Raj Jain is Wal-Mart’s pilot

MUMBAI: The retail fever is at its pitch. And every Indian retailer has been proclaiming that he has the arsenal to combat the world’s largest retail player Wal-Mart.

Now, Wal-Mart is finally flexing its muscle in India. The $285 billion American retail giant has appointed Raj Jain as president, emerging markets, Asia-Pacific, excluding China, Japan and Korea. He is also responsible for building the India team and selecting a chief executive.

He will report to the US-based Mike Duke, vice chairman, Wal-Mart International.

“India is the first priority in the emerging markets,” Elizabeth Dech Keck, director, international corporate affairs of Wal-Mart, told DNA Money.

Jain is currently serving his notice period in Shanghai, where he is the regional head marketing and product delivery of Whirlpool Asia. Jain confirmed the move to DNA Money.

He cut his teeth at Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Hindustan Lever.

His 16-year stint there saw him in various marketing, sales and project management positions in India and abroad.  In 1996, Whirpool hired Jain who was the branch manager of HLL in Chennai.

He is believed to be a logistics and manufacturing expert.