Diageo India names new CEO, Hina Nagarajan moves to new role

Leading beverage alcohol (alcobev) player United Spirits Limited (“Diageo India”) has announced the appointment of Praveen Someshwar as CEO-Designate as current MD and CEO Hina Nagarajan transitions into another position on Diageo’s Global Executive Committee after a tenure of four years.

Someshwar will join the company on March 1, 2025, as the CEO-designate. He will take over from Hina Nagarajan and join the Diageo Executive Committee from April 1, 2025.

For the last five years, Someshwar has been MD and CEO of media company HT Media, where he leads multiple digital, print and radio outlets, including newspaper Hindustan Times, the leading financial news outlet Mint, and several radio outlets.

Prior to HT Media, Someshwar had a 24-year run with PepsiCo, working in a variety of general management, finance, and strategy roles in India and the wider Asia Pacific region.

Diageo Chief Executive Debra Crew says under Nagarajan’s leadership, Diageo India combined top-line growth and margin expansion with strategic initiatives, reshaping and premiumising its portfolio and positioning Diageo India as a major player in the AlcoBev industry.

“Praveen joins us with an outstanding track record of leading consumer businesses, with a passion for both strategy and executional excellence that will serve us well as we plan for the next phase of Diageo India’s exciting growth story,” the company's statement read.

Mahendra Kumar Sharma, Chairman of the United Spirits Ltd (USL) board, said that Nagarajan has led a bold ambition for growth that has driven market share gains across multiple categories. “She leaves the business with a clear strategy and growth momentum.”

Hina Nagarajan said in the statement that it was a privilege to lead Diageo India during a period of strong strategic progress and sustained, profitable double-digit growth for the business, with the company’s m-cap growing to over Rs 1 lakh crore. Someshwar, on the other hand, said that he was delighted to be joining Diageo, which is a "business with leading brands, talented colleagues, and a long-term commitment to developing its business sustainably in India."

Diageo India is among India’s leading beverage alcohol (alcobev) companies with a portfolio of premium brands. It manufactures, sells and distributes Johnnie Walker, Black Dog, Black & White, VAT 69, Antiquity, Signature, The Singleton, Royal Challenge, McDowell’s No1, Smirnoff, Ketel One, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan and Godawan, an artisanal single malt whisky from India. Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B and Buchanan’s whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray, and Guinness.