Brands
Tata Steel elevates Chandan Arunachalam to marketing head
MUMBAI: Tata Steel has elevated Chandan Arunachalam as head of marketing for its Retail and Special Steel businesses, effective February 2026. Based in Mumbai, he will shape the company’s marketing strategy with a sharp focus on brand strength, demand creation, smarter channels and closer ties with distributors, dealers and customers across markets.
The appointment caps a fast rising career at Tata Steel, where Arunachalam has built a reputation for taking on tough assignments and delivering at pace. From stints across the East and West to leading the South as regional sales manager, his journey has covered the length and breadth of the country, and a wide spectrum of the steel business.
In his most recent role as regional sales manager for South India, Arunachalam headed a 0.2 million tonne operation valued at around $200 million. Promoted on a fast track, he was among the youngest leaders to take on a head role, combining people management with high stakes negotiations and market expansion.
Sharing the news, he said he was excited by the new challenge and grateful for the opportunities Tata Steel has offered him so far. Having moved from individual contributor roles to managing large teams and regions, he described the elevation as a natural and energising next step.
An alumnus of IIM Ranchi with a background in mechanical engineering from SRM IST Chennai, Arunachalam joined Tata Steel after an early internship with the company. Over the years, he has blended analytical rigour with on ground sales experience, and even found time to co-found a social initiative focused on community upliftment.
With this elevation, Tata Steel is placing a big bet on a leader who understands both markets and people, and who brings youthful energy to one of its most visible businesses.
Brands
Big Bowl appoints Lyxel & Flamingo as social and media partner
QSR brand eyes next growth phase after crossing Rs 100 crore ARR milestone
MUMBAI: Big Bowl, one of India’s largest bowl-format quick service restaurant brands from Lenexis Foodworks, has appointed Lyxel & Flamingo (L&F) as its social and media partner as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
The partnership comes after the brand crossed the Rs 100 crore annual recurring revenue milestone in 2025 and aims to help accelerate its journey towards Rs 150 crore ARR in its fifth year since launch.
Big Bowl currently operates more than 250 kitchens across 50 cities and has emerged as a major player in India’s organised bowl-format food segment. Built around hearty portions and delivery-first convenience, the brand offers a wide mix of Indian, Chinese and fusion bowls designed for quick, affordable and portable consumption.
As urban consumers increasingly gravitate towards easy-to-carry and value-driven meal formats, the company sees the bowl category as a scalable format aligned with modern eating habits.
With the appointment of Lyxel & Flamingo, Big Bowl plans to consolidate its social media and digital media operations under a single partner. The move is intended to sharpen its digital reach, strengthen youth-focused storytelling and improve performance marketing outcomes.
Lyxel & Flamingo, one of India’s largest independent digital-first agencies, manages more than 350 brands and oversees advertising spends exceeding $100 million across its network.
Under the mandate, the agency will handle Big Bowl’s social media strategy, content development, digital performance marketing, media planning and buying, as well as campaign amplification across platforms.
Commenting on the partnership, Lenexis Foodworks founder and director Aayush Madhusudan Agrawal said, “Big Bowl has scaled rapidly to cross Rs 100 crore ARR and established itself as one of the largest bowl-format brands in the country. As a delivery-first, digitally native brand, our next phase of growth will be driven by sharper performance systems and stronger brand storytelling. Consolidating social and media with Lyxel & Flamingo allows us to integrate data, creativity and media precision as we scale towards our next revenue milestone.”
Lenexis Foodworks marketing head Vikas Iyer, added that the delivery-led category requires content, media and performance marketing to work closely together.
“With Lyxel & Flamingo, we aim to build a sharper social voice, stronger acquisition systems and measurable impact, ensuring the brand scales not just in presence but also in precision,” he said.
Lyxel & Flamingo chief executive officer Dev Batra, said the agency will combine data-driven marketing with creative storytelling to support Big Bowl’s growth. “Big Bowl brings the flavour, and L&F brings the fire. Our strategy combines data-led performance with engaging storytelling to help build a strong digital brand presence while delivering measurable business results,” he said.
With this partnership, Big Bowl is looking to strengthen its position as a digitally driven QSR brand, blending brand-building with performance marketing as it scales within India’s rapidly growing organised food delivery market.
