Brands
Ola gets Viraj Chouhan to head communications
MUMBAI: Cab hailing service Ola has appointed Viraj Chouhan as its chief communications officer. In his new role, Chouhan would be reporting to co-founder and CEO, Bhavish Aggarwal and will be based in Gurgaon, shuttling between the Millennium City and Bangalore. Anand Subramanian, who was leading the communications mandate thus far, will be moving into a new role within Ola.
Ola Co-founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal says, “I’m excited to welcome Viraj onboard to lead Ola’s Corporate Communications efforts. I’m looking forward to working with him to share the Ola story and vision across customers, driver partners, employees, and the nation and world at large.”
Viraj Chouhan adds, “I am thrilled to join Ola and be part of this growing internet conglomerate. Ola has not only positively elevated India’s mobility experience, but is also a key driver of our country’s digital economy at large. Ola’s mission of building mobility for a billion people will have a lasting impact on our nation’s development. And that is what makes the Ola story so inspiring and deserving, to be taken to every stakeholder and citizen. I’m eager to join the Ola team in this mission!”
Viraj started his career in communications with Ogilvy＆ Mather Public Relations and went on to become the executive director, Corporate Communications at MTS India. Prior to joining MTS, Viraj headed the brand public relations function within the corporate communications team of Coca-Cola India & South West Asia across multi-country business units (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh) for all the beverage brands. This also included an innings with the Global HQ of The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta. Over the last two decades, Viraj has had extensive exposure across numerous facets of communications and stakeholder engagement right from External and Internal Communications, Brand PR, Crisis communications, Public policy, Investor Relations and Sustainability.
Brands
Devyani International Ltd plans three-subsidiary merger to streamline operations
QSR operator moves to streamline structure and unlock operational synergies
Devyani International is tightening its corporate kitchen. The quick-service restaurant operator has approved a scheme to merge three subsidiaries—Sky Gate Hospitality, Blackvelvet Hospitality and Say Chefs Eatery—into the parent company in a bid to simplify its structure and sharpen operational efficiency.
The decision was cleared at a board meeting on March 10 and disclosed in a regulatory filing to the stock exchanges. The merger will take effect from April 1, 2025, subject to statutory approvals.
All three transferor companies are direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries, meaning no fresh shares will be issued and the shareholding pattern of Devyani International will remain unchanged once the scheme is completed.
The subsidiaries together operate more than 100 outlets—including dine-in restaurants and cloud kitchens, spread across over 40 cities such as Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru.
Devyani International, the largest franchisee of Yum Brands in India, said the consolidation is aimed at generating operational synergies, optimising resource utilisation and reducing layers within the corporate structure.
Financially, the move brings together businesses of varying scale. As of March 31, 2025, Devyani International reported a net worth of Rs 10,381.02 million and turnover of Rs 33,493.33 million. Sky Gate Hospitality posted a net worth of Rs 761.14 million with turnover of Rs 2,657.57 million, while Blackvelvet Hospitality and Say Chefs Eatery reported smaller operations and negative net worth.
The merger will consolidate these operations under a single corporate umbrella as the company sharpens its focus on scale and efficiency.
Devyani International currently runs more than 2,000 outlets across over 280 cities in India, Nigeria, Nepal and Thailand. Its portfolio includes franchise rights for brands such as Pizza Hut, KFC, Costa Coffee, Tea Live, New York Fries and Sanook Kitchen, alongside its own food brands.
With the paperwork underway and approvals pending, Devyani is essentially clearing the corporate clutter—turning three subsidiaries into one tighter, leaner operation. In the QSR world, even the back office needs a spring clean.
