Shantanu Chakravartty Appointed as CEO of WHSmith India

WHSmith India has announced the appointment of Shantanu Chakravartty as its Chief Executive Officer and Director. Having contributed to the company’s development over the past seven years, he now takes on a leadership role focused on significant growth.

A former travel retail executive with extensive experience overseeing operations and strategic development, Chakravartty's main objectives are to triple the company’s revenue within four years and increase the number of WHSmith stores in India fivefold. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chakravartty played a key role in guiding WHSmith through a period of major disruption within the travel and airport retail sector.

His leadership helped protect more than 20,000 jobs and maintain business operations in India’s busiest airports during unprecedented times. Reflecting on that period, Chakravartty said, “I’ve always believed that disruption is an invitation to rebuild stronger, that’s why we created the Airport Services Association of India, which helped the industry survive in 2020 and 2021."

“With WHSmith, my vision is to grow our store footprint by 5x and create an ecosystem where both business and people thrive. We are currently operating 40 stores in India at various metro stations, airports and university campuses. What motivates me most is knowing that every store we open means more livelihoods, more opportunities. Retail is not just a business. It's a platform for people to grow their careers and transform their lives”, adds Chakravartty.

Last year, WHSmith India reported revenue of Rs 200 crores, expanded its presence in key airports, and introduced digital technologies to improve customer service. Under Shantanu’s leadership, the goal is now to increase revenue to Rs 500 crores within the next three years.

“WHSmith stores are no longer just transit points,” said Chakravartty. “Our focus is on convenience, consistency, and customer delight. From book lovers to business flyers, from families to solo explorers, we are constantly reinventing our offerings to match their expectations and capture their attention in a short dwell time.”

With over 15 years of experience in travel retail, Chakravartty's background is built on operational expertise and developing new ways to commercialise transit environments. His understanding of supply chains, passenger behaviour, and merchandising has been instrumental in transforming WHSmith India into a recognised name in airport retail.