Board of Directors

A leading internet entrepreneur, angel investor, and evangelist for SME issues, Dinesh Agarwal has sealed a reputation for himself as a resilient and dynamic strategist who has constantly evolved with the times. He is one of the rare Indians who survived the Dotcom Bust in 2000, the 9/11 incident, the slowdown in 2008, and the pandemic. As MD & CEO of IndiaMART, since the year 1996, Dinesh has been the chief driving force behind getting millions of SMEs online and expanding the marketplace to cover more than 1000 cities in the country. Known for his business acumen and an eye for detail, Dinesh has always understood the needs of Indian businesses and adapted the marketplace model from time to time to best suit their requirements. Dinesh has led various revolutionary ideas to promote and help Indian SMEs worldwide and has raised voices on multiple concerns like GST, taxation, infrastructure, power, technology, etc. Dinesh is a prolific investor and has invested in a large number of start-ups. He is a Member of the Governing Council of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) from 2015 till present. From 2017, he has also been actively associated with the Indus Entrepreneur (TiE) and serves on the Advisory Committee of Amity International Business School. He studied at Maharaja Agrasen Vidyalaya Inter College, Lucknow and acquired his B.Tech engineering degree with a specialization in computer science from the Harcourt Butler Technological Institute, Kanpur. He has previously worked with Hindustan Management and Technical Services Private Limited, HCL America, Inc., HCL Limited, HCL Hewlett-Packard Limited, Centre for Development of Telematics (C-Dot) and CMC Limited.

Brijesh is a Whole-time Director of IndiaMART. He holds a master’s degree in management science from the University of Lucknow and a post-graduate diploma in business management from the Northern Institute for Integrated Learning in Management, New Delhi. He has experience in the field of Internet, networking, and systems development. Previously, he worked with H N Miebach Logistics India Private Limited. Apart from his mission to help Small Businesses grow, his passion for education has led him to be a Founder Trustee of Plaksha University. He is a charter member of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), a global network of entrepreneurs and professionals. He has been a Director on the Board since the incorporation of our Company. He was featured in Fortune India’s ‘40 under 40’ list of entrepreneurs in 2016 and in Siddharth Rao’s bestseller book “How I almost blew it” in 2019.

Manoj Bhargava is a Whole-time Director, General Counsel and Company Secretary of our Company. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce (Hons) and Law from the University of Delhi, along with a Master’s degree in Law from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi. He has also completed Postgraduate Diplomas in Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Law from the Indian Law Institute and Cyber Laws from Amity Law School, New Delhi. With nearly 25 years of experience in legal, secretarial, and compliance functions, Mr. Bhargava has held senior positions at esteemed organizations like M/s Varun Beverages Limited (RJ Corp Group), HT Media Limited, Barista Coffee Company Limited, and the India Today Group. He joined the Company in 2017 and has played a pivotal role to the successful completion of critical projects such as Initial Public Offering (IPO), Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP), bonus issue, buyback(s), acquisition(s), merger etc apart from his contribution towards setting up of compliance mechanism and strengthen in-house legal function. His efforts ensured adherence to regulatory requirements and best practices in corporate governance, all of which were essential for achieving the Company’s long term strategic objectives and goals. In addition to his legal role, he has spearheaded IndiaMART’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives making a significant impact in underserved communities.

Dhruv Prakash is a non-executive Director of our Company. He holds a master’s degree in science (chemistry) from Meerut University and a post graduate diploma in business management from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He has experience in the field of management consulting, finance, manufacturing and chemicals. He has previously worked at Korn/Ferry International Private Limited, Helion Ventures Private Limited, Hewitt Associates (India) Private Limited, Amar Dye-Chem Limited, DCM Toyota Limited, Hindustan Reprographics Limited and Escorts Limited. He was first appointed to our Board on May 11, 2012 and resigned from our Board on January 27, 2015 and was subsequently re-appointed on September 1, 2016.

Pallavi Dinodia Gupta is a Chartered Accountant, a graduate from Lady Sriram College and has her degree in law from Delhi University. She has various certifications including Diploma in Information Systems Audit by Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (‘ICAI’), Diploma in International Tax by ICAI, Global Entrepreneurship Programme, Marketing 2014 – Columbia University, Columbia Business School, USA. She has more than 20 years of experience in the field of finance, taxation, corporate advisory. Additionally, Ms. Pallavi has an experience serving as an Independent Director on the boards and board committees of publicly listed companies and international organizations. Furthermore, she has served as the Chairperson of APAC Region and as a key member of the global governing council for MGI Worldwide – one of the largest global networks of accounting, audit and taxation firms. She is a Co-Chair in Direct Tax Committee, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (‘PHDCCI’) and is member of the International Fiscal Association (‘IFA’).

Vivek Narayan Gour is an Independent Director of our Company. He holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce from University of Bombay and a master’s degree in business administration from University of Delhi. He has also completed owner/president management programme from Harvard Business School. He has experience in the field of finance, consultancy and management. He has worked with First Leasing Company of India Limited, Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited, Tata Finance Limited, Genpact India and GE Capital Services India and has been athe managing director on the board of directors of Air Works MRO Services Private Limited and Air Works India (Engineering) Private Limited. He has been a Director on our Board since April 30, 2018.

Rajesh Sawhney is an Independent Director of our Company. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering (electronics and communication) from University of Delhi and a master’s degree in management studies from University of Bombay. He has experience in the field of media, entertainment, telecommunications and internet industry. He has worked with Reliance Capital Limited and Reliance Entertainment Limited. He has been a Director on our Board since January 27, 2011.

Manish Vij serves as an Independent Director of our Company. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Management Science from Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore. With over 25 years of experience, he is a serial entrepreneur and Managing Partner of Smile Group, a pioneer in the internet and digital industry since 1999. He has founded and scaled successful ventures like Quasar (digital media), SVG Media (adtech), and Letsbuy.com (eCommerce), partnering with global leaders such as WPP and Flipkart (Walmart). These ventures have attracted investments from top VCs, including Tiger Global and Matrix Partners, cementing his reputation as a visionary in digital media, eCommerce, and gaming.