Bestseller India has named Manika Mittal as Business Head – India for VERO MODA, bringing her 18 years of fashion retail expertise from Myntra, Aditya Birla Group and More Retail. She will drive strategy, brand positioning and nationwide expansion, strengthening the womenswear label’s consumer relevance and market momentum across India.
Bestseller India has appointed Manika Mittal as the new Business Head – India for VERO MODA, marking a pivotal moment for the womenswear brand as it accelerates its nationwide expansion. The move signals a renewed leadership push at a time when India’s fashion retail sector is undergoing rapid transformation driven by evolving consumer behaviour, rising disposable incomes, and an increasingly digital-first shopping experience. For VERO MODA, one of the country’s most recognisable fast-fashion labels, Mittal’s appointment is not just a personnel change but a strategic investment in expertise, vision, and consumer-centric thinking.
Manika Mittal joins VERO MODA after an influential tenure at Myntra, where she served as Head of International Brands. Her leadership there involved managing strategy, marketing, and merchandising for an impressive roster of global labels, including MANGO, Next, Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Hollister Co., and various brands under the Trendyol Group. Her contribution extended beyond category management; she played a crucial role in shaping the India market entry strategies for these brands. With a focus on omnichannel execution, she ensured their presence across online marketplaces and physical retail environments, enabling seamless consumer experiences at a time when shoppers expect consistency across all touchpoints. This ability to weave together brand narrative, operational execution, and customer engagement has become one of her defining strengths.
Her move to Bestseller India comes at a time when global and Indian fashion brands are rethinking their growth playbooks. While digital channels continue to thrive, consumers are also returning to stores, seeking the tactile experience that fashion uniquely offers. Brands expanding in India are increasingly required to balance the immediacy of e-commerce with the long-term loyalty built through brick-and-mortar retail. Mittal’s success in navigating both worlds makes her an ideal fit for VERO MODA’s next chapter, where agility and consumer understanding will play decisive roles.
With over 18 years of experience in fashion retail, Mittal’s career spans key roles at some of the country’s most significant organisations. Before Myntra, she held leadership positions within Aditya Birla Group, More Retail Private Limited, and Madura Coats Private Ltd, gaining robust exposure to diverse operational models and consumer segments. Her journey has been shaped by a strong strategic lens—one that blends market insight with the ability to anticipate and respond to consumer needs. This blend of strategy-led thinking and grounded retail expertise has consistently helped brands sharpen their identity and build sustainable growth momentum.
A graduate of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, where she studied design and apparel technology, Mittal belongs to the generation of leaders who view fashion through both creative and commercial perspectives. Her educational foundation equipped her with a deep understanding of product craftsmanship, construction techniques, and aesthetic communication—skills that often set fashion-focused business leaders apart from general management professionals. She later enriched her strategic acumen through a business strategy specialization from the Indian School of Business, further strengthening her ability to drive high-impact, consumer-centric roadmaps. This rare combination of design sensibility and business intelligence positions her as a uniquely holistic leader for a brand like VERO MODA.
In her new role, Mittal is responsible for steering VERO MODA’s business strategy, brand positioning, and national growth initiatives. Her mandate spans both short-term performance goals and long-term market relevance. As consumer expectations grow more nuanced, brands must rethink how they present value—whether through trend-forward assortments, enhanced store experiences, sustainable product options, or tailored digital journeys. Mittal’s track record suggests her focus will rest on strengthening VERO MODA’s emotional connection with its consumers while expanding its footprint in high-growth markets. She is expected to deepen the brand’s engagement with young urban women, who form the core of VERO MODA’s consumer base, while also tapping into emerging markets where aspirational fashion is rapidly gaining traction.
Industry watchers believe that her experience in managing international brands at Myntra—many of which cater to a similar demographic—will bring valuable insights into assortment planning, pricing strategies, influencer collaborations, and channel optimization. Her familiarity with global brand playbooks will help VERO MODA refine its own approach to the Indian market, balancing international aesthetics with local preferences. As fashion cycles shorten and micro-trends gain momentum, Mittal’s analytical eye and consumer-first instinct will be central to how the brand stays relevant across seasons.
VERO MODA has been one of the pillars of Bestseller India’s portfolio, which also includes Jack & Jones, ONLY, and selected other brands. With intensifying competition from both domestic labels and international players, the need for sharper, differentiated brand storytelling has become more urgent. Mittal’s appointment comes at a time when brands are increasingly expected to innovate not just in product but in retail formats, loyalty ecosystems, and sustainability initiatives. Her background suggests she will likely push for an integrated approach, aligning product, communication, and consumer experiences across touchpoints.
Her omnichannel expertise is particularly relevant as brands seek a unified presence. Whether shoppers browse online and buy offline, or discover products on social media and purchase through apps, the consumer journey today is fluid. Mittal’s previous successes in managing brand transitions into omnichannel ecosystems could serve as a blueprint for VERO MODA’s expansion strategy. With her at the helm, the brand may accelerate its investments in digital platforms, experiential stores, and smart retail technologies that personalise the shopping journey.
Beyond strategy, Mittal’s leadership style—shaped by her years in diverse organisations—has often been described as collaborative, analytical, and creative. Colleagues from previous roles have noted her ability to align teams behind a unified vision, ensuring that brand identity remains consistent even as operations scale. In the fashion industry, where decisions often need to balance instinct with data, her approach is seen as both disciplined and adaptive.
For consumers, the impact of her appointment may unfold in visible ways over the coming months: refreshed collections, sharper campaigns, enhanced store experiences, and a stronger alignment of VERO MODA with contemporary Indian fashion sensibilities. For Bestseller India, her presence strengthens the leadership bench at a crucial phase of growth. And for the industry at large, it marks another example of how fashion brands increasingly rely on leaders who understand both the artistry and the analytics of fashion.
As India continues its ascent as one of the world’s most dynamic retail markets, brands that combine global thinking with local resonance will define the next decade of growth. With Manika Mittal stepping in to lead VERO MODA’s India business, Bestseller India appears to be making a clear bet on the power of consumer insight, design-led thinking, and strategic clarity. Her appointment signals not just a new chapter for the brand but a reaffirmation of the belief that the future of fashion lies at the intersection of creativity, data, and deep market empathy.
