Ashish Chandra

Hemas Holdings PLC yesterday announced the appointment of Ashish Chandra as its new Group Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 July 2025.

This appointment marks a strategic inflection point for Hemas as the Group sharpens its focus on accelerating growth across larger emerging markets, expansion into adjacencies, and driving technology-led transformation to position the business for sustained success.

A seasoned business leader with over 27 years of experience, Chandra brings a distinctive blend of strategic acumen, customer-centric innovation, and a digital first mindset. He has built a reputation for scaling businesses, driving turnarounds, and leading complex M&A across highly competitive and fast-evolving markets. Most recently, as CEO and Managing Director of Airtel Sri Lanka, Chandra led one of the country’s largest telecom investments and played a pivotal role in orchestrating a landmark industry merger.

Prior to that, Chandra held senior leadership and CEO roles at Vodafone and Reliance Communications, leading large business units across India’s most dynamic and high-growth regions. His expertise spans digital transformation, retail and ecommerce, and customer-centric innovation.

Hemas Holdings PLC Chairman Husein Esufally commenting on the appointment said: “We are delighted to welcome Ashish to Hemas. His extensive experience across emerging markets, combined with his digital-first mindset and strong track record of scaling up businesses, makes him the ideal leader to drive the next chapter of growth and innovation for the Group.”

Chandra holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA in Marketing, and has completed executive education at IMD Business School, IIM Ahmedabad, and ISB Hyderabad.