ITC veteran Sachin Sahay seen as frontrunner for Birla Opus CEO role

Sachin Sahay, a senior executive at ITC Limited, has emerged as the leading contender to take over as chief executive of Birla Opus, the Aditya Birla Group-backed venture.

Sahay, currently Executive Vice President – Sales Operations and Development at ITC, is expected to succeed Rakshit Hargave, who stepped down in November 2025 to join Britannia Industries as chief executive and managing director, the report said.

The potential appointment comes at a critical juncture for Birla Opus as it looks to stabilise leadership following Hargave’s departure and sharpen its growth strategy under the Aditya Birla Group umbrella.

Sahay brings more than two decades of experience across India’s fast-moving consumer goods sector. During his 23-year tenure at ITC, he has held multiple senior roles spanning brand management, sales and business development, overseeing large teams and building profitable verticals, according to the Hindustan Times.

He is widely credited with playing a key role in ITC’s FMCG transformation, helping the conglomerate expand beyond its legacy tobacco business into packaged foods and personal care. Sahay was also an early contributor to ITC’s rural sourcing and distribution platform eChoupal, one of the company’s most prominent digital initiatives linking farmers to markets.

Earlier in his career, Sahay served as marketing manager for ITC’s tobacco business, where he led consumer engagement initiatives across digital media and technology, as well as the development of HoReCa and travel retail channels, the report said.

Neither ITC nor the Aditya Birla Group has formally confirmed the appointment. Senior appointments at group-backed companies typically involve multiple rounds of internal review before final approval.

If confirmed, Sahay’s move would mark a high-profile leadership transition between two of India’s largest corporate groups, underscoring the premium placed on FMCG experience as consumer-facing businesses navigate slower demand growth and intensifying competition.