As Carrefour readies itself for a long-anticipated second innings in India, the global retail major has appointed Amritraj Kaur as Marketing Head – Carrefour India, signalling a clear intent to build a sharp, consumer-led and omnichannel-first growth play ahead of its first store launch, scheduled for April 2026.
Carrefour’s return to India comes nearly 12 years after it exited the market, following the end of its earlier partnership with the Apparel Group. This time, the French retail giant appears to be laying strong groundwork—starting with leadership hires that combine deep India experience with global retail sensibilities.
A Marketer Built in Modern Retail Trenches
With 17 years of experience across retail and FMCG, Amritraj Kaur brings a rare blend of store-led marketing, digital-first thinking, loyalty architecture, and GTM execution—capabilities critical for a large-format, multi-category retailer entering a highly competitive Indian market.
Over the years, she has played key roles in shaping growth journeys at Walmart, Best Price Flipkart Wholesale, Flipkart, Future Group (Big Bazaar & fbb), LOTS Wholesale Solutions, Amira Foods, and most recently BnC Foods (House of Chalu).
Her career reflects a consistent focus on building brands at scale, often in complex environments spanning metros, Tier II and Tier III cities, and B2B-to-B2C transitions.
Proven Track Record in Wholesale, Omni-channel & Loyalty
Most recently, at LOTS Wholesale Solutions, Amritraj served as Head of Marketing & CRM, where she led marketing for an omni-channel wholesale business, driving 6–7% YoY growth in customer transactions. She launched the brand’s first two-tier loyalty programme, introduced marketing automation, strengthened digital acquisition, and supported large-format store launches in Sarita Vihar and Greater Noida.
Her earlier stints at Best Price (Walmart / Flipkart Wholesale) saw her lead pan-India store launches and ROI-driven marketing for a business generating over ₹3,500 crore annually, while also delivering cost efficiencies through vendor consolidation.
At Future Group, she handled regional marketing across 24 Big Bazaar and fbb stores, managing clusters with turnovers of over ₹500 crore, reinforcing her understanding of mass retail and regional consumer behaviour.
Brand Builder with FMCG & Innovation DNA
Amritraj’s foundational years at Amira Foods stand out for innovation—most notably launching India’s first single-serve basmati rice packs, a category-defining move that helped drive rapid market penetration and global brand visibility through international food expos.
Across roles, she has consistently worked at the intersection of category development, CRM, MarTech, GTM strategy, and store-led growth, while being recognised for building high-performing teams with zero attrition cultures.
Carrefour’s India strategy spans large-format retail, private labels, value-led assortments, and strong supply chain integration—areas where marketing works closely with operations, merchandising, and technology. With Amritraj Kaur’s appointment, the focus is clearly on customer-centric market entry, building robust loyalty and CRM frameworks, establishing omnichannel brand presence from the outset, and strengthening data-led decision-making alongside traditional brand-building efforts. As Carrefour prepares to open its first store in April 2026, the emphasis is on creating relevance and consistency before scaling the business. Amritraj will play a key role in shaping Carrefour India’s marketing foundation as the company begins its next phase in the Indian retail market.
