In her new role, Hemani will oversee marketing and communications across Bastian Hospitality’s brands. The appointment marks an expansion of her earlier responsibilities within the company’s coffee business to a broader, portfolio-wide mandate.

Her expanded role comes as hospitality groups increasingly operate across multiple concepts and consumer segments, making integrated marketing strategies important for building consistent brand positioning and supporting growth across businesses.

The appointment was announced by Hemani in a LinkedIn post.

The post Bastian Hospitality Appoints Natasha Hemani as Chief Marketing Officer appeared first on Business of Food.

The ceremony was graced by Amb. Jawed Ashraf, IFS (Retd.), Chairman, India Trade Promotion Organisation, as Chief Guest, and brought together leading figures from the culinary and hospitality industry. The awards comprised six Top Chef Awards recognising professional achievement, leadership and contributions to the culinary field, alongside Master Chef competition categories that tested participants’ technical skills, creativity and adherence to professional standards.

Among the top honours, the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Chef Ajay Kumar Sood, while Chef Vivek Saggar received the Golden Hat Chef Award and Chef Sanjay Babu Dasari was honoured with the Silver Hat Chef Award. The Academic Chef of the Year Award went to Chef Pawan Ailawadi, the Pastry Chef of the Year Award to Chef Jaideep Singh Rana, the Shri Anil Bhandari Memorial – Chef of the Year Award to Chef Vaibhav Soni, and the Lady Chef of the Year Award to Chef Richa Johri.

Commenting on the awards, Chef Davinder Kumar, President, Indian Culinary Forum, said, “The Annual Chef Awards are an opportunity to recognise the dedication, skill and professionalism that chefs bring to their work every day. The competitions allow participants to test their abilities, learn from their peers and demonstrate the standards they uphold in professional kitchens. By recognising established professionals alongside emerging talent, we aim to encourage continuous learning and strengthen the culinary profession. Our philosophy remains ‘from chefs, by chefs and for chefs’.”

Chef Vivek Saggar, General Secretary, Indian Culinary Forum, added, “Culinary excellence requires more than creativity; it calls for technical precision, discipline, continuous learning and a commitment to professional standards. The Master Chef competitions put these qualities into practice, while the Top Chef Awards recognise experience, leadership and contributions to the industry. We hope the achievements celebrated at this year’s awards inspire young chefs to keep developing their skills and contribute to the future of India’s culinary sector.”

The Master Chef competitions brought together chefs from across the country across categories spanning Indian and international cuisines, Indian sweets, kebabs, international confectionery, baking, butchery, vegetable carving and student chef competitions. Held at Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology on 21–23 October and the Institute of Bakery and Culinary Arts on 26 October, the competitions were judged by a panel of professional chefs led by Chef Rajeev Janveja, Chief of Jury. Participants were assessed on personal and workstation hygiene, food wastage, mise-en-place, visual appeal, culinary skills, and the taste and texture of their dishes and accompaniments. Eligible Master Chef category winners received cash prizes of ₹20,000.

The Master Chef competitions recognised winners across various culinary disciplines, including:

·       Master Chef International Confectionery: Mohd. Saquib Hussain, The Westin Gurugram

·       Master Chef Oriental Cuisine: Chef Dilraj, Radisson Blu Plaza

·       Master Chef North Indian Cuisine: Chef Mohd. Rabbi Khan, The Ashok

·       Master Chef South/East/West Indian Cuisine: Chef Maqrub Alam, The Ashok

·       Master Chef Indian Sweets: Chef Ravindra Raut, The Westin Gurugram

·       Master Chef Kebabs: Darshan Rawat, India Habitat Centre

·       Master Chef International Cuisine: Chef Deepak Bisht, Le Méridien

·       Master Chef Baker: Chef Sajid, Lemon Tree Aerocity

·       Master Chef Butcher: Chef Vikas Kumar, Radisson Gurugram Udyog Vihar

·       Student Chef of the Year – Male: Chef Suhail Khan, BCIHMCT

·       Student Chef of the Year – Female: Chef Nandini Gupta, BCIHMCT

The awards were presented in the presence of the ICF Awards Presidium, comprising Chef Ritu Dalmia, Sonali Mitra, Vikrant Batra, Chef Sanjeev Ghatak, Chef Ajay Chopra and Smriti Nambiar.

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The transition, as recommended by the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, follows the resignation of Mohit Malhotra from his role as Global Chief Executive Officer and Whole-time Director, effective November 13, 2026, to pursue personal interests.

With his elevation to the Board, Bhalla will continue to lead the growth agenda for the India business, representing the company and steering the strategic direction in its primary market.

PD Narang, who currently works as a Whole-time Director, will continue in his role as Group Director – Corporate Affairs, providing strategic guidance across the Dabur Group’s businesses including retaining oversight of the International Business.

