From hypermarket operations and retail leasing to expressway asset monetization at Adani Group. That’s not a sector shift. That’s nearly two decades mastering commercial optimization across asset classes.
Puneet Awasthie has been appointed Head of Business Development & Operations at Adani Group, leading leasing and operations for strategic infrastructure projects like Ganga Expressway WSA. His journey highlights why infrastructure monetization requires more than contracts — it demands scalable operating models, strong vendor ecosystems, and stakeholder-driven asset performance.
He built his foundation across India’s leading retail giants. At Future Group India, he worked in hypermarket operations, managing margin negotiations with brands, vendor partnerships, and large-scale retail execution during the organized retail boom. At Landmark Group, he gained expertise in multi-brand tenant management and international leasing standards. At Dubai Outlet Mall, he saw how tenant mix directly drives footfall and revenue in Gulf retail ecosystems.
At The The Phoenix Mills Ltd. Ltd., as Center Head – Leasing, he managed one of India’s premier commercial property portfolios. Here, leasing became strategic: tenant curation, profitability-driven negotiations, relationship management, and long-term asset value creation.
His early engineering experience adds rare operational depth. He began in telecom tower installation, negotiating space allocation with clients, and contributed to Tata Motors’ landmark Tata Nano Dream Project, supporting production-line continuity through supply chain coordination of critical parts.
Now at Adani Group, he is applying this cross-sector expertise to infrastructure assets, building operating frameworks for expressway wayside amenities, strengthening engagement with government bodies, tenants, and partners, and unlocking recurring revenue through leasing and asset optimization.
Further strengthening this profile, Puneet recently completed a Master’s in Data Science from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, including a niche project on shopping center retail prediction and space optimization, a rare intersection of analytics and commercial leasing.
With nearly two decades spanning hypermarket operations, retail leasing, vendor management, engineering execution, and infrastructure commercialization, Puneet brings a differentiated capability in turning large-scale assets into sustainable revenue engines.
For leasing and business development leaders: what’s harder — managing complex retail tenant ecosystems or building monetization frameworks for infrastructure assets like expressway amenities?
First published on the Boardroom CXO LinkedIn page on 13 February 2026. To correct or remove it, write to [email protected].
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