Just Dial Limited’s board signaled a fresh leadership chapter as it outlined a carefully timed management transition alongside its first-quarter results. The standout move: Dinkar Ayilavarapu has been named Chief Executive Officer-designate and Key Managerial Personnel, effective July 10, 2026, with the transition to the top job scheduled for August 1, 2026, as the current Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, V. S. S. Mani, completes his term on July 31. The arrangement underscores a deliberate handover plan designed to preserve continuity while injecting a strategic pivot at the helm.
Ayilavarapu arrives with a track record in digital commerce and enterprise transformation, having led Flipkart Wholesale and previously served as Group Head of Strategy for Flipkart, after a long stint at Bain & Company. His profile points to P&L leadership, strategic transformation, and technology-enabled growth, aligning with Just Dial’s ambitions to deepen its digital-first capabilities and scale its platform for a broader set of customers.
In a parallel shift, the board approved the appointment of Dinesh Taluja as Chief Financial Officer and Key Managerial Personnel, effective July 11, 2026. Taluja currently serves as CFO of Reliance Retail Limited (with duties at Reliance Retail Ventures Limited as Deputy CFO), bringing more than two decades of experience across investment banking, management consulting, and corporate finance. His IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad education complements a background that spans Credit Suisse, Standard Chartered, McKinsey, and Peepul Capital.
Compounding the change, Dinesh Taluja also resigns from his position as Non-Executive Director of Just Dial, effective July 10, 2026, highlighting a broader refresh of the board as the company positions itself for the next phase of growth. The timing creates a transitional window around Mani’s farewell, with Ayilavarapu poised to assume full-time leadership in August and Taluja steering the financial helm in the interim, signaling a cohesive move toward a more digitally oriented, financially robust enterprise.