DEPUTY BUSINESS HEAD — SWADESH

Reliance Retail | Bengaluru, India

Reporting to: Business Head — Swadesh

Reliance Retail is seeking an accomplished retail leader to serve as second-in-command of Swadesh, its premium platform for authentic Indian art, craft and handloom.

Swadesh brings the finest handcrafted work of Indian artisans to discerning customers across an omnichannel network of experiential stores and a digital storefront, backed by a nationwide network of Reliance Foundation Artisan Initiative for Skill Enhancement (RAISE) centres.

As Deputy Business

Head, you will serve as the strategic execution partner to the Business Head across the entire enterprise — categories and merchandising, online, operations, quality, marketing and the RAISE artisan network — carrying delegated ownership of business planning, governance and day-to-day performance so the business can scale with pace and control.

This leader will help build one coherent operating model spanning corporate functions and the geography-led RAISE centres, holding the business together across craft authenticity, commercial performance, customer experience and artisan livelihood as Swadesh expands its footprint.

We are looking for a leader who has:

- Operated as a business head, deputy or general manager of a multi-category, multi-channel retail or consumer business.
- Delivered top-line growth while strengthening margin, customer experience and operating discipline.
- Run both merchandising and operations, and integrated physical retail with digital commerce.
- Built and led senior leadership teams across dispersed corporate and field organisations.
- Led enterprise governance, business planning and cross-functional execution across multiple functions.
- Worked with craft, handloom, lifestyle, luxury or artisan-led supply chains, or shown the sensibility to lead one.
- The commercial judgement and ownership mindset to balance growth, cost, capital and long-term brand value.

Experience in premium lifestyle, fashion, home, craft or luxury retail would be particularly relevant, as would exposure to artisan sourcing or social-enterprise supply chains. Prior experience in India is valuable but not essential for an outstanding leader with the adaptability to operate across the scale and diversity of the Indian market.

Compensation will be structured to attract and retain world-class leadership talent.

To apply or learn more, respond directly through this posting.

#RelianceRetail #Leadership #Swadesh #RetailLeadership #Crafts #Handloom #Omnichannel #ExecutiveLeadership

PART 2 — FULL

DEPUTY BUSINESS HEAD — SWADESH

Company: Reliance Retail

Location: Bengaluru, India

Reporting to: Business Head — Swadesh

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Swadesh is Reliance Retail’s premium destination for authentic Indian art, craft and handloom — spanning Art & Décor, Apparel & Accessories, Furniture, Jewellery, Home Linen and Wellness. It operates an omnichannel model of experiential stores and a digital storefront,



sourced through a nationwide network of RAISE centres that connect the business directly to artisan clusters across the country.

We are seeking a Deputy Business Head to serve as the strategic execution partner to the Business Head across the entire Swadesh enterprise. The role carries delegated ownership of business planning, governance and day-to-day performance across corporate functions and the RAISE geography network, freeing the Business Head to concentrate on brand, strategy and external partnerships while the business scales.

This is an opportunity to help shape the operating architecture, governance, leadership capability, commercial performance and artisan impact of a distinctive and purpose-led business at national scale.

THE MANDATE The Deputy Business Head will hold delegated accountability for enterprise business performance and governance across categories and merchandising, online, operations, quality, marketing and visual merchandising, and the RAISE artisan-sourcing network. Operating on behalf of the Business Head, the role runs the business planning and review cadence and drives cross-functional execution, working closely with the corporate function heads and enterprise partners in Finance, HR, Technology, Supply Chain and Reliance Foundation to translate strategy into disciplined execution across both the corporate and field organisations.

WHAT YOU WILL LEAD

1. Business Planning and Governance

- Own the Annual Operating Plan (AOP), Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), executive governance cadence, key performance indicator (KPI) reviews and strategic business planning.

2. RAISE Partnership

- Strategically partner with the RAISE organisation on sourcing readiness, artisan capability, quality standards and capacity planning.

3. Collaborative Leadership

- Partner with the Head — Creative to translate category and design strategies into business outcomes while preserving Swadesh’s creative vision.

4. Cross-Functional Integration

- Drive alignment across Creative, Commercial, Retail, Operations, Finance, Supply Chain, Digital, HR and RAISE to ensure seamless execution of business priorities.

5. Strategic Transformation

- Lead strategic transformation initiatives covering digital enablement, process excellence, organisational effectiveness and continuous improvement.

6. Executive Decision Support

- Serve as the strategic deputy to the Business Head by supporting executive decision-making, governance and cross-functional issue resolution.

7. Customer and Omnichannel Performance

- Own customer experience, omnichannel business performance, retail productivity, digital growth and execution consistency across customer touchpoints.

8. Leadership and Capability Building

- Responsibility for leadership development,



succession planning, organisational capability building and fostering a high-performance culture to support long-term business growth.

WHAT SUCCESS WILL LOOK LIKE The successful leader will be expected to deliver sustained progress across six outcomes:

- A disciplined business planning and governance cadence — AOP, QBRs and KPI reviews — running across the enterprise.
- A single, coherent operating model spanning corporate functions and the RAISE geography network.
- Growth in revenue and margin alongside improved customer and omnichannel performance and craft authenticity.
- A fully staffed and capable leadership layer across categories, online, operations, quality and RAISE, with clear succession.
- A strong strategic partnership with RAISE on sourcing readiness, artisan capability, quality and capacity.
- Measurable progress on transformation initiatives across digital enablement, process excellence and organisational effectiveness.

WHAT YOU WILL BRING You will be a senior retail or consumer leader who has:

- Personally led a multi-category, multi-channel retail or consumer business as a business head, deputy or general manager.
- Owned enterprise business planning, governance and cross-functional execution across multiple functions.
- A strong record of delivering growth while improving customer experience, margin and operating control.
- Deep knowledge of category management, buying, omnichannel retail and store and supply operations, including the integration of physical and digital.
- Strong commercial judgement and an ownership mindset toward cost, capital and long-term brand value.
- Demonstrated ability to build leadership teams, develop successors and lead transformation across an enterprise.
- The influence and collaboration skills to deliver outcomes across corporate functions, the field organisation and enterprise partners in Finance, HR, Technology and Supply Chain.

Experience in premium lifestyle, fashion, home, craft, handloom or luxury retail, or in artisan-led or social-enterprise supply chains, would be particularly valuable. Prior India experience is an advantage but is not essential for an exceptional leader with the adaptability to operate across the diversity and complexity of the Indian market.

WHY JOIN RELIANCE RETAIL

This role offers the chance to:

- Serve as the strategic execution partner to the leader of a distinctive, purpose-led premium retail business.
- Integrate a curated physical retail experience with digital commerce, content and data.
- Help build a nationwide artisan network that connects craft livelihood to modern retail.
- Lead a complex build-and-scale agenda with direct and visible customer and artisan impact.
- Build an organisation and leadership bench designed to endure beyond any individual leader’s tenure.

Compensation will be structured to attract and retain world-class leadership talent. Reliance Retail is committed to building a diverse leadership team and welcomes outstanding candidates from India and around the world.

📌 DEPUTY BUSINESS HEAD — SWADESH (Mumbai)
🏢 Reliance Retail
📍 Mumbai