Delhivery Announces Board Changes as Chairman Deepak Kapoor, Director Saugata Gupta Exit in April; Q3 FY26 Profit Rises to Rs 39.6 Crore

Leadership

February 3, 2026

Gurugram based logistics company Delhivery Limited has announced a change at the board level, with Chairman and Non Executive Independent Director Deepak Kapoor and Independent Director Saugata Gupta set to step down from April 1, 2026. The company said the move is part of a planned board refresh aligned with its next phase of growth as a listed enterprise.

Kapoor, who joined Delhivery’s board in 2017, and Gupta, who came on board in 2021, were closely involved in shaping governance practices and guiding the company through its public listing in 2022. Delhivery stated that the transition follows the induction of new independent directors in 2025, including Namita Thapar of Emcure Pharmaceuticals, Sameer Mehta of boAt Lifestyle, Yashish Dahiya of PB Fintech and Dr Padmini Srinivasan from IIM Bangalore, as the company strengthens board oversight for scale.

The announcement comes alongside Delhivery’s strongest quarterly operating performance to date. In Q3 FY26, the company reported a profit of Rs 39.6 crore, up from Rs 25 crore a year earlier and reversing a loss of Rs 50.5 crore in the previous quarter. EBITDA rose 227 percent year on year to Rs 147 crore, while margins expanded to a record 5.3 percent. Revenue from operations grew nearly 18 percent to Rs 2,805 crore, supported by higher volumes across core segments.

Operational momentum was led by the express parcel business, where shipments increased 43 percent year on year to 295 million parcels during the festive quarter. The part truckload segment crossed 500,000 metric tonnes of throughput for the first time, with volumes rising 23 percent.

Delhivery also expanded Delhivery Direct to Mumbai and Hyderabad and launched Delhivery International to support SME exports. Shares ended higher following the results, reflecting positive market response to the performance and governance update.

Maybelline New York Appoints Kiara Advani as India Brand Ambassador, Unveils Serum Lipstick Range

SnackTeam

February 2, 2026

Maybelline New York has named actor Kiara Advani as its new brand ambassador for India, strengthening the global beauty label’s push to deepen cultural relevance in one of its fastest growing consumer markets. The partnership marks a fresh phase for the brand’s India strategy, with a sharper focus on everyday makeup, youth engagement, and performance-led innovation.

The appointment is timed with the India launch of Maybelline’s latest lip category offering, the Serum Lipstick range. The product is positioned at the intersection of colour and care, featuring a formula infused with hyaluronic acid and a blend of nourishing oils. The company says the range delivers long-wear comfort with visible hydration benefits, addressing rising demand for makeup that combines performance with skin-friendly ingredients. The line is available in 13 shades across satin and matte finishes, developed to suit diverse Indian skin tones.

For Maybelline, the association with Advani supports its strategy to connect with younger, urban consumers who increasingly view makeup as part of daily self-styling rather than occasional use. India remains a priority growth market for L’Oréal owned Maybelline New York, with mass premium cosmetics seeing steady traction across modern trade, e-commerce, and quick commerce channels.

Maya El Aramouni, General Manager for Maybelline New York India, said the collaboration is aimed at building stronger resonance with Indian consumers by pairing global product innovation with a locally relevant face. The brand plans to scale category growth through frequent product drops and wider shade availability across key formats.

Globally, Maybelline New York operates in over 120 countries and remains one of the largest colour cosmetics brands by footprint. Alongside product expansion, the brand continues to invest in social impact initiatives, including mental health awareness through its Brave Together program. In India, the focus remains on driving volume growth in lip, eye, and face categories while expanding digital reach and creator-led engagement.

ProVFoods Bets on Nutrition-Led Snacking, Deeper Distribution to Build Rs 1,000 Crore Brand: CEO DP Jhawar

Growth

SnackTeam

February 2, 2026

Mumbai based ProVFoods, part of Proventus Agrocom Ltd, is sharpening its growth playbook as healthier snacking shifts from a niche preference to a regular habit for Indian households. The company is prioritising nutrition-focused products, wider retail coverage, and repeat consumption as it scales toward its stated ambition of building a Rs 1,000 crore brand by FY28.

Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder DP Jhawar said recent performance is being shaped less by one-time trials and more by consumers returning to the brand. Repeat purchases, stronger visibility across stores, and rising demand for functional snacking formats are driving momentum. Seasonal demand, particularly during winter for dry fruit and makhana based snacks, is also adding to volumes.

Nutrition-led products already account for more than half of ProVFoods’ revenue, and the share is expected to climb steadily through the decade. The company is expanding everyday formats such as flavoured makhana and clean label mixes to move nutrition from an occasional choice to a daily routine. Premium variants are being balanced with value packs to widen reach without pricing out mass consumers.

