Nikhil Kumar steps down from Affle after nearly six years

Nikhil Kumar, chief growth officer at mediasmart, has exited the company, a development he confirmed to Storyboard18. Mediasmart is the global programmatic advertising platform of the Affle Group.Kumar had been associated with mediasmart for nearly six years and was part of the company’s senior leadership team across multiple growth phases in India and international markets. Over the course of his tenure, he held several roles, including senior director brand and strategy for India and Southeast Asia, vice president for India and SEA, and most recently chief growth officer. His responsibilities spanned revenue growth, market expansion, brand strategy, and partnerships across regions.His exit comes at a time when Affle continues to sharpen its focus on programmatic advertising, connected TV, and performance-led brand solutions through mediasmart. Kumar was closely involved in shaping the platform’s positioning around full-funnel advertising and cross-screen storytelling, particularly in emerging markets. He also represented the company in multiple industry forums and media interactions, often speaking on topics such as CTV adoption, measurement challenges, and the evolution of brand advertising in a mobile-first environment.Before joining mediasmart, Kumar held leadership roles across global and Indian companies. He previously worked at ByteDance as business head for global business solutions in India, and at InMobi as director brand strategy, where he led mobile marketing and digital transformation initiatives for key brands. His earlier career also includes stints at PUMA India, where he handled senior marketing responsibilities, and L'Oréal, where he spent over six years across brand marketing and trade marketing roles. He began his career at Cafe Coffee Day in regional marketing roles.Kumar is also a board member of the Mobile Marketing Association India. He has not disclosed his next professional move. Affle and mediasmart have not issued an official statement on his exit at the time of publication.