Sona Valliappa Group, the 104-year-old Bangalore-based diversified conglomerate, has appointed Dharmendra R S as Senior Vice President – Hospitality, Health and Tourism, marking a strategic leadership move as the group accelerates its expansion into experiential and lifestyle-led businesses.
The appointment underscores the group’s intent to build integrated offerings across hospitality, health, and tourism, aligned with evolving consumer demand for experience-driven and wellness-focused solutions.
Dharmendra R S brings over two decades of cross-sector leadership experience spanning hospitality, entertainment, retail, and leisure. Prior to joining Sona Valliappa Group, he served as Chief Operating Officer at Gilly’s Chain of Restobars, where he led end-to-end operations, strengthened brand positioning, enhanced guest experience, and drove operational profitability. His earlier role as General Manager – Sales and Operations focused on pre-opening strategy, revenue growth, business planning, and team leadership.
He has also held senior leadership roles with HM Group and Amoeba, where he spearheaded large-format entertainment, gaming, retail, and hospitality operations, managing P&L, multi-brand expansion, marketing, merchandising, and portfolio growth across Bengaluru.
Dharmendra holds an MBA in Marketing and Retail from KSBM, Pune, and a B.Com (Hons) from Magadh University, with academic foundations from Christ University and St. Joseph’s Indian High School. He brings international exposure through professional engagements across the world, particularly in sourcing, supply chain optimisation, and cross-cultural execution.
In his new role, Dharmendra R S will be responsible for shaping strategy, driving execution, and building scalable platforms across hospitality, health and tourism, supporting the group’s long-term vision of sustainable, service-led growth.
