Brands
Allied Blenders names Pradipta Basu as CMO amid marketing reshuffle
Leadership rejig sees Basu take charge while Mohta, Rao exit SMP roles
MUMBAI: Allied Blenders and Distillers Limited has appointed Pradipta Basu as its chief marketing officer, marking a key shift in its marketing leadership as the company sharpens its growth strategy.
The appointment, effective April 15, 2026, also sees a change in reporting structure. Arvind Mohta and Uday Rao will no longer be classified as senior management personnel, though both continue in their roles as marketing directors.
Basu steps into the role with over 25 years of experience across FMCG and beverages, having worked with companies including Radico Khaitan, United Spirits, ITC Limited, Godfrey Phillips India, Alcobrew Distilleries India and HJ Heinz.
Most recently, he served as vice president – marketing and business development at Radico Khaitan, where he led national marketing strategy, portfolio management and P&L responsibilities. His remit also included driving innovation and scaling brand growth across multiple categories.
Over the years, Basu has built a reputation for managing large national brands and premium portfolios, while leading integrated ATL and BTL campaigns, product launches, pricing strategies and agency ecosystems.
Academically, he holds a management degree from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, along with an MBA in marketing and HR. He also has a PhD in management from École Supérieure Robert de Sorbonne, France.
With this move, Allied Blenders appears to be aligning its marketing leadership with evolving business priorities, placing seasoned experience at the centre of its next growth phase.
Brands
Hocco crosses Rs 530cr revenue in two years
Sauce.vc-led Rs 100cr raise values ice cream brand at Rs 2,500cr pre-money as quick commerce hits 20 per cent of sales.
MUMBAI: Hocco has just scooped a seriously sweet milestone crossing the Rs 530 crore revenue mark in just two full years of operations. The fast-growing Indian ice cream and indulgence brand announced it has raised Rs 100 crore in fresh capital led by Sauce.vc. The round values the company at Rs 2,500 crore pre-money and underscores investor confidence in its rapid scale and distinctive India-first approach.
Founder Ankit Chona said the brand’s success stems from solving real Indian challenges extreme summer heat, fragmented cold chains and culturally rooted tastes. “In India, product development doesn’t end in the lab. It only ends when it survives the street,” he noted. This philosophy has produced viral hits such as Aamchi mango ice cream, BIX cake-sponge sandwiches, the Oh cone and culturally relevant collaborations like Haldiram’s Barfi and festive Modak specials.
Hocco currently operates manufacturing facilities in Ahmedabad and Panipat with a production capacity of approximately 3 lakh litres per day, running near full capacity in peak season. The fresh capital will help expand this to around 4.5 lakh litres per day.
Quick commerce has emerged as a major growth engine, now contributing ~20 per cent of overall business and growing nearly 2x year-on-year. The channel has boosted product discovery, increased consumption frequency and helped extend ice cream beyond its traditional seasonal limits.
Sauce.vc founder Manu Chandra said, “At Sauce, we believe that when you chance upon an outlier business, you double down with stronger conviction. We see Hocco as just that.”
With a strong innovation pipeline, deeper distribution and continued focus on cultural relevance, Hocco is entering its third year aiming to capture even more mind space and market share. In a category long dominated by legacy players, this young brand is proving that the coolest way to win is to build for India’s realities, one scoop, one street and one satisfied craving at a time.
