'Reliance Retail Eyes Blockchain for Security, 5G for AR-powered in-store Navigation'

Suman Guha, Chief Product and Technology Officer, Reliance Retail speaks on the leading retailer company's technology investments, strategy and focus areas

- Mannu Mathew

With over 17 years of experience, Suman Guha is a seasoned technology leader with experience in developing and scaling business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) products and platforms. As Chief Product and Technology Officer (CPTO) at Reliance Retail, he leads fast fashion, and heads Omnichannel Tech for Fashion, lifestyle, and beauty brand initiatives of the company which operates over 18,650 stores and digital platforms. Guha's expertise spans product, technology, strategy, management, design, pricing, go-to-market strategies, and customer success. He has leveraged technology to drive significant growth, scaling product-led businesses to multibillion-dollar revenues and achieving high adoption rates.

Guha started his retail journey with Tesco, a British multinational retailer, which equipped him with invaluable experience and insights that help in his role at Reliance Retail.

"Working at Tesco shaped my retail approach by emphasising customer centricity, global perspective, and tech-driven innovation like self-checkout and loyalty programs. This experience deepened my expertise in e-commerce, leadership, and customer retention, inspiring the development of a loyalty platform now powering Reliance Retail and beyond," said Guha.

The retail veteran speaks on the leading retailer company's technology investments, strategy and focus areas. Edited excerpts...

What is your area and scope of operations?

My primary focus is integrating physical and digital retail channels to create a seamless, customercentric shopping experience. This involves leveraging cutting-edge technologies to enhance online platforms, optimizing the supply chain for efficiency, and ensuring that physical stores are equipped to provide a unified shopping experience.

Cutting-edge technologies that you work with...