Darshan Mehta serves as the CEO and President of Reliance Brands Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Retail, one of India’s leading retail companies.
Reliance Brands, owned by Mukesh Ambani, has launched the British coffee chain Pret A Manger in India to compete with Tata-Starbucks. The luxury coffee house will open 10 outlets in its first year, in partnership with Reliance Brands led by Isha Ambani. Darshan Mehta, the company’s MD, and Mukesh Ambani’s first employee will oversee the venture. Tata Starbucks dominates India’s coffee market with 275 stores, but Pret A Manger aims to challenge its reign.
Who is Darshan Mehta?
Darshan Mehta holds the position of President and CEO at Reliance Brands Limited, which is a subsidiary of Reliance Retail. The company collaborates with international and local luxury brands in the fashion, accessories, and food sectors, making it the leader in India’s luxury lifestyle industry.
In 2007, Darshan Mehta became the first employee of Reliance Brands Limited, which has since partnered with over 50 luxury brands such as Giorgio Armani, Burberry, Jimmy Choo, and Salvatore Ferragamo.
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If you count both head office and retail store employees, Reliance Brands Limited now has over 5,000 employees. In the head office alone, they have 750 employees.
The company operates more than 420 single-brand stores and 350 shop-in-shop facilities across 60+ cities in India.
Initially, he worked in advertising but later pursued chartered accountancy. In the early 2000s, he played a crucial role in introducing brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Gant, and Nautica to the Indian market.
His salary for the financial year 2020-21 was reported to be Rs 4.89 crore, as per the company’s filings.
Apart from being a runner, he also enjoys trekking and mountain climbing. Reliance Brands Limited, of which he is the President and CEO, reported a revenue of Rs. 67,634 crore in the quarter that ended on December 31, 2022. The company’s profits also grew from Rs. 2259 crore to Rs. 2400 crore.