Mumbai: Blue Star, one of India’s leading air conditioning and commercial refrigeration companies, today announced key board-level changes and leadership appointments aimed at strengthening governance, accelerating strategic initiatives, and ensuring seamless leadership continuity.
Sam Balsara to retire after two consecutive terms
Sam Balsara, Chairman of Madison World and a prominent figure in marketing and advertising, will retire on 31 January 2026 after completing two consecutive terms as an Independent Director of Blue Star. Sam, who joined the Board in June 2017 and was reappointed in June 2022, has been instrumental in guiding the Company on brand-building strategies, consumer insights, and media trends. He also served as Chairman of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, contributing significantly to Leadership Development and Succession Planning programmes.
M S Unnikrishnan appointed as Independent Director
M S Unnikrishnan has been appointed as an Independent Director effective 29 January 2026, for a period of five years. Unnikrishnan is Head & CEO of the IITB-Monash Research Academy and former Managing Director of Thermax Group. He serves on the boards of KEC International, Kirloskar Brothers, Greaves Cotton, and Livguard Energy Technologies and is a trustee at Akshayapatra and Jehangir Hospital, Pune. He holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, and has completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
B Thiagarajan reappointed as Managing Director
B Thiagarajan has been reappointed as Managing Director for a further term from 1 April 2026 to 24 May 2027, a day prior to attaining the age of 70. Thiagarajan, with over four decades of experience, has been with Blue Star since 1998 and has held leadership roles including Joint Managing Director (2016) and Managing Director (2019). He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Madurai University and has completed the Senior Executive Programme from London Business School.
Mohit Sud elevated as Executive Director
Mohit Sud will join the Board as Executive Director, Unitary Cooling Products, for a period of five years effective 1 April 2026. Mohit joined Blue Star in March 2025 as Group President for Unitary Cooling Products, overseeing Room Air Conditioner and Commercial Refrigeration businesses. A Mechanical Engineer with an MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur, Mohit has over two decades of experience in sales, marketing, distribution, and business strategy, including leadership roles at Hindustan Unilever.
Chairman & Managing Director Vir S Advani commented, “Blue Star is an 82-year-old brand, Sam has played a significant role in our strategic efforts to make it stronger, youthful, and relevant to the new generation consumers as well as Tier 3-4-5 markets. His marketing insights helped the Company to gain market share year after year. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I wish to place on record our deep appreciation for his outstanding contribution and exemplary service during his tenure.
Unnikrishnan, with his exemplary track record in leadership roles in running engineering products and projects businesses and exposure to international markets, is a welcome addition to the Blue Star Board.
Further extension of Thiagarajan’s tenure will help in accelerating the strategic programmes pertaining to growth, R&D, and manufacturing footprint apart from a seamless leadership transition.
Mohit has been with Blue Star for about 10 months, and we have been grooming him for a Board-level leadership role. I am confident that his rich experience in the consumer space will help the Company in its mission to further improve its market share and enhance profitability in Unitary Cooling Products.”
