Peshwa Acharya

Peshwa Acharya is an Indian business executive, entrepreneur, and marketing professional with over 30 years of experience across various industries including FMCG (CPG), retail, telecom, technology, e-commerce, hospitality, and education. He has held senior management positions at several organisations including Procter & Gamble, Reckitt, Dabur, Reliance Retail, and Sterling Holidays.

Peshwa is known for his expertise in business turnaround strategy, digital transformation, and people & culture transformation.

Basic Information

Field	Details
Born	September, Calcutta, India
Education	IIT Kharagpur (B.Tech), IIM Calcutta (PGDM)
Occupation	Business executive, Entrepreneur
Known for	CMO Reliance Retail (Grocery & Digital formats), CMO Sterling Holidays, First CEO IIT Bombay Research & Innovation Park (ASPIRE)
Board member of	PlatinumOne Business Services Ltd.

Early life and education

Peshwa completed his schooling at Don Bosco School (1973-1985), where he also represented Calcutta District (West Bengal) in swimming & water polo tournaments. After completing his schooling, though he qualified for admission to premier medical colleges in India like AIIMS, JIPMER, CMC, AFMC etc., he chose to join the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur).

He earned his Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degree with Honors in Chemical Engineering from IIT Kharagpur in 1989. Following this, Peshwa completed his Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIM Calcutta) in 1991.

Career

Early career

Peshwa began his professional journey at Procter & Gamble (P&G). He subsequently worked with several major consumer goods companies including Reckitt, Pepsi, and Dabur, building expertise in brand management, marketing, sales, and category leadership.

Reliance Retail

One of the defining phases of Peshwa’s career was his role as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Reliance Retail (Digital & Grocery formats). He was instrumental in the ideation, launch, and rollout of various retail formats and businesses under the Reliance Retail umbrella, including Reliance Value Format Integration: Reliance Fresh, Reliance Mart, Reliance Super, Reliance Autozone, and more importantly conceptualization and launch of Reliance Digital, and iStore - Apple stores.

Sterling Holidays

As the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Sterling Holidays, a Fairfax and Thomas Cook company, Acharya led a significant transformation of the business. He redefined the company’s trajectory by transitioning it from a ‘Vacation Rental / Timeshare’ model to a ‘Mixed Model Experiential Holiday’ firm. Under his leadership, Sterling Holidays underwent a digital transformation that resulted in customer acquisition & sales increase via digital channels and also achieved higher ARR & room occupancy rates. During his tenure, he enabled the customer acquisition teams to digitalize and modernize their operations.

IIT Bombay Research & Innovation Park

In 2015, Peshwa was selected as the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IIT Bombay Research & Innovation Park (ASPIRE), a position that recognized his business acumen and leadership capabilities. This role involved fostering innovation and research collaboration between academia and industry, and he worked under the guidance of Prof Abhay Karandikar.

Published Works

Decoding Workplace Culture: Connecting the Invisible Dots

Decoding Workplace Culture: Connecting the Invisible Dots is a management and business book by Peshwa Acharya, published in 2024 by KBI Publishers. The book examines how invisible cultural drivers—leadership style, common values and informal organisational norms—can powerfully influence productivity, innovation, and sustainable business success.

Based on Acharya’s three-decade business experience, the book provides:

• Practical models for leaders to diagnose and quantify culture with more than just intuition

• Real-life case studies demonstrating how cultural alignment impacts performance and execution

• Learnings on how to infuse culture into strategy, recruitment, and day-to-day decision-making

On launch day, KBI publishers organized an interactive AMA (Ask Me Anything) session by Peshwa, moderated by HR and People specialist Mr. Amal K Das, attended by corporate professionals, entrepreneurs and students interested in workplace culture and leadership.

The central argument of the book is that organizational culture - traditionally considered the “soft” side of business - can be built and actively managed to drive sustainable growth. It is written for CXOs, managers, entrepreneurs and early-stage professionals aiming to bridge cultural understanding with concrete business change.