The brand’s channel mix is split across online, modern trade, and general trade. Digital channels, including quick commerce and direct to consumer, contribute about 46 percent of revenue and are seeing the fastest growth. Modern trade accounts for roughly a quarter of sales, while general trade contributes around 30 percent as the company deepens its footprint in new cities and in South India.

Marketing spends are being directed toward outcomes rather than scale. Early markets focus on store visibility and ground activations, while mature clusters lean on performance marketing and repeat purchase triggers. Influencer partnerships are chosen for credibility over reach, reflecting the trust-led nature of health categories.

ProVFoods’ farm to home sourcing model gives it control over quality and pricing, helping it respond faster to demand trends. The company says data from consumer behaviour guides product design, pack sizes, and pricing decisions. Over the long term, management is measuring success not only in revenue growth but in becoming a trusted, everyday nutrition brand across Indian households.

The Bohri Kitchen Shuts Down After 11 Years, Closing a Defining Chapter in India’s Experiential Food Scene

Business

SnackTeam

February 2, 2026

Mumbai based food brand The Bohri Kitchen formally ended operations on January 31, 2026, bringing down the curtain on an eleven year journey that began as a home dining experiment and grew into one of India’s most recognisable experiential food ventures. Founder Munaf Kapadia confirmed the decision, marking the exit of a brand that helped shape how urban consumers engaged with curated, story driven food experiences.

Launched in 2015 from Kapadia’s family home, The Bohri Kitchen introduced diners to Bohri Muslim cuisine through limited seat, reservation only meals. What started as intimate Sunday lunches scaled into a multi format business. Over the years, the brand hosted thousands of guests, built a delivery led operation across Mumbai, expanded catering to Pune, and handled volumes of up to 200 biryanis a day at its peak. The venture also raised external capital as it attempted to build a sustainable food brand beyond its original home dining model.

The Bohri Kitchen gained wide media coverage and industry recognition for bringing community dining into the mainstream. It became an early reference point for experience led food startups, inspiring similar concepts across Indian cities. Beyond food service, the brand explored creative extensions such as publishing and content led projects, reflecting ambitions to grow into a broader cultural brand.

The post pandemic period proved challenging. Rising input costs, operational complexity, and shifts in consumer behaviour put pressure on founder led hospitality businesses. Over time, the brand moved towards delivery and catering to stabilise revenues, but sustaining scale without diluting quality remained difficult. Kapadia has acknowledged that the decision to shut was shaped by personal, financial, and emotional considerations built up over several years, rather than a single trigger.

Industry watchers see the closure as a measured exit in a tough operating environment. The Bohri Kitchen’s journey remains a reference case for how niche food concepts can capture attention, scale thoughtfully, and still face the realities of long term sustainability in India’s crowded food market.

Protein Snack Startup Stroom Secures Rs 1 Crore on Shark Tank India After Tough Scrutiny

Growth

SnackTeam

February 2, 2026

Protein focused snack brand Stroom closed a funding deal on Shark Tank India Season 5 after navigating a sharp round of questioning on product claims, taste, and transparency. The founders walked into the Tank with the aim of building everyday Indian snacks with added protein, but the pitch quickly turned into a detailed examination of how nutrition brands communicate with consumers.

Stroom was founded in May 2022 by Darshan Gattani, Shiven Chaturvedi, and Rohan Shah, who left established careers to build a homegrown nutrition brand. The company sells protein enriched bars and wafer snacks designed to appeal to consumers who want familiar formats without moving to traditional supplements. The founders said their recipes use a mix of milk protein and soy protein to improve mouthfeel and flavour, a key challenge in the protein snack category.

During the tasting session, the Sharks had mixed reactions to the products, with feedback centred on flavour balance and texture. The conversation then shifted to packaging and marketing claims. Concerns were raised over the use of the term “no refined sugar” on packs, even though ingredients such as honey and flavoured inclusions were present. The founders accepted the feedback and committed to correcting the communication on labels to avoid misleading shoppers.

Despite the tough grilling, Stroom’s early traction helped keep investor interest alive. The company reported net sales of Rs 2.42 crore in FY25 and pointed to strong demand coming from quick commerce platforms and online channels, where protein snacks are seeing faster adoption among urban consumers.

Stroom had sought Rs 1 crore for 2 percent equity, implying a valuation of Rs 50 crore. After a series of negotiations and revised offers, Vineeta Singh and Kunal Bahl came together to invest Rs 1 crore for 2.5 percent equity, along with an additional 2 percent advisory stake. The final deal valued the startup at about Rs 40 crore.

The episode highlighted growing scrutiny around nutrition claims in packaged foods, even as investor interest in high protein snacking continues to rise in India.

