Nupur Sarda Joins Forest Essentials as Head of Retail Marketing

Forest Essentials has appointed Nupur Sarda as Head of Retail Marketing, adding a seasoned brand and communication strategist to one of India’s most admired luxury beauty houses. Sarda joins after an impactful eight-year tenure at VAHDAM India, where she served as Head of Global PR, Social Media, and Influencer Marketing—shaping the brand’s global presence and driving collaborations across markets, cultures, and platforms.

With more than a decade of experience across consumer brands, digital marketing, and reputation management, Sarda brings a versatile blend of strategy, storytelling, and execution. At VAHDAM, she played a key role in positioning the brand as an Indian-origin global disruptor. Her responsibilities spanned corporate reputation building, influencer engagement, content strategy, celebrity partnerships, and integrated campaign architecture. Her work helped VAHDAM become a recognised name across international markets and major retail platforms.

Sarda expressed gratitude for her VAHDAM journey, calling it “disruptive, global, and formative.” Her note acknowledged founder Bala Sarda’s mentorship and described the experience as a defining chapter in her professional evolution. Her departure marks the end of a significant phase—one characterised by aggressive brand expansion, global audience-building, and breakthrough collaborations.

Now stepping into her role at Forest Essentials, Sarda describes the move as “coming home to a brand I’ve long admired and been a loyal consumer of.” The decision reflects both personal affinity and strategic opportunity. She credited Karishma Manga Bedi and Ira Kukrety for enabling this transition and highlighted her excitement about contributing to a brand built on craftsmanship, Ayurveda, and luxury retail innovation.

Known for her command over PR, influencer ecosystems, partnership strategy, digital communication, and content creation, Sarda combines creative intuition with data-led decision-making. She has previously led communication functions at Orient Electric and Unacademy, giving her cross-category experience across electronics, edtech, FMCG, and emerging consumer brands.

In her new role at Forest Essentials, Sarda will oversee the brand’s retail marketing strategy across flagship stores, mall formats, experiential zones, and high-value customer clusters. Her role will also involve strengthening omnichannel coherence, deepening brand storytelling, accelerating influencer and creator networks, and building retail-led community engagement.

Forest Essentials, a pioneer of modern Ayurveda luxury, continues to scale across India and international markets. With rising competition in luxury beauty, wellness, and clean skincare, the brand is placing deeper emphasis on premium retail touchpoints, sensorial brand experiences, and personalised engagement. Sarda’s appointment signals that retail will remain a core differentiator—powered by communication that blends cultural pride, global appeal, and craftsmanship.

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