Ashish Rai elevated to CEO of Decorative Paints at JSW Paints

Ashish Rai, previously the Chief Business Officer – Decorative Paints at JSW Paints, has taken charge as the Chief Executive Officer of the company’s decorative paints division, effective July 2025. Rai confirmed the development through an update on his LinkedIn profile.

He now leads the decorative paints business with full profit and loss responsibility, marking a key leadership transition at the company.

Rai brings over 20 years of experience spanning consumer goods, digital transformation, and B2B commerce. He joined JSW Paints in 2024, where he led sales and marketing operations for its decorative paints vertical.

Prior to this, Rai spent more than 18 years at Unilever, holding senior roles across India, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. As Head of Distributive Trade Transformation, he oversaw digital initiatives across 23 markets, managing a business worth €16 billion. Earlier, as Global Vice President – Distributive Trade & B2B e-commerce, he led Unilever’s efforts to digitise small retail operations in key markets, focusing on increasing e-B2B adoption.

He also served as Managing Director at Unilever Nepal, and held roles in modern trade, key accounts, and retail transformation.

Rai began his professional journey as a software engineer at Infosys, before transitioning to FMCG sales at Colgate-Palmolive, where he worked in regional sales and account management.