Brands
Amol Parashar joins MS Dhoni as investor in House of Biryan
IIT Delhi alumnus invests after first being a long-time consumer
MUMBAI: Actor Amol Parashar has invested in cloud kitchen brand House of Biryan, joining former India cricket captain M S Dhoni as a backer of the business.
Parashar, best known for his work in Tripling, Sardar Udham and Gram Chikitsalay, said the decision followed his long-standing familiarity with the brand rather than a conventional endorsement pitch. An IIT Delhi graduate, he positions the investment as a move towards deeper, equity-led brand associations.
The partnership was unveiled through a social media video featuring Parashar’s trademark humour. Unlike standard celebrity tie-ups, the actor has taken on an active creative role, including the launch of a limited-edition AP Menu curated by him and hosted on Swiggy and Zomato.
House of Biryan founder Mohit Goyal, said Parashar joined the company “as a partner, not a poster face”, adding that the collaboration had been organic rather than transactional. The brand views the association as strategically important as it scales its cloud kitchen footprint.
With Parashar and Dhoni on its cap table, House of Biryan is strengthening its investor profile with public figures known for long-term credibility rather than short-term visibility.
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
