MAM
Landmark plans Rs 2 billion expansion in India
BANGALORE: The Landmark group’s Lifestyle International (Lifestyle) plans to invest around Rs 2 billion over the next two years in India across a number of its store formats.
By March 2011, the group plans to up the number of Lifestyle stores from 25 to about 30, add another 15 Max stores to bring the tally of that format to 50. So far it has invested around Rs 3 billion across more than 90 stores.
The Landmark group companies in India include Max, Spar Supermarkets & Hypermarkets and Gloria Jean’s Coffee among others.
The group spends around Rs 500 million towards brand promotion and marketing. “Our spends will go up correspondingly,” revealed Lifestyle Managing Director Kabir Lamba during an interaction with www.indiantelevision.com on the sidelines of the ‘Beat Diabetes’ walk – a CSR initiative that the group had organised in Bangalore along with ING Insurance, Johnson & Johnson, Britannia Nutirchoice, Himalayan (Water), Fitness One and Apollo Hospitals.
MAM
Aparna Bhawal steps down as KFC India CMO after three years
Set to exit by May 2026, launches AB Advisory Group for growth strategy.
MUMBAI: From brand buckets to building her own playbook, Aparna Bhawal is swapping the CMO seat for the founder’s chair. Bhawal has resigned as chief marketing officer of KFC India and its partner markets, drawing the curtain on a three-year stint with the Yum! Brands portfolio. She is currently transitioning responsibilities through March and is expected to complete her exit by May 2026.
The move marks a shift towards entrepreneurship, with Bhawal setting up AB Advisory Group, a venture aimed at working with founders and scaling businesses on growth strategy, execution and commercial focus. The decision, she indicated, has been a long-considered one centred on building a platform that helps companies navigate growth with sharper strategic direction and stronger marketing fundamentals.
With over two decades of experience, Bhawal’s career spans leadership roles across HT Media, The Coca-Cola Company and Procter & Gamble, covering brand building, consumer engagement and business growth across categories.
Beyond corporate roles, she has remained closely involved with the industry ecosystem. She is part of the managing committee of The Advertising Club of India for 2025–26 and serves as an advisory board member at the Indian Influencer Governing Council.
Her contributions have also earned recognition, including features in BW’s Top 100 Marketers list and BW Marketing World’s Most Influential Women list in both 2024 and 2025.
As Bhawal steps into her next chapter, the shift reflects a broader trend in marketing leadership where seasoned operators are increasingly moving from building brands to building businesses.
