Mahindra Group has found a new custodian for its brand story — and this one comes armed with global experience, digital savvy, and enough beauty-industry branding wisdom to make even a tractor look glamorous on Instagram.
In a significant leadership announcement, the Mahindra Group has appointed Purnima Lamba as its new Chief Brand Officer, effective September 1, 2026. The move underlines the conglomerate’s growing focus on sharpening its corporate identity while balancing its vast portfolio that ranges from SUVs and tractors to tech and hospitality businesses.
Purnima will be responsible for shaping and steering Mahindra’s corporate brand and communications strategy globally. Her mandate includes building a stronger and more cohesive brand narrative aligned with the Group’s purpose-driven vision, while ensuring consistency across Mahindra’s diverse businesses and digital platforms.
In simple terms: one brand boss for the empire that makes everything from the Scorpio-N to farm equipment — which is probably one of the more interesting branding challenges in corporate India.
Announcing the appointment, Dr. Anish Shah, Group CEO & MD, Mahindra Group, said Purnima’s combination of strategic thinking, consumer insight, creativity, and global experience makes her the ideal leader to further strengthen the Mahindra brand.
He added that as the Group continues to build a compelling narrative aligned with its business ambitions and values, her ability to transform insights into impact will play a crucial role in the company’s next phase of growth.
Purnima joins Mahindra after a nearly 25-year-long global stint at Unilever, where she held senior leadership roles across India, the UK, and the Netherlands. During her tenure, she worked extensively on brand building, digital transformation, and consumer engagement strategies, particularly in the beauty and personal care space.
Her experience in developing tech-enabled beauty experiences and pioneering digital media models helped expand brand presence globally — skills that Mahindra appears eager to adapt for its own rapidly evolving corporate identity.
Academically, Purnima holds both BSc and MSc degrees in Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her career journey spans entrepreneurship, global brand leadership, and cross-cultural strategy, making her one of the more prominent brand leaders to transition into India’s automotive and industrial sector.
The appointment also signals how seriously large Indian conglomerates are taking brand storytelling in the digital era. After all, today’s consumers don’t just buy horsepower or hardware — they buy narratives, values, and emotional connection. And in Mahindra’s case, that story now has a new author.
