Bengaluru, October 22, 2026: Catalyst Management Services (CMS) has appointed Dr. Amit Gupta as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), as the social impact advisory and enterprise looks to strengthen its development solutions, expand partnerships and scale its work across India and the Global South.

Established in 1995, CMS works across public health, agriculture and food systems, livelihoods, climate and sustainability, worker wellbeing, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. The organisation combines strategic consulting, research, technical expertise and implementation experience to address development challenges.

Dr. Gupta brings over 37 years of experience spanning the corporate sector, academia, social entrepreneurship and development. He began his career with Amul before moving to ITC, and subsequently spent two decades in business school leadership, teaching and researching social entrepreneurship and management. His experience across these sectors is expected to support CMS in connecting corporate priorities, institutional capabilities and grassroots needs.

As CEO, Dr. Gupta will focus on strengthening CMS’s role in shaping the systems, policies and capital flows that influence sustainable development. His priorities include expanding business networks, building long-term partnerships and connecting strategic consulting with frontline insights, technology, innovative finance and collaborative approaches. The organisation also plans to develop future-ready development solutions and strengthen its engagement with corporates, development finance institutions, foundations and international consulting partners.

Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Amit Gupta, CEO, Catalyst Management Services, said, “My journey across the corporate sector, academia, social entrepreneurship and development has reinforced my belief that lasting social impact requires us to connect strategy with the realities of implementation. CMS has built deep expertise and relationships across the development ecosystem. I see an opportunity to build on this foundation through our grounded Practice+ model, deeper partnerships with corporates and development institutions, and solutions that connect strategic thinking with frontline experience. Our focus will be on building a future-ready organisation that can respond to complex development challenges with agility and translate its expertise into scalable, lasting impact.”

CMS co-founders and Board Directors Shiv Kumar and Raghunathan N. will continue to provide strategic guidance and support the organisation’s long-term vision.

In a joint statement, Shiv Kumar and Raghunathan N. said, “CMS was built on the conviction that lasting social impact requires solutions grounded in the realities of the communities and systems they serve. As the development landscape evolves, our opportunity to build on this legacy while strengthening our advisory capabilities, partnerships and solutions is immense. Amit Gupta brings a distinctive combination of corporate, academic and entrepreneurial development experience, along with a deep understanding of CMS.”

CMS has worked across more than 25 countries and plans to build on its experience by combining social impact advisory with enterprise-led approaches. Under its evolving strategy, the organisation aims to connect strategic intelligence with practical implementation to support more resilient, inclusive and sustainable development outcomes.