Novartis India Appoints Six Directors, Records Resignations Of Six Board Members
The Board of Directors of Novartis India Limited has approved the appointment of Ashok Bhatia, Kshitij Sheth, and Dr. Jagriti Gupta as Non-Executive Non-Independent (Additional Directors) with effect from July 29, 2026, subject to shareholders’ approval. Ramesh Ramadurai, Shashank Sinha, and Suchita Sharma have been appointed as Independent Directors (Additional Directors).
In a separate decision, the Board also took on record the resignations of six directors. Christopher David Snook stepped down as Non-Executive Non-Independent Director and Chairman. Falin Ishwarlal Majmudar resigned as Whole-Time Director, while Shilpa Shashank Joshi resigned as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Whole-Time Director. Gira Jagdeesh Sardesai, Sanker Parameswaran and Gowree Gokhale also resigned from their positions as Non-Executive Independent Directors.
Ashok Bhatia spent 37 years at Zydus Lifesciences Ltd., where he rose to the position of President of Emerging Markets, overseeing operations across 12 international markets and managing a team of more than 800 professionals. He later served as Group Chief Executive Officer of Abacus Pharma. He also serves as a Board Member of Shalby Ltd. He is a pharmaceutical industry executive with over 48 years of experience in sales, marketing, business development and mergers and acquisitions. Bhatia holds a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), an MBA and a Bachelor of Science degree.
Kshitij Sheth has been associated with ChrysCapital since 2011, where he leads investments in the New Economy and pharmaceutical sectors. Before joining ChrysCapital, he worked with Citigroup Global Capital Markets. He is an investment professional with experience in private equity, growth investing, and corporate finance. Sheth holds a Master of Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. His experience includes private equity investments, portfolio management, and value creation across growth-stage businesses.
Dr. Jagriti Gupta has been associated with ChrysCapital since 2019. Before joining ChrysCapital, she worked with Faering Capital and was part of the investment banking team at Avendus Capital. She is an investment professional with experience in private equity, investment banking, and the healthcare sector. Dr. Gupta holds a Master of Business Administration from the Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi, and an MBBS from Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Agra. She combines expertise in healthcare with experience in investments, corporate finance and business strategy.
Ramesh Ramadurai spent his career with 3M, holding leadership roles in India, the United States, the Philippines and China, and most recently served as Managing Director (MD) of 3M India. He currently serves on the Boards of Anthem Biosciences, Bosch Ltd. and Centum Electronics Ltd. He is a business executive with over 35 years of international leadership experience across manufacturing and technology sectors. Ramadurai holds a Bachelor of Technology degree from Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur and an MBA from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta.
During his career, Shashank Sinha has held leadership roles with multinational companies, including serving as CEO and Managing Director (MD) of Strides Pharma Science Ltd. He currently serves as an Independent Director on the Boards of several companies, contributing to Corporate Governance and business strategy. He is a business executive with over three decades of international leadership experience across the healthcare, pharmaceuticals, consumer products and packaging sectors. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Sardar Patel University and a postgraduate diploma in management from Indian Institute of Management Lucknow.