Travel Writing

Peshwa has also contributed travel articles, including “Reflections from a Memorable Trip to Oman” published on Impact On Net, where he shares insights about wildlife tourism and the evolution of the travel industry.

Management Publications

Peshwa has authored articles for professional journals, including a publication in the Indian Management Journal (November 2018), demonstrating his thought leadership in business strategy and management practices.

Board positions

Peshwa serves as an Independent Director at PlatinumOne Business Services Ltd., a position he has held since 2020. In this role, he is also a member of the company’s Audit Committee.

Entrepreneurial ventures

Acharya has founded several entrepreneurial ventures that showcase his business acumen and innovative thinking:

Think as Consumer: A boutique catalyst organization that provides strategic inputs & interim management support to medium-scale companies & start-ups, helping them grow their businesses and brands through innovative strategies & pragmatic execution.

Leven Healthcare: A venture in the nephrology/dialysis space which he co-founded circa 2013.

GrowthShyft & Bettermycareer: Platforms focused on career mentoring and developing professional talent.

Personal life

Peshwa is an avid reader, writer, and traveler who enjoys travelling and exploring new cuisines around the world. He has 2 platforms on YouTube: one focused on management & marketing, and another on food & travel. He maintains his curiosity, which he considers one of his defining traits, and has an interest in various subjects including technology, consumer behavior, and people and culture.

He has expressed that if he hadn’t pursued his current career path, he would have likely become a surgeon, having qualified for admission to premier medical colleges after his 12th grade.

As a sports enthusiast, Peshwa was an accomplished swimmer in his youth, having represented Calcutta/West Bengal in swimming tournaments and in water polo.

References

[1] https://indiantelevision.com/mam/guest-column-what-consumers-say-vs-what-they-do-the-marketing-blind-spot/

[2] https://www.exchange4media.com/marketing-news/fmcg-last-mile-20-turning-indias-14-mn-stores-into-intelligent-platforms-152461.html

[3] https://www.impactonnet.com/impact-stories/are-hygiene-and-trust-on-the-menu-15916.html

[4] https://www.medianews4u.com/luxury-buyers-do-care-about-price-but-price-isnt-their-primary-motivation-peshwa-acharya-think-as-consumer/

[5] https://www.adgully.com/post/15858/lessons-from-building-early-large-scale-retail-formats-in-india

[6] https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/digital/brightcom-group-acquires-mediamint-for-rs-566-crores/88148292

[7] https://everythingexperiential.com/article/experiential-is-now-central-to-business-not-just-product-or-price-peshwa-acharya-602813

[8] https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/peshwa-acharya-to-steer-brightcom-group-strategy-as-president/article36451020.ece

[9] https://www.exchange4media.com/marketing-news/peshwa-acharya-joins-ampersand-group-104300.html

[10] https://www.exchange4media.com/marketing-news/new-sterling-holidays-proposition-is-led-by-discovery-peshwa-acharya-94526.html

[11] “Peshwa Acharya.” peshwaacharya.com. Retrieved July 29, 2025.

[12] “Peshwa Acharya, Retail.” peshwaacharya.brandyourself.com. Retrieved July 29, 2025.

[13] “Offbeat: Peshwa Acharya — medicine’s loss is marketing’s gain.” Adgully.com https://archive.adgully.com/offbeat-peshwa-acharya--medicine--s-loss-is-marketing--s-gain-83609.html. February 15, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2025.

[14] “An evening with Mr. Peshwa Acharya.” ICFAI Online MBA https://online.ifheindia.org/evening-with-mr-peshwa-acharya.html. Retrieved July 29, 2025.

[15] “IIT Kharagpur Alumni Cell - Facebook.” fhttps://www.facebook.com/iitkgp.alumnicell/posts/652302441476659/?stream_ref=10. September 20, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2025.

[16] “Peshwa Acharya - LinkedIn.” linkedin.com https://in.linkedin.com/in/peshwaacharya. Retrieved July 29, 2025.