Carrefour Names Amritraj Kaur as Marketing Head to Lead India Comeback Strategy

Business

SnackTeam

January 31, 2026

Carrefour has appointed Amritraj Kaur as Marketing Head for India as the global retailer prepares to restart operations in the country, with its first store scheduled to open in April 2026. The move comes nearly 12 years after Carrefour exited India and reflects the company’s intent to enter the market with a strong consumer and omnichannel focus from day one.

Kaur brings close to 17 years of experience across modern retail and FMCG, having worked with organisations such as Walmart, Best Price Flipkart Wholesale, Flipkart, Future Group, LOTS Wholesale Solutions, Amira Foods and BnC Foods. Her appointment is part of Carrefour’s early leadership build as it sets up local teams, distribution networks and private label plans for India.

In her most recent role at LOTS Wholesale Solutions, Kaur led marketing and CRM for an omnichannel wholesale business and helped drive 6 to 7 percent year on year growth in customer transactions. She also rolled out a two tier loyalty programme, introduced marketing automation tools, strengthened digital acquisition channels and supported the launch of new large format stores in Delhi NCR. Earlier, at Best Price, she handled pan India store launches and ROI led marketing for a business with annual revenues of over ₹3,500 crore, while improving cost efficiency through vendor consolidation.

Her experience also includes leading regional marketing for over 20 Big Bazaar and fbb stores at Future Group, where she managed clusters with annual turnovers exceeding ₹500 crore. At Amira Foods, she was part of the team that introduced single serve basmati rice packs in India, helping the brand build visibility in both domestic and export markets.

Carrefour’s India playbook is expected to focus on large format stores, private labels, value led assortments and a strong supply chain backbone. Kaur will lead brand marketing, digital outreach, loyalty and consumer engagement as the retailer builds its presence across physical and online channels. The company is positioning marketing as a core growth lever as it looks to establish relevance quickly in one of the world’s most competitive grocery and general merchandise markets.

Nestlé India Q3 FY26 Profit Soars 45% to ₹998 Crore as Volumes Hit Five Year High

Growth

SnackTeam

January 31, 2026

Nestlé India delivered its strongest quarterly performance in recent years, reporting a sharp jump in profitability for the December 2025 quarter, backed by high volume growth and steady momentum across core food and beverage categories.

The FMCG major posted a consolidated net profit of ₹998.42 crore in Q3 FY26, up 45.1 percent year on year. Revenue from sales climbed 18.5 percent to ₹5,643.5 crore, marking the highest quarterly turnover in the company’s history. Consolidated revenue from operations stood at ₹5,667 crore, reflecting broad based demand recovery across urban and rural markets.

Growth was driven by higher consumption across everyday food categories. In prepared foods, Maggi noodles recorded double digit volume growth. Confectionery also saw strong traction, with KitKat delivering high double digit volume growth, particularly in rural India, while Munch maintained its upward trend. In beverages, Nescafé Classic, Sunrise and Gold continued to post healthy growth. The milk and nutrition portfolio showed steady gains, with Milkmaid extending its momentum and Everyday recovering in key regions.

Domestic sales rose 18.3 percent to ₹5,402.6 crore, supported by deeper rural reach and faster decision making at the market level. Exports grew 22.9 percent to ₹240.9 crore, aided by strong demand for coffee and the addition of new SKUs in markets such as Thailand and Papua New Guinea. The B2B portfolio also expanded its customer base in instant tea.

Nestlé India increased advertising and media spends by 42 percent year on year to support new launches and festive activations. EBITDA margin stood at 21.3 percent for the quarter. Total expenses rose 20.9 percent to ₹4,667.6 crore, reflecting higher input costs and brand investments.

The company highlighted that e commerce and quick commerce channels continued to gain pace, while organised retail recorded broad based growth. The board has approved an interim dividend of ₹7 per equity share for FY26.

BRND.ME Targets IPO in 12 to 18 Months, Shifts Base to India and Bets Big on Europe Growth

Business

SnackTeam

January 31, 2026

BRND.ME, the brand house founded by Ananth Narayanan and formerly known as Mensa Brands, is moving closer to the public markets as it reshapes its structure, narrows its brand portfolio and steps up global expansion. The company is in the final stages of relocating its corporate base from Singapore to India and expects the transition to be completed by the end of March 2026. Management has indicated that preparations for a public listing are underway, with an IPO targeted within the next 12 to 18 months.

The company is now operating at cash flow positive levels and expects to close the current financial year with revenue of over ₹1,500 crore. For FY27, BRND.ME is targeting 20 to 25 percent revenue growth to about ₹1,800 crore, while aiming to lift profits by nearly 50 percent. The business has been EBITDA positive for the past several months and is working towards full year profitability with margins of around 5 percent.

