Bhattacharya will be the third senior Lever executive to move out this year. Earlier, vice-chairman R Gopalakrishnan retired to join the Tatas, while VK Vishwanathan, the group treasurer and head of the M&A activities, resigned to join German auto component major Mico Bosch.

Bhattacharya, who has tendered his resignation from the HLL board, will join the AV Birla group towards mid-December.

Announcing Bhattacharya's appointment, AV Birla group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla said in a release: "Given that the Aditya Birla group is poised for a major quality growth through continuous evaluation and upgradation of all its business elements, Bhattacharya's rich and successful experience in Indiaand abroad will provide crucial support to our group."

Besides being entrusted with power project, Puranmalka has also been elevated as the vice-chairman of the financial services business, which the group has identified as a thrust area for the future. He will continue to be responsible for some other areas including the Bina International Marketing Corporation.

Puranmalka, in his successful career spanning over 35 years, has held a series of senior management positions in the group. Under his leadership, Indo Gulf's fertiliser and copper businesses have grown substantively.

Bhattacharya, 50, is currently director chemicals, agri business, animal feedstuff and technology at HLL, and is the chairman of Hind Lever Chemicals, Lever Gist Brocades and Industrial Perfumes Ltd. Bhattacharya, who joined HLL in 1970, has had a 29-year stint with Lever.

Bhattacharya has also been appointed as managing director of Birla Management Centre--the apex policy-making body of the AV Birla group. Here, Bhattacharya'sresponsibilities will be wide ranging. Two key internal services, namely the Global Marketing Strategy Cell and the Management Services Cell, which currently report to Kumar Mangalam Birla, will henceforth report to Bhattacharya.

Bhattacharya will lead the Technology Strategy of the group for the future, the release said. He will be responsible for strengthening and reshaping the Central Technical function at the group, which provides technical leadership to all the group companies. He will also be steering the information technology implementation strategy.

According to an HLL spokesperson, "Bhattacharya is the 257th chief executive of a Lever operation in India. We wish him well. HLL has been contributing to the professional management movement in the country."

The move, the first of its kind in appointing an outsider at the top level, indicates the group's initiative to bring a sharper strategic focus to its key businesses, and to provide leadership to the same.