Mankind Pharma Limited has appointed Nilesh Kulkarni as the Head of Human Resource Functions for the Group and designated him as a Senior Management Personnel (SMP), effective June 8, 2026.
The appointment forms part of an internal restructuring of the company's human resources leadership framework and was approved by the Board of Directors through a resolution passed by circulation, according to a regulatory disclosure reviewed by ScanX.
The move places Kulkarni at the centre of Mankind Pharma's people strategy as the company continues to integrate businesses, manage talent across functions and strengthen organisational capabilities in a highly competitive pharmaceutical market.
Leadership reshuffle strengthens HR structure
The appointment is part of a broader realignment of the company's HR leadership structure.
As part of the change, Prateek Dubey has ceased to be a Senior Management Personnel and will transition to new roles and responsibilities within the organisation.
According to the disclosure, the restructuring was undertaken to realign leadership responsibilities within the human resources function.
Key details of the appointment include:
• Name: Nilesh Kulkarni
• Designation: Head of Human Resource Functions, Mankind Pharma Group
• Effective date: June 8, 2026
• Additional designation: Senior Management Personnel (SMP)
• Reason for appointment: Internal organisational restructuring
• Employment status: Full-time employee governed by company policies and service rules
The company also stated that neither Kulkarni nor Dubey has any relationship with the directors of Mankind Pharma.
Bringing more than two decades of HR leadership experience
Kulkarni takes on the expanded role with more than 25 years of experience in human resources leadership across the pharmaceutical industry.
His professional background spans organisational transformation, talent management, leadership development and large-scale organisational design across domestic and international markets.
According to the company disclosure, his areas of expertise include:
• Multi-country mergers and acquisitions
• Post-merger integration
• Talent management and succession planning
• Learning and development architecture
• Organisation design
• Building high-performance cultures
• HR transformation across multiple geographies
Over the course of his career, he has held leadership roles across India, South Asia and Europe, giving him experience managing people strategies in diverse business environments.
Long association with healthcare and pharmaceutical companies
Before taking over the group HR mandate, Kulkarni served for more than six years as Chief Human Resources Officer of Bharat Serums and Vaccines Ltd. (BSV), a material wholly owned subsidiary of Mankind Pharma.
His appointment also reflects continuity within the broader group, given his familiarity with the company's healthcare businesses and operating environment.
Prior to BSV, Kulkarni held HR leadership positions at several multinational pharmaceutical companies, including:
• Novo Nordisk
• Roche
• Novartis
• Sanofi
The experience gained across global and domestic healthcare organisations is expected to support Mankind Pharma's evolving workforce and leadership agenda.
HR leadership takes on greater strategic significance
The appointment comes at a time when pharmaceutical companies are increasingly focusing on leadership development, talent retention, workforce capability building and organisational agility.
As businesses expand across markets and product segments, HR functions are playing a more central role in supporting growth, integration and cultural alignment.
Kulkarni's experience in managing organisational transformation and complex people programmes positions him to oversee these priorities at the group level.
The company's decision to elevate the HR function through a dedicated group leadership role also reflects the growing importance organisations are placing on workforce strategy as a business enabler rather than a purely operational function.
Focus shifts to the next phase of people strategy
With Kulkarni now leading human resources across the group, attention will turn to how Mankind Pharma continues to build leadership pipelines, strengthen talent capabilities and support organisational growth.
The appointment marks an important leadership change within the company's people function and brings an experienced pharmaceutical HR executive into a role that will influence workforce strategy across the organisation's businesses in the years ahead.