Brands
Sneha Jha promoted to associate director at KFC India
Marketing leader to steer media strategy and customer lifecycle growth
MUMBAI: Sneha Jha has been promoted to associate director – media and customer lifecycle management at KFC India, marking the latest milestone in her nearly decade-long journey with the quick-service restaurant brand.
In her expanded role, Jha will oversee the company’s media strategy while leading initiatives across the customer lifecycle, with a focus on strengthening acquisition, engagement and retention across multiple channels.
Her promotion follows her tenure as head of media and customer lifecycle management, a role she held from August 2024 to January 2026. During this time, she led media planning and buying, while shaping customer lifecycle strategies that supported the brand’s digital and marketing ambitions.
Jha’s rise within KFC India has been steady and wide-ranging. Since joining the company in 2016 as deputy brand manager for consumer insights, she has moved through a series of leadership roles spanning innovation, delivery strategy, e-commerce and lifecycle marketing.
Over the years, she has served as brand manager for innovation and insights, senior brand manager handling delivery and aggregator partnerships, and later as senior brand manager for customer lifecycle management and e-commerce. She went on to lead customer lifecycle management and owned e-commerce before taking charge of media and lifecycle functions at the head level.
Before entering the quick-service restaurant industry, Jha spent over three years at IMRB International as a senior research manager. There, she led quantitative research programmes for major brands including PepsiCo, Frito, GSK, Philips and Maruti.
With experience spanning consumer insights, digital marketing, media strategy and martech, Jha’s elevation signals KFC India’s continued focus on strengthening its marketing engine while deepening customer relationships in an increasingly digital-first landscape.
Brands
Kwality Wall’s reports standalone losses following strategic HUL demerger
Ice cream major faces Rs 64 crore Ebitda loss amid commodity inflation and muted Q3 sales
MUMBAI: Kwality Wall’s (India) Limited (KWIL) has released its first set of financial results as a standalone entity, revealing a challenging start to its independent journey. Following its successful demerger from Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) on 1st December 2025 and its subsequent listing on 16th February 2026, the company is navigating a transition period marked by structural changes and high input costs.
For the quarter ended 31st December 2025, the company reported revenue of Rs 222 crores. Despite the revenue base, the bottom line was impacted by several factors, resulting in an Ebitda loss of Rs 64.2 crores. When calculated on a Pre-IND AS 116 basis, the Ebitda loss stood at Rs 83.8 crores.
Organic Sales Growth (OSG) declined by 6.5 per cent year-on-year during the quarter. Volume growth, however, saw a marginal increase of 1.2 per cent. The company reported a gross margin of 41.5 per cent. Additionally, exceptional expenses amounting to Rs 94 crores were recorded, primarily linked to non-recurring costs during the transition phase.
Performance across portfolios and channels was mixed. Within the impulse portfolio, brands such as Magnum and Cornetto recorded mid-single digit volume growth, indicating steady demand in on-the-go consumption. However, the in-home portfolio, which includes take-home packs, experienced muted consumption. The company is planning a relaunch of this category with improved offerings ahead of the 2026 season.
Quick commerce (Q-Com) continued to emerge as a strong growth driver, delivering robust double-digit growth during the quarter. Meanwhile, the company also expanded its physical distribution network by increasing the number of company-owned cabinets across markets.
Margin pressure during the quarter was driven by a combination of one-off factors and broader cost inflation. Gross margins were impacted by around 600 basis points due to trade investments made for stock liquidation. Additionally, cocoa price inflation contributed to another 400 basis points of pressure on margins.
Deputy managing director Chitrank Goel attributed the muted performance partly to prolonged monsoons and transitional challenges linked to the GST framework. Operating expenses also increased as the company invested in establishing its standalone supply chain, operational systems and corporate infrastructure following the demerger.
Looking ahead, the management remains focused on a volume-driven growth strategy. To restore profitability, the company has initiated a cost productivity programme aimed at reducing non-consumer-facing costs. It is also working on building regional manufacturing networks to optimise logistics expenses and improve operational efficiency.
The commodity outlook for the near term remains mixed. Dairy prices are expected to remain firm due to tight supply conditions and rising fodder costs. Sugar prices may also move higher following increases in the Minimum Selling Price (MSP). While cocoa prices have moderated recently, currency depreciation has offset some of the potential cost relief for the company.
