Hermès has appointed Megha Malagatti to the role of managing director for India, as the French luxury brand looks to strengthen its leadership in the region.
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A luxury veteran, Malagatti joins Hermès from fellow French firm L’Oréal, where she has served as director of business development for beauty technology tools, since mid-2023. Before that, the executive was in charge of marketing for brands such as Kiehl’s, Shu Uemura and Urban Decay in the South Asia, Pacific, Middle East, North Africa zone, as well as being in charge of travel retail for India and the Indian subcontinent.
Before joining L’Oréal in 2020, Malagatti spent seven years working for luxury brand S.T. Dupont, managing the retail excellence division for France and the UK. At the same time, she was a member of the Comité Colbert and a member of the network of French Foreign Trade Advisors.
She began her career in information technology in Bangalore, India, before moving to France in 2012 to study for an MBA and embark on a new career in luxury goods.
“I am delighted to announce that I have taken up my position as managing director of Hermès India,” said Malagatti, via her LinkedIn profile. “And at the same time, I am looking forward to rediscovering my roots in India after almost 15 years!”
Hermès first entered India in 2008, and opened its third boutique in April this year.
In its most recent trading update, the Parisian firm reported a 15 percent uptick in revenues to EUR 7.5 billion in the first half, once again defying the luxury sales slowdown affecting its industry rivals such as LVMH and Kering.