After 40 years with the company, Vineet Agrawal, MD of Wipro Enterprises and CEO of Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting, will retire in January 2026. With effect from February 1, 2026, Kumar Chander, who is currently President of Southeast Asia and Yardley India, will take over as CEO.
Chander will start working with Agrawal in October 2025 to guarantee a smooth handover. He will work out of the Bengaluru headquarters of Wipro Enterprises. After working for Wipro since 1985, Agrawal was appointed CEO of Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting in 2002.
Over the past twenty years, he has been instrumental in transforming the business into a major FMCG force on a global scale. Under his direction, the business made 15 acquisitions, greatly increased the number of international brands it owned, and made Santoor one of the top two soap brands in India.
Changing Business Dynamics of Wipro
Wipro’s concentration was mostly on vanaspati, soap, and lighting products in India before Agrawal took over in 2003. The company now operates in over 60 countries in the culinary, lighting, skincare, personal care, home care, and seating sectors.
Vineet has been instrumental in transforming Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting from a domestic player to a truly global enterprise, growing the company from INR 300 crore in 2003 to over INR 10,600 crore today, according to Azim Premji, chairman of Wipro Enterprises, who discussed the transition.
Vineet oversaw 15 significant acquisitions, turned Santoor into a well-known Indian brand, and established a solid foundation for innovation and expansion. A lasting legacy has been left by his innate grasp of people, culture, and long-term value development. The company would like to express its gratitude to him for his outstanding work over the past forty years.
Premji further added, “It gives me great pleasure to introduce Kumar Chander as the incoming MD of Wipro Enterprises and CEO of Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting.” Chander provides keen strategic vision and executional depth to Wipro, where he has worked for 33 years and built a solid reputation in both Indian and foreign markets.
His leadership is demonstrated by the fact that he helped us rank first in Malaysia’s personal care market and in the top three in a number of others. “Kumar is incredibly well-positioned to guide us into the next chapter because of his humility, fairness, strategy, and business acumen,” Premji continued.
Agarwal’s Journey in Wipro
After working for Wipro since 1985, Agrawal was appointed CEO of Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting in 2002. Over the past twenty years, he has been instrumental in transforming the business into a major FMCG force on a global scale.
Under his direction, the business made 15 acquisitions, greatly increased the number of international brands it owned, and made Santoor one of the top two soap brands in India. “It has been a privilege to be part of Wipro for 40 years and to lead Consumer Care & Lighting over the last two decades,” Agrawal said, looking back on his career.
“Together, we have established a multinational corporation based on integrity, rigorous execution, and robust processes. I am appreciative of the chance to guide through a time of profound change and proud of the foundation we have established. Wipro’s dedication to creating with purpose and long-term concentration has influenced our path. I have complete faith that Kumar will lead Wipro to even higher heights because of his unique leadership style and extensive worldwide expertise,” he added further.
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