Castrol India has announced the appointment of V Kaushik Vedula as Vice President and Head – Marketing, with effect from February 2, 2026. Vedula will take charge of the company’s overall marketing strategy, spanning brand building, media, communication and consumer engagement.
He steps into the role following the exit of Rohit Talwar and will be responsible for driving Castrol India’s marketing vision in line with evolving consumer expectations and market dynamics.
Kaushik joins Castrol with over two decades of experience across consumer goods, FMCD, and digital-first businesses. He has led marketing, new business development, and P&L portfolios in both large corporations and entrepreneurial ventures. Most recently, he served as Vice President-Marketing at Emami, overseeing brand and business strategy across multiple categories. Before that, he built and scaled a digital product business at Quess Corp following seven years of running his own B2B2C venture. Earlier in his career, he worked with Procter & Gamble and Nokia, in roles spanning brand management, category development, consumer marketing, and multi-channel sales.
Speaking about the appointment, Kaushik said, “Castrol is a brand I have long admired for its deep understanding of consumers and its technology-led innovation. As the category evolves with changing mobility needs, new channels, and rising expectations from users, the opportunity is to build sharper relevance while staying anchored in engineering excellence. I’m excited to work with the team to help shape the next phase of Castrol’s growth.”
The appointment underscores Castrol India’s focus on strengthening its leadership bench as it continues to sharpen its brand presence in a competitive and rapidly changing mobility landscape. Currently, Saugata Basuray is serving as Interim CEO of the company.
Saugata Basuray, Interim CEO, Castrol India Limited, said, “Castrol is an iconic brand built on a rich legacy of innovation and leadership. Kaushik brings a mix of strategic thinking and deep operational experience in consumer goods and digital businesses. He joins Castrol at a time when the media landscape is rapidly evolving, and new sales channels are reshaping consumer and shopper behaviour. Kaushik’s expertise in scaling digital businesses and implementing digital-first consumer engagement models will be instrumental in elevating our engagement with consumers and partners, while ensuring the brand remains at the forefront of technology-led product innovation.”
