Greaves Cotton Appoints Manish Poddar as Group CFO
Filing Summary
Greaves Cotton Limited has announced the appointment of Manish Poddar as the new Group Chief Financial Officer, effective March 19, 2026. Poddar, a Chartered Accountant with over 25 years of experience, will lead the Finance and IT functions. He succeeds Akhila Balachandar, who is stepping down. Poddar’s previous roles include senior positions at Greencell Mobility and GMM Pfaudler Ltd. The company emphasizes its focus on sustainable growth through its Greaves.NEXT strategy, targeting sectors like Energy, Mobility, and Industrial Solutions.
Greaves Cotton Limited has appointed Manish Poddar as the new Group Chief Financial Officer, effective March 19, 2026. This appointment follows the departure of Akhila Balachandar, who is stepping down to pursue other professional opportunities. Poddar will be based in Mumbai and will oversee the Finance and IT functions of the company. This change is part of Greaves Cotton’s strategic focus on sustainable growth under its Greaves.NEXT strategy.
Manish Poddar is a Qualified Chartered Accountant with over 25 years of experience in financial leadership, strategy, and corporate governance. His previous roles include senior leadership positions at Greencell Mobility, GMM Pfaudler Ltd., and Diversey. In these roles, he contributed to strengthening financial performance and supporting strategic growth initiatives. Poddar’s industry experience includes working with both promoter and private equity firms such as Bain Capital and Chrys Capital.
The operational scope for Poddar at Greaves Cotton will include leading the Finance and IT functions. He will support the company’s Greaves.NEXT strategy, which focuses on sustainable growth across Energy, Mobility, and Industrial Solutions. This strategy aims to accelerate core businesses, build new capabilities, and expand into new markets.
The timeline for Poddar’s transition into the role of Group CFO is set for March 19, 2026. This marks the beginning of his tenure at Greaves Cotton, where he will be expected to drive financial strategies aligned with the company’s long-term goals.
Greaves Cotton’s management team, led by Managing Director and Group CEO Parag Satpute, will work closely with Poddar. Satpute has expressed confidence in Poddar’s financial expertise and strategic perspective, which are seen as valuable assets for the company’s growth objectives. The company also acknowledged the contributions of Akhila Balachandar during her tenure.
In the context of market relevance, Greaves Cotton is one of India’s leading diversified engineering companies with a focus on delivering innovative and sustainable solutions. The company’s growth strategy is anchored on three core dimensions: accelerating core businesses, building new capabilities, and expanding into new sectors such as Energy Solutions, Mobility Solutions, and Industrial Solutions. This strategic direction is expected to guide the company’s future developments.
Greaves Cotton Limited is a diversified engineering company with a legacy of over 165 years. It focuses on providing innovative and sustainable solutions across key sectors. The company is known for its precision engineering and technology leadership, aiming to empower lives through reliable products and customer-centric solutions.