Ms. Abanti Sankaranarayanan

Abanti Sankaranarayanan joined Mahindra Group in July 2022 as the Chief Group Public Affairs Officer and Member of the Group Executive Board of the Mahindra Group. In her role, Abanti leads Public Policy & Regulation and Sustainability for the Group. She also serves as Director on the Boards of Mahindra Electric Automobile Limited, Mahindra Last Mile Mobility Limited, Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd., Mahindra Aerospace Pvt. Ltd., and CIE Automotive, Spain. She is also a member of the Executive Council of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and Co-Chair of the FICCI Green Mobility Committee.

Prior to joining Mahindra, Abanti was the Chief Strategy and Corporate Affairs Officer and member of the Executive Committee of Diageo India. As head of Strategy, she led the strategy development and execution for Diageo’s business in India. Prior to this, Abanti was Managing Director, Diageo India Pvt Ltd, leading Diageo’s business mandate for international spirits in India.

Prior to Diageo, Abanti served as a member of the Tata Administrative Service (TAS) cadre since 1992 in an illustrious career where she held key roles managing some of the best-known consumer brands of the Tata Group in India, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Abanti’s contribution to the business have been recognized by Fortune India (The Most Powerful Women in Business; 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016), IMPACT (50 Most Influential Women in Media, Marketing and Advertising; 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017), India Today (India’s 25 Most Influential Women, 2013) and Fast Company, New York (100 Most Creative People in Business, 2012).

Abanti is an MBA from IIM-Ahmedabad and an Economics Honours graduate from St Stephen’s College, Delhi University.