Rajat Tuli

CO-FOUNDER, USTRAA

Rajat Tuli is a graduate of MICA, Ahmedabad. He briefly worked in advertising and then along with his batchmate Rahul Anand started Happily Unmarried, India’s first contemporary design label in 2003. The company raised its first round in 2013 and pivoted into the men’s grooming space in 2015 by launching Ustraa. Ustraa is one of the largest men’s grooming brands in India with a sizable presence in both marketplaces as well as offline stores. In June 2023 Ustraa was acquired by the Carlyle backed VLCC healthcare.

At present post the acquisition Ustraa is on a fast paced path and the Ustraa founding team continues to be involved in making Ustraa even bigger.

Biju Kassim

Customer Care Associate and CEO of Beauty, SHOPPERS STOP

Mr. Biju Kassim is the Customer Care Associate and CEO of Beauty, Shoppers Stop. With an illustrious career spanning three decades in the beauty industry, Mr. Biju Kasim brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his role as the Customer Care Associate and CEO of Beauty at Shoppers Stop. His career has been marked by extensive engagement across the Indian Subcontinent, Middle East, and Africa markets. Throughout his journey, Mr. Kasim has played a pivotal role in brand building across various retail formats and distribution channels in the region. Notably, he has demonstrated remarkable proficiency in the prestigious and luxury beauty segment and has contributed significantly to global brand expansion in emerging markets.

Prior to his association with Shoppers Stop, Mr. Kasim held the position of Senior Vice President of Beauty at Reliance Brands Limited. During his tenure, he made significant contributions to the development and success of the beauty division, including the successful launch and growth of beauty brands in the Indian market.

Additionally, Mr. Kasim has a distinguished nine-year tenure as the Managing Director of Intercraft Trading, where his leadership and strategic acumen were pivotal in the company’s growth and success in the beauty and cosmetic sector.

To complement his extensive practical experience in the beauty and retail industry, Mr. Kasim holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. His academic background has equipped him with a strong foundation in business management and strategy, enhancing his ability to lead effectively in his current role.

spk-vidya-sen

LEAD-SOUTH ASIA, NIQ BASES

Vidya Sen, is a veteran in the field of Market Research, whose name has been associated with Innovation Research and Consulting over the last fifteen years. Beginning her career by establishing the practice of Healthcare Research in India in the 90’s with an agency called MARG, she moved on to BASES when the latter first set up base in the country and from then on, she’s been on this long and illustrious journey consulting with clients on their innovation, renovation business questions, predicting sales volumes for their new initiatives and helping optimize their in-market launches. Presenting at the MRSI, getting invited to speak to graduate students on the threshold of their research careers and mentoring young entrants into this field, has always been a passion with her.

In her current role, as the BASES lead for South Asia, Vidya has managed to bring back BASES to centre stage by increasing the agency’s client footprint, creating more localized thought leadership, celebrating successful innovations and contemporizing BASES offerings by making them agile and being available online. Under her watch, BASES in India has expanded its presence with a diverse portfolio of products ranging from Demand Solutions, & Neuro at one end to the Core innovation-related products at the other, available on the BASES Studio platform that offers the much-needed agility, without sacrificing on rigour.