Online marketplace Etsy appoints Pankaj Jathar as VP and country head for India

Nasdaq-listed American e-commerce firm Etsy, Inc, a marketplace for crafts and other creative goods has announced the appointment of Pankaj Jathar as its vice president and country head for India.Jathar has about two decades of experience across global IT services and ecommerce firms, and will lead the company’s India business to scale its marketplace capabilities further and determine additional growth opportunities in the country.

He will focus on mobilising and empowering the creative community in India, connecting sellers to millions of buyers around the world through the Etsy marketplace.Ryan Scott, chief marketing officer of the firm globally said, “I am confident that his leadership and expertise will steer us in the right direction and inspire the local team to advance our mission to ‘keep commerce human’.”Jathar added, “I have long been impressed by the company’s ability to empower entrepreneurs. They’ve created economic opportunities for millions of people around the world, and I am thrilled to be able to contribute to this mission and support Indian creators in harnessing their full potential.”

He was previously the CEO of Prione, a joint venture between Amazon and private equity fund Catamaran. He led multiple functions at Amazon from 2011 to 2017, including being a key member of the launch team for Amazon’s India business. He holds an MBA degree from Indian Institute of Management (Calcutta) and an engineering degree from Bharati Vidyapeeth University.

Etsy has been investing in India, now considered one of the company’s seven core markets, for several years, primarily focused on building vibrant local inventory and establishing effective business processes to ultimately become a growing two sided peer-to-peer marketplace in the country.

According to India Brand Equity Foundation, India’s e-commerce market is expected to reach $111 billion by 2024 and $200 billion by 2026.