natural part of any dynamic organisation, they also open up opportunities to groom new leaders and successors internally. We are pleased to announce two such moments of leadership elevation across our independent creative and media functions,” he said.

Moorthy further outlined the company’s revised leadership structure across creative and media operations.

“Lightbox, our in-house creative agency, and our global media organisation operate as distinct, independent capabilities, each with its own mandate, leadership, and creative vision. Gaurav Kumar and Shalini Avadhani will step up as Chief Creative Officers of Lightbox, jointly leading the creative team and driving creative output across brands globally,” he said.

According to Moorthy, the duo brings a strong understanding of creative craft and brand-building expertise that the company believes will help shape the next phase of Lightbox’s growth.

On the media side, Nithya Ravi will assume the role of Head of Global Media, taking over and expanding the remit previously managed by Chhabra.

“Nithya brings over 18 years of experience in the media industry, and in her time at GCPL has led both media planning and buying with sharp strategic rigour. Her elevation to lead the global media organisation is a reflection of the trust we place in talent that grows with us,” Moorthy said.

Industry executives said the changes effectively position Moorthy at the centre of GCPL’s consumer growth engine, giving him oversight across brand strategy, advertising investments, creator partnerships, innovation alignment, and marketing transformation initiatives.

The development assumes significance amid a broader recalibration underway across the FMCG industry, where companies are rethinking marketing structures in response to rapidly changing consumer behaviour, fragmentation of media consumption, and the rise of influencer-led commerce ecosystems.

Within GCPL, Moorthy had already been overseeing category strategy and India marketing operations. The addition of media buying and influencer marketing responsibilities now gives him significantly greater influence over how the company allocates advertising spends, builds consumer engagement, and drives brand visibility across digital and traditional platforms.

Executives tracking the sector said the inclusion of global strategic direction and brand development responsibilities indicates GCPL’s intention to more tightly align category innovation, communication strategy, media deployment, and consumer engagement under a consolidated leadership framework.

Chhabra’s departure marks the end of a significant stint at GCPL, where he handled a broad portfolio spanning marketing transformation and strategic growth initiatives. His move to SPNI also reflects a growing trend among media and entertainment companies to recruit executives with deep expertise in consumer strategy, digital transformation, and integrated business growth.

At SPNI, Chhabra will report to Gaurav Banerjee and work closely with the leadership team on long-term strategic priorities and new business opportunities.

For GCPL, however, the more immediate significance lies in the concentration of strategic marketing influence under Moorthy, whose role now spans the full spectrum of modern brand-building — from category strategy and media deployment to influencer ecosystems and global brand direction.

The restructuring also reflects a broader shift underway across India Inc., where companies are increasingly empowering a smaller group of senior executives with integrated mandates cutting across marketing, commerce, media, and digital growth as traditional organisational silos continue to shrink.