eBay India appoints Alok Agarwal as director, marketing

Online auction and shopping marketplace eBay India has appointed Alok Agarwal as director- marketing with immediate effect. In this role, Agarwal will be responsible for the marketing efforts of the company as well as for driving engagement with consumers across platforms.

"Distribution in India is complex, and the conventional multi-tier distribution model will be hard-pressed to make demand and supply meet. In my new role at eBay India, I look forward to playing match-maker between brands, entrepreneurs and consumers," said Agarwal.

Agarwal has around 20 years of experience in consumer and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) marketing and prior to eBay, he was the category head, Motorcycles at Mahindra Two Wheelers Ltd. He has also worked at companies like Sara Lee, Unilever, Bestfoods, Cadbury India Ltd and Philips Consumer Electronics. He holds a PGDBM degree in marketing from Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and a B.Tech degree in mechanical engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.

Muralikrishnan B, country manager, eBay India, said, "eBay and e-commerce  in India are at an inflection point and Agarwal's expertise in building brands and marketing will help further enhance our growth trajectory in the country."

Interestingly, the appointment comes in the wake of eBay looking for a new country head for its India business unit. The company has given Spencer Stuart, a leading global executive search firm, the mandate to hire. Although it could not be ascertained whether Muralikrishnan (the current country manager) will be moving to a different role within eBay or moving out of the firm.

(Edited by Prem Udayabhanu)