Brands
Ravi Makwana joins Vadilal as chief marketing officer
AHMEDABAD: Vadilal industries has roped in Ravi Makwana as chief marketing officer, handing the reins of its brand engine to a marketer shaped by some of India’s biggest consumer franchises, just as the ice-cream battle turns ferocious.
Makwana steps in at a moment of intensifying competition, with incumbents turning aggressive and challengers inventing new formats and categories. At vadilal, he will steer brand strategy, product innovation and go-to-market muscle as the company sharpens its play in a rapidly expanding market.
Before this move, Makwana was category head at Zydus Wellness. Earlier, he served as chief marketing officer at Tim Hortons India, part of the seed team that brought the global coffee chain to the country, leading marketing and product from the ground up. He also spent nearly four years at Tata consumer products, rising through roles from head of brand to marketing director, overseeing flagship brands such as Tata salt and managing large portfolios with full P&L responsibility.
His earlier career spans over six years at Asian Paints across brand and sales leadership roles, where he managed businesses worth over Rs 2,000 crore and drove double-digit growth in competitive markets. Makwana began his professional journey at accenture before switching lanes decisively to consumer marketing.
At Vadilal, he will work closely with managing director Himanshu Kanwar and a board comprising Shiv Shivakumar, Nagarajan Sivaramakrishnan, Shalini Raghavan, Gaurav Marathe, Rajesh Gandhi, Devanshu G and Janmajay Gandhi.
With nostalgia on his side and a bruising market ahead, Makwana’s mandate is clear: make Vadilal louder, sharper and harder to beat—one scoop at a time.
Brands
UP govt, HGS unit to skill one lakh youth in digital push
MoU targets jobs, training and future ready talent across state
MUMBAI: Government of Uttar Pradesh has joined hands with OneOTT Intertainment Limited, the broadband arm of Hinduja Global Solutions, to train one lakh youth, signalling a fresh push towards jobs in the digital economy.
The memorandum of understanding, signed with the Employment Department Uttar Pradesh, aims to bridge the gap between skills and industry needs while opening up employment pathways for young people across the state.
The agreement was formalised by principal secretary, labour and employment, M. K. Shanmugha Sundaram and whole-time director, Hinduja Global Solutions and MD and CEO, OneOTT Intertainment Limited, Vynsley Fernandes, in the presence of labour minister Anil Rajbhar.
Under the partnership, OneOTT Intertainment Limited will roll out training programmes, workshops and knowledge-sharing platforms designed to equip youth with skills aligned to a rapidly digitising economy. The initiative will also include research inputs, technical guidance and policy-level support to ensure effective execution.
Principal secretary, labour and employment, M. K. Shanmugha Sundaram, said, “This collaboration will help align skill development programmes with actual industry needs and prepare the youth of Uttar Pradesh for emerging opportunities in the digital services sector.”
Hinduja Global Solutions whole-time director, and OneOTT Intertainment Limited MD and CEO Vynsley Fernandes said, “India’s progress is closely linked to strengthening the capabilities of its young workforce. At HGS, we see skills evolving alongside technology, and partnerships like this help build a stronger digital ecosystem.”
The state government will facilitate coordination across departments and institutions, ensuring the programmes reach the right audiences and deliver measurable outcomes.
As digital infrastructure expands and technology reshapes job markets, initiatives like this are positioning skill development not just as training, but as a gateway to opportunity for the next generation.
