From building brands to building stores 🧩 Meet MJ.
When Manchitwan Jauhal, known to colleagues as MJ, joined the LEGO Group in 2020, he was the seventh colleague in India and onboarded entirely virtually during the height of Covid. Six years later, he helped bring a long-held ambition to life: opening the first LEGO® Certified Store in India.
Today, MJ is Senior Key Account Manager for LEGO Certified Stores in India, leading branded channel expansion in one of the world's fastest-growing markets. But his journey has been anything but conventional.
"I joined as the sole Brand Manager for India, which meant I had the opportunity to work across every theme and every audience, says MJ. It was an incredible learning experience because I wasn't focused on one area of the business. I got to understand the whole picture."
Working in a young market came with unique opportunities. Over the next few years, MJ helped launch some of India's foundational brand-building initiatives, including LEGO Playground, LEGO Collectors' Week, LEGO Brand Days and The Little Red Brick. Along the way, he also took on responsibility for e-commerce, adding another dimension to his experience.
Then came a new challenge.
In 2024, MJ moved into branded retail as Senior Key Account Manager for LEGO Certified Stores, helping shape the future of the LEGO brand's physical retail presence in India.
"I've been fortunate to move from brand to e-commerce to retail in a relatively short space of time, he says. Each role has stretched me in different ways and helped me develop entirely new skills."
For MJ, one career highlight stands above all others.
"Opening the first LEGO Certified Store in India wins by a mile, he says. It had been a goal for so many colleagues in India and around the world for years."
After spending years building awareness of the brand through campaigns, partnerships and experiences, seeing thousands of children, families and adult fans gather for the opening was unforgettable.
"It was one of those moments where everything suddenly felt real. You could see the excitement, the connection and the love for the brand right in front of you."
The momentum continued long after opening day, with more than 120,000 visitors walking through the doors in the store's first 30 days.
"For all of us who had been working to grow the brand in India, it was a powerful reminder of what we had built together."
What MJ enjoys most about his role is the opportunity to build something new.
"In India, we're still writing the story, he explains. You get the excitement of creating something from the ground up while learning from colleagues across the world who have done it before."
His work spans everything from evaluating store locations and working with partners to shaping launch plans and helping create great retail experiences for shoppers. That breadth has accelerated both his professional and personal growth.
"It's taught me how to focus on what matters most, especially when there are lots of moving parts. It's also taught me that success is never an individual effort. The support from colleagues locally and globally has been essential."
One experience outside work perfectly captures what the LEGO Group means to MJ.
Shortly after joining the company, he attended a neighbourhood gathering where people were introducing themselves and sharing where they worked.
"When I mentioned the LEGO Group, the reaction was completely different, he laughs. People immediately wanted to talk about their memories of LEGO play."
What followed was an animated conversation about creativity, childhood and play.
"Some brands earn respect. The LEGO brand earns something more personal. It reconnects people with a part of themselves they may not have thought about for years."
For MJ, that's what makes working here special: helping bring the power of play to more children and families while building something meaningful alongside talented colleagues.
The opening of the first LEGO Certified Store in India was a major milestone, but MJ sees it as just the beginning.
"We've built the foundations, but there is still so much more ahead of us, he says. More cities, more stores and more families experiencing LEGO play for the first time."
And that's what continues to excite him most.
"The best chapters are still to come."
Just imagine your LEGO® career.
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