Rajiv Memani Appointed CII President for 2025-26, R Mukundan and Dr Suchitra K Ella Also Take Key Roles
New Delhi, June 1 (TTP) — The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Sunday announced its new office bearers for the 2025–26 term, with Rajiv Memani, Chairman and CEO of EY India, formally taking over as President. He succeeds Sanjiv Puri, Chairman and Managing Director of ITC Ltd.
CII confirmed the leadership transition in a statement, noting Memani’s extensive experience in business strategy and global markets. In addition to heading EY India, Memani is a member of the EY Global Executive Board and chairs its Growth Markets Council. His international role involves driving the firm's growth agenda across emerging markets and aligning regional priorities with global investment strategies.
Decades of Experience in Corporate Finance
Memani, who began his journey at EY in the late 1990s, was instrumental in establishing the firm’s market-leading Corporate Finance practice, now known as Strategy & Transactions. He has served as a key advisor to Indian conglomerates, multinational companies, and private equity firms, helping guide mergers, acquisitions, and capital strategy decisions.
He previously held the role of President-Designate of CII for 2024-25 and Vice President for 2023-24.
R Mukundan Named President-Designate
R Mukundan, Managing Director and CEO of Tata Chemicals Limited, will serve as President-Designate of CII for 2025–26. A Tata Group veteran, Mukundan joined the Tata Administrative Services in 1990 after earning his MBA from FMS, Delhi University. He is an alumnus of IIT Roorkee, a Fellow of the Indian Chemical Society, and also trained at Harvard Business School.
Under his leadership, Tata Chemicals has expanded its global footprint and contributed significantly to India's sustainable chemical production initiatives.
Dr Suchitra K Ella to Serve as Vice President
Dr Suchitra K Ella, Co-founder and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech International Limited, has been appointed as Vice President of CII for 2025–26. Dr Ella has played a pivotal role in India’s biotechnology sector and was instrumental in the founding of Bharat Biotech in 1996.
Over the past decade, she has also co-founded several ventures across veterinary sciences, agri-biotech parks, and food processing, in addition to a pre-clinical toxicology and research institute.
Dr Ella's appointment comes amid renewed focus on domestic vaccine manufacturing and life sciences innovation, areas where Bharat Biotech has been a key player, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.