Carlyle Names Anuj Poddar As Co-head Of Global Portfolio Solutions For Asia

Global investment firm Carlyle revealed on Monday the appointment of Anuj Poddar to the newly created role of co-head of Global Portfolio Solutions (GPS) for Asia, with a focus on India and Southeast Asia. Poddar will be based in Mumbai, working closely with Carlyle Asia's investment advisory teams and key leadership, including Janine Feng, vice-chair of Carlyle Asia, and Richard Elder, global head of GPS.

Poddar brings over 30 years of experience in corporate leadership and management consulting, with a proven track record of driving organisational transformation and business growth. He joins Carlyle from Bajaj Electricals, where he served as CEO and led the turnaround of the 80-year-old company.

"His new role aligns with our increased focus on portfolio company value creation as we aim to boost control buyout deals in Asia. We look forward to leveraging his extensive experience, particularly in India, to strengthen and improve our portfolio companies’ operations and drive impact," stated Greg Zeluck, managing director and co-head of Carlyle Asia on Poddar’s appointment.

Poddar shared his enthusiasm for joining Carlyle, noting the growing complexity of value creation in the region. He said, "I look forward to working with the team and enhancing Carlyle’s GPS capabilities to help portfolio companies optimise their performance in today’s fast-evolving business environment."

Before Bajaj Electricals, Poddar was part of the senior leadership team at Viacom18 Media in India, where he played a significant role in the company’s growth, including its expansion into mass entertainment and international markets. He also held key positions at KPMG and Arthur Andersen, providing consulting and M&A services across multiple sectors.