Amazon India ropes in Ravi Desai as CMO

NEW DELHI: Amazon India has roped in Ravi Desai of ITC Foods as its chief marketing officer, creating the position for the first time in the country as the ecommerce battle intensifies ahead of the festive season.

Desai, who is cluster head of marketing and executive committee member at ITC Foods, is based in Bengaluru and has quit, said three people aware of the matter. At Amazon, Desai will be responsible for product marketing, advertising and brand building. Amazon said it does not comment on its plans.

Desai declined to comment. Desai will report to Amit Agarwal, the country manager at Amazon India. He is expected to join by the end of this month, the people said.

In his decade-long career at ITC, Desai has served in positions such as branch head and as marketing manager during the conceptualisation and launch of the Bingo range of snacks. He was responsible for the confectionary portfolio and Candyman brands. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, 1999 batch, Desai also has a degree in chemical engineering. Seattle-based Amazon is trying to surpass Flipkart and grab the No. 1 position in the Indian ecommerce market.

It’s been luring sellers by reducing its commission and simplifying delivery and product-return logistics for them, while Flipkart has increased the commission on its platform.