Havells India Appoints Ashish Dhawan & Shanti Ekambaram As Independent Directors
Havells India has appointed Ashish Dhawan and Shanti Ekambaram as Independent Directors (Additional Directors) with effect from June 19, 2026. They succeed Upendra Kumar Sinha and Jalaj Ashwin Dani, who stepped down after completing their second terms as Independent Directors.
Ashish Dhawan is the Founder and CEO of The Convergence Foundation and Founding Chairperson of Ashoka University and Central Square Foundation. He is widely known for his work in philanthropy, education, and public policy. Before moving to the social sector, Dhawan founded ChrysCapital, one of India’s private equity firms, and played a key role in building its investment platform. He serves on the Boards and advisory councils of several organisations and has been involved in supporting initiatives aimed at improving learning outcomes and public service delivery in India.
Shanti Ekambaram is a banking and financial services professional with nearly four decades of experience in the sector. She spent 35 years with Kotak Mahindra Bank, where she held several leadership positions across corporate banking, consumer banking, wealth management, and treasury. Most recently, she served as Deputy Managing Director and Whole-Time Director of the bank from 2022 to 2025. Over the course of her career, she played a key role in business development, customer acquisition, and strategic initiatives across multiple banking segments. Ekambaram is a Chartered Accountant and Cost Accountant with extensive experience in financial services leadership.