Announcing the transition, Mohit Burman, Chairman of the Board, said, “On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Mr Malhotra for his over three decades of service to Dabur and his contribution to the organisation. We wish him the very best as he pursues his personal interests. Mr Bhalla’s elevation to the Board reflects our confidence in his leadership and the central role of the India business in Dabur’s growth. We are confident that Dabur’s  businesses, including the International Business, will continue to benefit from Mr. Narang’s strategic guidance, drawing on his four decades of experience with the Group. This planned transition clarifies leadership responsibilities and accountability while ensuring continuity as the Company advances its priorities and prepares for its next phase of growth.”

Bhalla joined Dabur in early 2026, bringing more than 25 years of experience in building brands, scaling businesses and driving sustainable growth across diverse geographies and business environments. He spent over 16 years at Unilever in management roles across India and international markets, followed by global leadership positions at The Hershey Company and METRO Cash & Carry India. He holds a B.Com. (Hons.) degree from Delhi University (1997) and an MBA from MDI Gurugram (2000).

Narang has been associated with Dabur from 1983 and brings over four decades of experience in corporate finance, strategic planning, capital markets, M&A and governance. A qualified professional with degrees and credentials including B.Com., FCA, FCS and AICWA, he has played a significant role in Dabur’s professionalisation, international expansion and major acquisitions.

The post Dabur Elevates Herjit S Bhalla as Whole-Time Director appeared first on Business of Food.

Prateek Sharma, Director – Business Development and Head, Coffee Island India, Vita Nova Group, announced the launch in a LinkedIn post, stating that the store is located at Aswan Plaza on 20th Main Road, Koramangala 8th Block.

With the Beyond concept, the European coffee brand aims to offer an experience that extends beyond specialty coffee, focusing on sustainability, mindfulness and community engagement.

Coffee Island, which describes itself as Europe’s No. 1 specialty coffee brand, currently operates approximately 9–10 cafés across India. The Bengaluru opening adds a new market to its domestic network while introducing its Beyond format to the city.

The store is located at No. 580, Aswan Plaza, Ground Floor, Satyakrupa, 20th Main Road, Koramangala 8th Block, Bengaluru.

The post Coffee Island Opens First ‘Beyond’ Store In Bengaluru appeared first on Business of Food.

The appointment was approved by the company’s board at its meeting on November 2, 2026, following a recommendation from the Nomination and Remuneration Committee. Jawa’s tenure will extend until December 31, 2031, subject to shareholder approval. Marico will seek consent through a postal ballot, with details of the voting process and schedule to be announced separately.

Jawa brings more than 38 years of corporate leadership experience across consumer businesses in India, Southeast Asia and North Asia. His expertise spans business transformation, international expansion, brand building, digitalisation and premiumisation.

He joined HUL as Whole-time Director and President, Unilever South Asia, in April 2023 and was appointed Managing Director and CEO in June 2023. He held the role until July 2025 and also served on Unilever’s global executive leadership team, the Unilever Leadership Executive.

Before his India assignment, Jawa served as Chief of Transformation at Unilever in London, where he led an end-to-end transformation programme. He also served as Executive Vice President, North Asia, and Chairman of Unilever China, where he helped transform the business into Unilever’s third-largest global market through digitalisation, premiumisation, and portfolio development.

Earlier, as Chairman and CEO of Unilever Philippines, he oversaw the business’s emergence as one of the company’s top 10 markets globally. Jawa has also held several industry and institutional positions. In India, he was an Executive Member of the CII National Council and FICCI Executive Council, besides serving on the Executive Committee of Vikaasa, the UN SDG Accelerator in India.

His previous engagements include serving as founding secretary of Food Industry Asia in Singapore, Co-Chair of Grow Asia Philippines, a World Economic Forum initiative promoting inclusive agricultural business models, and a member of the Consumer Goods Forum China Board.

In its regulatory filing, Marico stated that Jawa is not related to any of its existing directors and is not disqualified from holding the position under any SEBI order or other regulatory authority. He currently holds no directorships, memberships, or chairpersonships of board committees in other companies.

The post Marico Appoints Rohit Jawa as Independent Director for Five-Year Term appeared first on Business of Food.

The transaction stands out given iD Fresh’s tightly held shareholding structure and the limited availability of equity in the private market. This block represents a material portion of approx 3% of the company’s equity, which is meaningfully available in the private secondary market.

Upsurge India originated and led the transaction, negotiating the commercial terms alongside co-leads TG Fund and WW Ventures and securing Blue Ashva Capital’s entire shareholding block despite strong competing interest from other institutional buyers. Investor demand materially exceeded the available allocation. BlueCheck Advisors acted as the transaction advisors.

Founded in Bengaluru in 2005, iD Fresh Food has built a differentiated business around fresh, preservative-free and ready-to-cook Indian food products. Starting with idli and dosa batter, the company has expanded into Indian breads, chutneys and select value-added dairy products, leveraging its manufacturing capabilities and refrigerated distribution network.