[17] “Lessons from My Journey – Peshwa Acharya, Marketing Guru.” sreeni.org https://sreeni.org/2021/12/07/lessons-from-my-journey-peshwa-acharya/. December 7, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2025.

[18] “Customer touchpoints workshop | PPT - SlideShare.” slideshare.net https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/customer-touchpoints-workshop/124295027. November 28, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2025.

[19] “Peshwa Acharya - Executive Bio, Work History, and Contacts - Equilar.” people.equilar.com https://people.equilar.com/bio/person/peshwa-acharya-brightcom-group-limited/33431842#profile. Retrieved July 29, 2025.

[20] “Sterling Holiday Resorts unveils a TV and digital campaign for pan-Indian audiences.” Brand Equity (Economic Times). https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/advertising/sterling-holiday-resorts-unveils-a-tv-and-digital-campaign-for-pan-indian-audiences/67830184

[21] “Sterling Holiday Group launches new brand identity, Raja Rex as new mascot.” AdGully Archive. https://archive.adgully.com/sterling-holiday-group-launches-new-brand-identity-raja-rex-as-new-mascot-75311.html

[22] “Sterling Holidays’ new TVC captures the joy of ‘holidaying differently’.” Exchange4Media. https://www.exchange4media.com/advertising-news/sterling-holidays-new-tvc-captures-the-joy-of-holidaying-differently-94424.html

[23] “IIT Bombay Research Park Identity - Behance.” behance.net https://www.behance.net/gallery/30459833/IIT-Bombay-Research-Park-Identity#. December 15, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2025.

[24] “Peshwa Acharya - Healthspring - Family Health Experts | LinkedIn.” linkedin.com https://in.linkedin.com/company/healthspring-occupational-and-corporate-health-experts?trk=public_profile_topcard-current-company. Retrieved July 29, 2025.

[25] “Meet Our Authors - Peshwa Acharya.” KBI Publishers. https://www.kbipublishers.com/meet-our-authors/peshwa-acharya/

[26] “Book Launch AMA Session.” YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK7XeLmIzm4

[27] “Leadership and Workplace Culture Post.” LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/peshwaacharya_leadership-workplaceculture-decodingworkplaceculture-activity-7312394180951969792-tjS1

[28] “Decoding Workplace Culture Book.” Amazon. https://www.amazon.in/Decoding-Workplace-Culture-Connecting-International/dp/B0DQ4NV4BN

[29] “Reflections from a Memorable Trip to Oman.” Impact On Net. https://www.impactonnet.com/backbeat/reflections-from-a-memorable-trip-to-oman-6761.html

[30] “Indian Management Journal Article (Nov 2018) by Peshwa Acharya.” SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/indian-management-journal-article-nov-2018-by-peshwa-acharya/149121861

[31] “Think As Consumer – Fast track Grow Solutions.” thinkasconsumer.com. Retrieved July 29, 2025.

[32] “Peshwa Acharya: Positions, Relations and Network - Stock Market.” in.marketscreener.com https://www.marketscreener.com/insider/PESHWA-ACHARYA-A1A89R/. Retrieved July 29, 2025.

[33] “Think as Consumer - YouTube.” youtube.com. Retrieved July 29, 2025.

[34] “Reading is a relaxing mental exercise for Think As Consumer founder.” Economic Times Panache. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/reading-is-a-relaxing-mental-exercise-for-think-as-consumer-founder/articleshow/77063186.cms?from=mdr

[35] “Real Travel with Peshwa - YouTube.” youtube.com/@realtravelwithPeshwa

[36] “Think as Consumer - YouTube.” youtube.com/@ThinkAsConsumer

[37] https://sreeni.org/2021/12/07/lessons-from-my-journey-peshwa-acharya/

[38] https://www.markhub24.com/post/reliance-digital-s-brand-strategy-in-consumer-electronics-retail

Categories: Indian business executives | IIT Kharagpur alumni | Indian Institute of Management Calcutta alumni | Indian marketing professionals | Indian entrepreneurs | Chief marketing officers

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