TLDR: Apna Group has appointed Kartik Narayan as the Chief Executive Officer of its Jobs Marketplace vertical. Narayan, with over two decades of leadership experience, will spearhead the scaling of the platform, strengthen employer partnerships, and accelerate the adoption of AI-powered hiring solutions. This move aligns with Apna’s broader strategy, which includes its Enterprise Voice AI platform, Blue Machines, and a new Education vertical.
Apna Group, a prominent Indian platform for job seekers and employers, has announced a significant strengthening of its leadership team with the appointment of Kartik Narayan as the Chief Executive Officer for its Jobs Marketplace vertical. The announcement, made on October 25, 2025, positions Narayan to drive the next phase of growth for Apna’s core offering.
In his new role, Kartik Narayan will report directly to Nirmit Parikh, Founder and Group CEO of Apna. His primary responsibilities will include scaling the Jobs Marketplace, enhancing employer partnerships, and accelerating the integration and adoption of AI-powered hiring solutions. This strategic focus underscores Apna’s commitment to leveraging advanced technology to revolutionize the recruitment landscape in India.
Narayan brings a wealth of experience, spanning over two decades in financial and operational leadership across some of India’s most respected enterprises. Prior to joining Apna Group, he served as the CEO for TeamLease’s Staffing business, one of India’s largest workforce solutions providers. His extensive career also includes leadership roles at Vodafone Idea, Cisco, and Bharti Airtel. He was also an Executive Board Member of the Indian Staffing Federation from 2024 to 2025. Throughout his career, Narayan has consistently demonstrated a proven ability to build and scale complex organizations, foster strong industry collaborations, and deliver sustainable business outcomes.
Nirmit Parikh, Founder and Group CEO, Apna, expressed his enthusiasm for the appointment, stating, “We’re thrilled to welcome Kartik to join our growing Leadership team and lead our rapidly scaling Jobs Marketplace vertical. Kartik brings decades of leadership experience from managing large businesses in India. Together, we aim to create lasting impact – empowering millions of job seekers and lakhs of companies who rely on Apna to find and hire great talent.”
Kartik Narayan himself commented on the exciting opportunities ahead: “Apna has redefined how India hires at scale. What excites me most is seeing how thousands of companies are now building and deploying their own AI recruiting agents on Apna’s platform — automating hiring conversations and finding the right candidates faster than ever before. With AI reshaping the world around us, productivity across recruiters, employers, and candidates will become the new currency of competitiveness. Our opportunity is not just to keep pace with this shift, but to lead it.”
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This appointment is part of Apna Group’s broader strategic expansion. The company recently launched Blue Machines, an enterprise-grade Voice AI platform, and is actively developing a dedicated Education vertical. These initiatives aim to prepare India’s future workforce, focusing on human, digital, and continuously skilled professionals, further solidifying Apna’s position at the forefront of the evolving job economy.
