Mumbai: Wal-Mart Stores Inc`s India unit said it had appointed company veteran Murali Lanka to the newly created position of chief operations officer to lead store operations and business development in the world`s second most populous country.
Lanka, who in his earlier five-year stint with Wal-Mart India helped set up its wholesale format in the country, is currently a developmental regional general manager in the United States.
The world`s largest retailer has 20 wholesale outlets in India and plans to roll out 50 more over four to five years.
The appointment of Lanka, who will report to Wal-Mart India Chief Executive Krish Iyer, is effective Dec. 1, the company said in a statement on Friday.
Arvind Mediratta, who was the company`s chief operating officer in India, was appointed as a senior vice president at its US headquarters in August.