Colgate Palmolive (India)500830Routine director change

Internal auditor appointed; Marketing EVP resigns, successor named from December 1, 2026

Ms. Ragini Gajaria appointed Internal Auditor with effect from October 22, 2026.

By ScoutQuest · Thu 22 Oct 2026, 4:50 PM IST · 3 min read

Internal Auditor Appointment Date: Ms. Ragini Gajaria appointed Internal Auditor with effect from October 22, 2026
New Marketing EVP Effective Date: Mr. Akash Parekh becomes Executive Vice President - Marketing from December 1, 2026
First Interim Dividend: Rs. 24/- per equity share of Re. 1/- each

What the Board decided

Ms. Ragini Gajaria has been appointed Internal Auditor of the company with effect from October 22, 2026, on the recommendation of the Audit Committee.
Mr. Gunjit Jain, Executive Vice President - Marketing, has resigned effective close of business on November 30, 2026, to pursue a professional growth opportunity outside the company.
Mr. Akash Parekh, currently Senior Director, Marketing - Asia Pacific (APAC), has been appointed Executive Vice President - Marketing with effect from December 1, 2026, in succession to Mr. Gunjit Jain. The appointment follows a recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

Marketing leadership handover

The outgoing Marketing head steps down at the close of business on November 30, 2026 and the incoming Marketing head takes charge from December 1, 2026. The successor is an internal appointment from the company's Asia Pacific marketing team. For a reader tracking who runs the marketing function, the update sets out both the exit and the replacement at the same time.

MD & CEO approval through postal ballot

Approval of the Members for the appointment of Mr. Manish Anandan as Managing Director & CEO will be sought by passing a Resolution through the Postal Ballot process. The cut-off date for reckoning Members for sending the Postal Ballot Notice electronically and for e-voting is Friday, October 23, 2026. Mr. S. N. Ananthasubramanian (FCS 4206), or failing him Mr. S. N. Viswanathan (FCS 13685) of M/s. S. N. Ananthasubramanian & Co., Practising Company Secretaries, has been appointed as Scrutinizer for conducting the postal ballot process.

Who is the new internal auditor

Ms. Gajaria joined the company as Head - Continuous Improvement Group and Enterprise Risk Management with effect from August 5, 2026. She is a qualified Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor's degree in Commerce, with stated expertise in risk-based internal auditing, internal control frameworks, enterprise risk management and governance.

Before this role she was Senior Manager - Risk Management and Internal Audit at Asian Paints Limited, where she led risk-based internal audits and the redesign of the Enterprise Risk Management framework, and also held a procurement responsibility.
Earlier in her career she was associated with the Boston Consulting Group, advising clients in banking, information technology and telecommunications.

Also decided at the same Board meeting

The Board approved the unaudited financial results for the second quarter and half year ended September 30, 2026, which carry a Limited Review Report from the statutory auditors. It also declared a First Interim Dividend of Rs. 24/- per equity share of Re. 1/- each for the financial year 2026-27, aggregating Rs. 65,277 Lakhs, payable on and from November 19, 2026 to shareholders whose names appear in the Register of Members as on the record date of November 2, 2026.

How to read it

This is a set of board-level people and audit decisions. A senior marketing leader is leaving for an opportunity outside the company, and an internal successor has been named in the same update, effective the day after the resignation. A new internal auditor has been appointed on the Audit Committee's recommendation, and shareholder approval for the Managing Director & CEO appointment is being taken through a postal ballot.

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