Aditya Birla Fashion Names Suraj Bahirwani as Pantaloons CEO-Designate

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail named Suraj Bahirwani CEO-designate of Pantaloons at a board meeting on March 24, setting in motion one of the more deliberately structured leadership transitions in Indian retail. Bahirwani stepped into the designate role on April 1, 2026, and will assume full CEO responsibilities on October 1.

The handover follows a phased timeline designed to keep continuity intact at the mass-market fashion chain. Sangeeta Tanwani, who has held the CEO title along with her designations as whole-time director and key managerial personnel, will remain at the helm of Pantaloons through September 30. From October 1 until her retirement on January 31, 2027, she will support the managing director on strategic matters in an advisory capacity, a structure that signals ABFRL's preference for institutional knowledge transfer over abrupt leadership cuts.

The Pantaloons succession was not the only move approved at the March 24 board meeting. ABFRL simultaneously named Nikhil Modha as CFO-designate and senior managerial personnel, and appointed Marco Agnolin as CEO of OWND!, the group's streetwear-inflected label. Pranchal Srivastava was named Chief Business Officer for The Collective and International Brands, where he will oversee a portfolio of more than 60 premium and luxury labels and manage India franchise partnerships with Ralph Lauren, Ted Baker, Fred Perry, and Hackett. Srivastava brings more than 15 years of experience across consumer businesses, fashion retail, and strategic consulting to the role.

Taken together, the appointments represent a broad repositioning of ABFRL's leadership bench across price points: from Pantaloons, which anchors the group's accessible, high-volume retail business, to The Collective's premium franchise partnerships and OWND!'s emerging streetwear identity. The coordinated timing of all four moves suggests the group is aligning its management structure ahead of what appears to be a period of deliberate strategic expansion.