Blue Star reappoints B Thiagarajan as MD; elevates Mohit Sud to Executive Director

Indian multinational home appliances company Blue Star has announced a series of leadership transitions.

B Thiagarajan, upon completion of his current term as Managing Director on March 31, 2026, will be reappointed for a further term from April 1, 2026, to May 24, 2027—one day before he attains the age of 70.

Thiagarajan brings over four decades of experience across B2B and B2C businesses and has been with Blue Star since 1998. He joined the Board in 2013, was appointed Joint Managing Director in 2016, and took charge as Managing Director in April 2019. He currently serves as National Chairman of the Indian Green Building Council and the CII Green Cooling Council, and has previously been President of the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Manufacturers Association (RAMA) and Chairman of the CII Western Region.

Mohit Sud has been appointed Executive Director, Unitary Cooling Products, for a five-year term effective April 1, 2026. Sud joined Blue Star in March 2025 as Group President, Unitary Cooling Products, overseeing the Room Air Conditioner and Commercial Refrigeration businesses.

Prior to joining Blue Star, Sud spent over two decades at Hindustan Unilever, where he led sales and marketing across categories including Home Care and Beauty & Wellbeing in multiple geographies. In his most recent role as Vice President, he was responsible for driving premium retail distribution for the Beauty & Wellbeing business.

Sam Balsara, Chairman of Madison World, will retire on January 31, 2026, after completing two consecutive terms as an Independent Director. Balsara joined the Blue Star Board in June 2017 and was reappointed for a second term in June 2022. With over five decades of experience in marketing and advertising, he advised the company on brand-building, consumer insights, and media strategy.

M S Unnikrishnan has been appointed Independent Director with effect from January 29, 2026, for a five-year term. He currently serves as Head & CEO of the IITB–Monash Research Academy and previously was Managing Director of the Thermax Group. Unnikrishnan also serves on the boards of KEC International, Kirloskar Brothers, Greaves Cotton, and Livguard Energy Technologies, and is a trustee of Akshaya Patra and Jehangir Hospital, Pune.

Commenting on the appointments, Vir S Advani, Chairman & Managing Director, said that Balsara played a key role in strengthening the Blue Star brand and expanding its relevance among younger consumers and in Tier 3, 4, and 5 markets. He added that Unnikrishnan’s leadership experience and global exposure would be a valuable addition to the Board.

Advani also noted that extending Thiagarajan’s tenure would support the acceleration of strategic initiatives across growth, R&D, and manufacturing, while Sud’s elevation reflects the company’s leadership succession planning. He expressed confidence that Sud’s consumer-facing experience would help strengthen market share and profitability in the Unitary Cooling Products business.