Value retail chain Vishal Mega Mart Limited has appointed Vineet Saksena as Senior Vice President – FMCG, effective March 2026, reinforcing its leadership bench as the retailer sharpens focus on grocery and daily essentials within the fast-growing value retail segment.
In his new role, Saksena will lead the FMCG business strategy, merchandising, sourcing, and P&L management for the company. With nearly three decades of experience across traditional trade, modern retail, and eB2B commerce, he is expected to strengthen the company’s FMCG growth trajectory and enhance operational efficiency across its expanding store network.
A Retail Veteran with Deep FMCG Expertise
Saksena joins Vishal Mega Mart after a nearly three-year stint at Reliance Retail, where he most recently served as Chief Growth Officer at Metro Wholesale. During this period, he played a pivotal role in transforming the erstwhile JioMart Partner eB2B platform into the Metro omnichannel wholesale format, a strategic integration that helped accelerate B2B commerce for the group.
One of the most notable achievements during this phase was the opening of 165 stores within six months, a rapid expansion that underscored the company’s aggressive omnichannel push in the wholesale and kirana supply ecosystem.
Earlier within Reliance Retail, Saksena also led merchandising and FMCG strategy for the India operations of 7-Eleven, where he helped establish the FMCG merchandising framework for the convenience format and contributed to 35 store launches in the Mumbai region.
Turning Around Large-Scale FMCG Businesses
Prior to joining Reliance Retail, Saksena spent over four years as Senior Vice President and Head of FMCG Business at METRO Cash & Carry India (also known as MAKRO in certain markets). There he led the transformation of the FMCG vertical into a ₹3,800 crore business with double-digit margins, turning the previously loss-making unit into a profitable growth engine.
Operating across 18 cities with over 12,000 SKUs and 600+ vendor partnerships, the business became the company’s largest revenue contributor, with strong gains driven by sharper assortment strategy, vendor collaborations, and structured joint business planning with key FMCG suppliers.
His earlier experience includes more than eight years with Walmart, where he held multiple leadership roles, including Head of Private Brands Business. In that role, he led product development and merchandising across multiple categories—FMCG, fresh produce, staples, general merchandise and apparel—while also driving significant share gains for Walmart’s private labels. His performance earned him a place on Walmart’s Global Private Brand Strategy Team.
Foundations at Hindustan Unilever
Saksena began his career with Hindustan Unilever Limited, widely regarded as one of India’s most rigorous training grounds for FMCG leaders. Over 11 years, he rose from Sales Officer to Area Sales Manager, gaining extensive experience in sales, distribution networks, trade marketing, and category management across North India.
This early exposure to traditional trade and distributor-led markets helped shape his understanding of India’s complex retail ecosystem, from kirana stores to modern retail formats.
A Career Built on Transformation and Growth
Reflecting on his professional journey, Saksena describes himself as a continuous learner who has built his career through performance and cross-functional experience rather than formal qualifications alone. Over the years, he has worked across multiple functions including sales, category management, merchandising, vendor management, product development, and large-scale business transformation.
“I’ve always believed in learning continuously and building businesses that operate profitably. Running businesses successfully requires discipline, performance consistency and strong partnerships across the ecosystem,” Saksena has said about his professional philosophy.
Strategic Importance for Vishal Mega Mart
The appointment comes at a time when Vishal Mega Mart is scaling its value retail proposition across fashion, grocery and daily essentials, catering to price-conscious consumers in both metro and smaller cities.
With FMCG forming a crucial traffic-driving category for value retail chains, Saksena’s experience across large-format retail, wholesale distribution, and omnichannel commerce is expected to help strengthen merchandising strategy, vendor partnerships and margin management for the company.
His appointment signals Vishal Mega Mart’s intent to further deepen its FMCG capabilities as competition intensifies in India’s rapidly evolving value grocery and discount retail market.
