Dabur India eyes Hershey’s Herjit S. Bhalla for CEO position

Dabur India is considering Herjit S. Bhalla, a senior executive at The Hershey Company, for the role of chief executive officer of its India business, according to industry reports.

Bhalla, who currently serves as vice-president, Canada and global customers at Hershey, is among the candidates being evaluated for the top job, the reports said. If appointed, he is expected to oversee Dabur’s India operations and report to Mohit Malhotra, who may move into a broader leadership role within the group.

Dabur has not made an official announcement on the appointment.

Who is under consideration

Bhalla brings more than two decades of experience in consumer goods and retail, with a career spanning multinational FMCG companies and international markets.

Before joining Hershey, he spent over 16 years at Hindustan Unilever, where he held senior roles across sales, customer development and marketing. During his tenure, Bhalla managed large profit-and-loss responsibilities in markets including Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, led growth initiatives in North India, and played a key role in scaling brands such as Bru and Hindustan Unilever’s tea portfolio amid intense competition.

He later served as chief operating officer for North and East India at METRO Cash & Carry, where he supported regional expansion and operational execution.

At Hershey, Bhalla is part of the company’s senior leadership team, overseeing customer strategy across Canada and global accounts. The US-based confectionery maker owns brands such as Kisses, Reese’s, Jolly Rancher and SkinnyPop.

The reported move comes as Dabur looks to strengthen leadership at a time when India’s fast-moving consumer goods sector is navigating uneven demand, pricing pressures and rising competition. 

While the CEO role at Dabur India is seen as central to driving growth in its core categories, any leadership change would also reflect the group’s longer-term succession planning.

What lies ahead

With no confirmation yet from Dabur, the evaluation process remains ongoing. Market watchers will track whether the company opts for an external hire with multinational experience or continues with internal leadership continuity.

For now, the reported consideration of Bhalla signals Dabur’s intent to align its India business with global best practices and sharper operational focus, as competition in the FMCG space intensifies.