Mr. Karunesh Bajaj, Executive Vice President – Marketing & Exports at ITC Ltd. was unanimously elected as the Chairman of Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) for the year 2025-2026.
With a distinguished career spanning close to three decades in Brand Building, Marketing Strategy, and Leadership across FMCG and retail sectors, Mr Karunesh Bajaj brings a wealth of expertise to guide the Council in its next phase of growth and governance.
Currently serving as Executive Vice President – Marketing & Exports, ITD at ITC Limited, Karunesh has been instrumental in steering some of India’s most iconic brands and strengthening ITC’s market standing. Over his 25-year tenure at ITC, he has held several senior roles including General Manager Marketing, Product Development and Supply Chain and Group Brand Head – Biscuits, shaping brand portfolios that resonate with millions of consumers in India.
Prior to ITC, Karunesh served as Head of Brands at Bharti Retail Limited (Bharti-Walmart JV), where he led brand strategy during a critical phase of modern retail development in India. His earlier leadership stints include National Head – Modern Trade, Marketing Manager, and Regional Sales Manager – North, reflecting a career built on both strategic vision and operational excellence.
Outside of his professional pursuit, Karunesh is an avid golfer and an enthusiastic follower of Formula 1, interests that mirror his appreciation for Precision, Strategy and High performance.
An alumnus of The Wharton School (Management Program in Business Strategy), Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (MBA – Marketing), and Delhi University (Economics), Karunesh combines academic rigor with hands-on leadership experience. His career began with Shriram Industrial Enterprises Limited (SIEL Ltd.), where he was Manager – Corporate Communications, laying the foundation for a lifelong commitment to impactful communication and marketing leadership.
Deputy Chairman:-
Mr. Mohit Jain, Chief Operating Officer (Publishing) and Executive Director Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. Publisher Member on the Council was unanimously elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Bureau for the year 2025-2026.
Members on the Bureau’s Council of Management for the year 2025-2026 are as under:
Advertisers Representatives
1. Mr. Karunesh Bajaj, ITC Ltd. - Chairman
2. Mr. Aniruddha Haldar, TVS Motor Company Ltd.
3. Mr. Partho Banerjee, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.
Publishers Representatives
1. Mr. Mohit Jain – Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. - Dy. Chairman
2. Mr. Dhruba Mukherjee – ABP Pvt. Ltd. – Hony. Secretary
3. Mr. Riyad Mathew - Malayala Manorama Co. Ltd.
4. Mr. Girish Agarwal – DB Corp Ltd.
5. Mr. Shailesh Gupta - Jagran Prakashan Ltd
6. Mr. Karan Darda – Lokmat Media Pvt. Ltd.
7. Mr. Pratap G. Pawar - Sakal Papers Pvt. Ltd.
8. Mr. Adimoolam - Dinamalar
Advertising Agencies Representatives
1. Mr. Vikram Sakhuja, Madison Communications Pvt. Ltd. – Hony. Treasurer
2. Mr. Srinivasan K Swamy, RK Swamy Pvt. Ltd.
3. Mr. Prasanth Kumar, Group M Media India Private Limited
4. Ms. Vaishali Verma, Initiative Media (India) Pvt. Ltd.
5. Ms. Sejal Shah, Publicis Media India Group.
Secretariat
Mr. Adil Kasad – Secretary General