WHSmith India, the Indian counterpart of British travel retail company, has appointed Shantanu Chakravartty as its Chief Executive Officer and Director.
As per the company, his leadership for the past seven years propelled the company through its most defining years. Chakravartty takes on this role with a clear mandate to triple the company’s revenue over the next four years and scale WHSmith India into a benchmark for modern travel retail.
At the peak of the COVID-19 crisis, he played a pivotal role in steering the WHSmith through unprecedented turbulence in the travel and airport retail sectors. At a time when the industry and airports were brought to a standstill for the first time in 100 years, Chakravartty’s steady leadership safeguarded over 20,000 jobs and ensured business continuity across India’s busiest airports.
His keen understanding of supply chains, passenger behaviour, and merchandising logic has helped transform WHSmith India into a symbol synonymous to airport retail. Beyond business strategy, Chakravartty is a strong advocate of empowering frontline teams. He is known for his hands-on leadership. He regularly visits stores, mentors staff, and encourages feedback that feeds into continuous improvement.
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. WHSmith stores are no longer just transit points. 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. We are entering a phase of rapid expansion in India’s aviation sector. With millions more passengers expected in the coming years, the opportunity for airport retail is immense. At WHSmith India, we are ready to lead this evolution- with scalable infrastructure, people-first culture, and tech-led operations that deliver seamless experiences,” he added.