The company’s financial performance further underlines its scale and growth potential. iD Fresh’s topline increased from approximately Rs 558 crore in FY24 to Rs 681 crore in FY25, before reaching about Rs 870+ crore in FY26. This represents year-on-year growth north of 25% in FY26, with the company continuing to grow at an estimated 25-30% annually, according to transaction inputs. Its expansion into adjacent categories demonstrates how an established brand, combined with a strong cold-chain and distribution network, can create opportunities beyond its original product category.

Commenting on the transaction, Satyam Goyal, Head of Equities at Upsurge India, said, “iD Fresh has done something quite remarkable; they’ve taken a deeply familiar part of Indian food culture and built a serious, scaled consumer business around it. The brand is what everyone sees; what interests us as investors is what sits behind it: manufacturing prowess, cold-chain infrastructure and distribution with consistency that is genuinely difficult to replicate at scale. We believe that gives the business a long runway, well beyond the categories it started with. Of course, identifying a good business is only one part of investing. You also need to find the right opportunity, develop conviction in the thesis, and have the ability to execute sought-after transactions, on favourable terms, in the private market. This transaction brings those elements together, and reflects the approach we’re building at Upsurge India.”

Satya Bansal, Founder & CEO of Blue Ashva Capital, said, “Our investment in iD Fresh was driven by its innovative approach to preservative-free fresh food, particularly its semi-fermented batter technology, and its scalable direct-to-retail distribution network. Our journey with iD Fresh, from investment to exit, reflects our ability to identify differentiated businesses and deliver realised outcomes for investors. As we continue to generate liquidity from our first-vintage fund, this exit underscores our commitment to disciplined portfolio management and long-term value creation. We welcome the incoming shareholders and remain confident in iD Fresh’s next phase of growth, while continuing to focus on deep-tech and strategic technologies.”

iD Fresh attracted significant institutional investment earlier in 2026, when Apax acquired a significant minority position in the company in a transaction widely reported at an implied valuation of approximately Rs 4,400 crore and a transaction size of approximately Rs 1,500 crore. The valuation of the present secondary transaction remains confidential.

The post Upsurge Leads Rs 50-Crore iD Fresh Food’s Deal appeared first on Business of Food.

Tanridagli brings over 20 years of experience across Unilever and Kraft Foods/Mondelez. Most recently, he served as General Manager of Unilever Ice Cream, overseeing markets across the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and Russia.

His experience in the ice cream category and international consumer markets is expected to support KWIL as it builds its independent business strategy and strengthens its position in India’s ice cream market.

The leadership appointment marks a new phase for KWIL as it focuses on brand execution, business growth and its operations as a standalone listed company.

The post Kwality Wall’s India Appoints Tahir Toloy Tanridagli as MD & CEO appeared first on Business of Food.

The Proposed Combination envisages the merger of Sapphire Foods India Limited (Sapphire) with and into Devyani International Limited (Devyani) and certain related transactions.

Devyani, inter alia, operates KFC and Pizza Hut franchise outlets across India. Devyani is also the exclusive franchisee of Costa Coffee, New York Fries, and Sanook Kitchen in India. In addition, Devyani also owns and operates homegrown brands.

Sapphire also operates KFC and Pizza Hut franchise outlets in India.

The post CCI Clears Merger of Devyani International and Sapphire Foods appeared first on Business of Food.

The funding will support deeper market penetration across NCR, where both brands made their India debut. The focus is on building store density, strengthening consumer recall and refining the operating model in a market that offers a strong base for the next phase of expansion.

Moe’s Casa Mexicana and Carvel bring distinct propositions to India’s evolving food services landscape. Both are owned by Roark Capital, whose brands include Subway, Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin’. Moe’s Casa Mexicana is the international evolution of US fast-casual chain Moe’s Southwest Grill, and India is its first international market. Unify Foodworks also holds the master franchise for Moe’s Southwest Grill, the larger-format restaurant concept within the brand portfolio. Its menu pairs signature burritos, bowls and tacos with India-focused creations such as Habanero Paneer. Carvel, the American ice cream brand founded in 1934 and widely credited with inventing soft serve, entered India at Connaught Place in 2025.

“Travel has rewired the Indian palate. Someone who has had a burrito in Atlanta or a soft serve in New York comes home expecting that exact experience, not a local approximation of it. For this consumer, consistency is the indulgence. Global brands are engineered to deliver it, but only when the operator gets the foundations right. This round gives us the runway to build those foundations store by store, so every new opening is a proven model repeated, not an experiment. Just as valuable are backers who understand consumer brands and share our long view. Our ambition is to make Unify Foodworks the go-to platform for international F&B brands entering India, scaling names that own their category without diluting what made them iconic,” said Sumer Sethi, Founder and CEO, Unify Foodworks.

The post Unify Foodworks Raises Rs 5 Crore to Fuel India Expansion appeared first on Business of Food.

Shivakumar previously served as Chairman of RBA from January 2019 to January 2024. His career spans senior leadership positions at Unilever, Philips India, Nokia, PepsiCo India and the Aditya Birla Group.

He currently serves as an Operating Partner at Advent International and holds advisory and governance roles across several organisations, bringing expertise in business leadership and strategic growth to the company’s board.

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