Bata India appoints Sandeep Kataria as country manager
Bata India has appointed former chief commercial officer of Vodafone India, Sandeep Kataria, as country manager for the India sub-continent
New Delhi: Footwear maker Bata India Ltd on Tuesday named Sandeep Kataria, former chief commercial officer at Vodafone India as its country manager.
Kataria will report to Rajeev Gopalakrishnan, who has been elevated as president, Asia South, and will take care of three additional countries -- Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. Currently, Gopalakrishnan is the president, South Asia at Bata.
“I am confident that Sandeep will play a critical role in continuing to build Bata as a contemporary and stylish brand, keeping in mind the changing consumer trend in India and will drive the company to achieve the accelerated growth plan," Gopalakrishnan, who joined Bata in 1990, said in a statement.
A graduate from IIT-Delhi, Kataria has been working in the consumer retail sector for more than 20 years.
Previously, he worked with Yum Brands where he held different roles including chief marketing officer, Indian subcontinent, across KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell brands. Kataria has also worked with consumer goods company Unilever for more than 17 years.
“I am very excited for the opportunity to lead Bata in India - a very strong, trusted and admired brand with immense potential to grow rapidly. I look forward to helping to take the business to greater heights across many channels, consumer segments and geographies," Kataria said in the statement.
Bata sells footwear at 1,290 exclusive stores and distribution retailers. The 86-year-old European footwear brand sells 50 million pairs of footwear every year and serves more than 1.2 lakh customers every day.
Going forward, the company is planning to expand its footprint in smaller towns and rural markets through franchisees. The company is looking to scale up its franchisee network from 50 to 400 over the next five years, Mint had reported in July.
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