Pine Labs CEO Amrish Rau elevated to Chairman and MD ahead of IPO

Fintech unicorn Pine Labs has elevated CEO Amrish Rau to the dual role of Managing Director and Chairman. As per a report by Entrackr, the move signals the company’s deepening commitment to an India-first growth narrative as it sharpens its focus on an upcoming $1 billion IPO expected in the second half of 2025.

Rau, who continues as Chief Executive Officer, was appointed Chairman and Managing Director for a five-year term effective March 24, 2025, according to filings with the Registrar of Companies. The leadership consolidation reflects the board’s confidence in Rau’s vision as the company transitions into its next growth phase.

Since joining Pine Labs in March 2020, Rau has steered the company through a period of rapid evolution, from expanding into Buy Now Pay Later and invoicing solutions to leading the company’s strategic reversal of its overseas domicile.

Under his leadership, Pine Labs recently secured final approval from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to shift its headquarters from Singapore back to India, joining a growing wave of Indian startups like PhonePe, Groww and Zepto that are aligning operations closer to home amid changing regulatory and investor climates.

With Rau at the helm across all top leadership roles, Pine Labs is positioning itself for operational clarity, streamlined governance, and greater investor confidence—key ingredients for success in public markets. The firm’s elevation of a seasoned operator like Rau to Chairman also underscores a growing trend among Indian unicorns, empowering founder-CEOs and trusted leaders with broader responsibilities as they prepare for life beyond the private market.