Over the past two years, BRND.ME has reduced its portfolio from 20 brands to 10, concentrating scale on its strongest performers. Majestic Pure, Botanic Hearth, MyFitness and PartyPropz together account for a large share of revenue, with individual brand sales ranging from about ₹200 crore to ₹400 crore. The company has paused large acquisitions and will focus only on small, strategic additions that strengthen these core labels.

International markets now contribute more than half of overall revenue. Europe has emerged as a priority region, where the company is building teams on the ground and expanding distribution across the UK, Germany, France and Spain, with new markets in the pipeline. The business is also present in North America and the Middle East and plans to enter Southeast Asia through Singapore.

Offline retail is being scaled alongside digital channels. MyFitness already draws close to 40 percent of its sales from physical stores and plans to double its retail reach over the next three years. As it moves towards an IPO, BRND.ME is investing in brand marketing, global leadership teams and supply chain capacity to support its next phase of growth.

The House of Rare Appoints Nishant Poddar as CMO to Drive Brand and Consumer Strategy

Leadership

SnackTeam

January 30, 2026

The House of Rare has announced the appointment of Nishant Poddar as its Chief Marketing Officer, marking a key leadership addition as the fashion and lifestyle group sharpens its focus on brand-building and consumer engagement across its expanding portfolio.

In his new role, Poddar will oversee brand marketing, communication, digital strategy, content, community initiatives and overall consumer experience for the group’s brands, including Rare Rabbit, Rareism, Rare Ones and Rare’z. The appointment comes at a time when The House of Rare is scaling its presence across categories and channels, with an increasing emphasis on building distinct, culturally relevant fashion labels.

Poddar brings over 20 years of experience across fashion, retail and consumer brands. He joins from WROGN, where he served as Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Retail Experience. During his tenure, he played a central role in shaping the brand’s identity across physical retail, digital platforms and marketing campaigns, helping establish WROGN as a youth-focused fashion brand with strong cultural recall. His work at the brand was noted for combining emotional storytelling with sharp visual and retail execution.

Prior to WROGN, Poddar spent close to nine years at Café Coffee Day in senior marketing roles, where he worked on large-scale consumer engagement initiatives and brand-led growth strategies in a high-frequency retail environment. Earlier in his career, he also gained operational exposure at Sealand Container Services before moving fully into marketing and brand leadership.

An alumnus of IIM Calcutta, Poddar has further strengthened his leadership and marketing capabilities through executive programmes at Wharton Online and IIT Bombay. His approach blends design thinking, consumer insight and data-led decision-making, aligning with The House of Rare’s ambition to build brands that resonate beyond transactions.

With this leadership move, The House of Rare is signalling a stronger push towards cohesive brand narratives, deeper consumer connection and long-term brand equity as it continues to expand its footprint in India’s fashion market.

Gut Health Startup Good Bacteria Raises $3.2 Million Seed Round to Expand Microbiome Nutrition Platform

funding

SnackTeam

January 30, 2026

Good Bacteria, a Portland based gut health startup, has raised $3.2 million in seed funding as it looks to scale its science-led approach to restoring microbial diversity, according to a report by Beauty Independent. The funding round was backed by a group of consumer-focused investors including BrandProject, BAM Ventures, RiverPark Ventures, and Listen, highlighting growing investor confidence in the functional nutrition and gut wellness segment.

Founded by Anabel González, Good Bacteria positions itself at the intersection of microbiome science and daily nutrition. The company is built around the idea of “rewilding” the gut, a concept that focuses on rebuilding microbial diversity that has been reduced by modern diets, stress, and overuse of antibiotics. Rather than a one-size-fits-all supplement, the brand has developed a structured 28 day rotating system designed to support the gut through different microbial needs over the course of a month.

The system combines prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics, delivered in varying formulations throughout the cycle. This rotation-based approach is intended to mirror the natural diversity found in traditional diets, while avoiding over-reliance on a single strain or ingredient. The company says this method is aimed at improving digestion, immunity, and overall metabolic health by supporting a broader range of beneficial bacteria.

Good Bacteria has already secured early retail traction, with products available at curated grocery formats such as Pop Up Grocer and Happier Grocery. Consumers can also purchase directly through the brand’s website, reflecting a hybrid distribution strategy that blends physical discovery with direct-to-consumer engagement.

The fresh capital will be used to deepen research and development, expand distribution, and strengthen consumer education around microbiome health. As awareness of gut health continues to rise globally, Good Bacteria’s focus on diversity, simplicity, and science-backed formulation places it well within a fast-growing wellness category that is attracting both consumers and investors at scale.

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