Sandeep Kataria, the global CEO of Swiss footwear major Bata, has resigned from his post, five years after he took charge. Kataria has been in the company for the last eight years and took over a global role in 2020.
He was a key figure in India, which is a design and sourcing hub for Bata. Kataria is likely to stay on for another six months to help with the transition in leadership, reports suggested.
An official announcement from the company is likely to be made in the coming days.
Credited for a turnaround of Bata India in a short span of time, Kataria had close to three decades of experience spread across Unilever, Yum Brands and Vodafone in India and Europe, prior to joining Bata India as CEO.
Kataria led Bata India for around three years before going on to lead Bata Corporation.
Under his leadership, Bata India doubled its profits, mainly driven by double-digit topline growth. It also sponsored some of the most ingenious campaigns, including ‘Surprisingly Bata’, which revamped Bata’s image as a more vibrant and contemporary brand, targeted at younger consumers.
While Kataria is likely to take another professional role, the transition plans are underway at Bata, according to people in the know.
Bata is India’s biggest footwear firm by revenues as well as volumes. It has an annual turnover of around Rs 3,554 crore and sells about 50 million pairs every year through over 1,960 stores. India is expected to be Bata’s second-largest sourcing and design hub after Italy.
The shoe market in India has been witnessing an intense competition with relatively new brands like New Balance and Asics, targeting to capture a chunk of the market.