Orient Electric MD & CEO Rakesh Khanna resigns, Rajan Gupta to take over

Orient Electric Ltd on Friday announced the appointment of Rajan Gupta as its Managing Director and CEO as the incumbent Rakesh Khanna resigned after having a stint of 8 years. Orient Electric Ltd (OEL) at its meeting held on Friday appointed Rajan Gupta as Additional Director and the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of the company "for a period of 5 years effective from April 04, 2023, till April 03, 2028, subject to the approval of shareholders of the company," said a regulatory filing by the C K Birla Group.

While Khanna's resignation shall be effective from the close of business hours on April 03, 2023, it added.

Gupta joins OEL board as a full-time director and he will be based in New Delhi.

Prior to this, Gupta was with Hathway Cable and Datacom, where he was the MD and CEO, and Chairman of the Board, GTPL Hathway.

OEL Chairman C K Birla said: "We are deeply committed to making Orient Electric an industry leader in fans, lighting, appliances and switchgear as we strengthen our position to meet the changing demands of the market. Gupta's extensive experience in scaling up businesses, brand consolidation, and strong customer engagement aligns well with our growth ambitions."

He also thanked the outgoing MD & CEO Khanna for his leadership and his contribution in bringing Orient Electric to its current market leadership.

Before his last role at Hathway Cable and Datacom, Gupta also worked with companies like Tata Telecom, Hindustan Coca Cola and Asian Paints.

OEL, part of USD 2.8-billion diversified C K Birla Group, operates in the consumer electricals space, offering fans, lighting, home appliances and switchgear.