Brands
Deepa Krishnan takes charge as marketing head at Edelweiss AIF
MUMBAI: Edelweiss Alternate Asset Advisors has roped in seasoned marketer Deepa Krishnan as its new head of marketing, marking a notable leadership addition as the firm sharpens its focus on real estate-led alternate investments.
Announcing the move, Krishnan called it a “new beginning in 2026”, saying she looks forward to driving disproportionate growth for Edelweiss’s real estate business. The appointment brings a consumer-first marketing lens to a space that is increasingly courting sophisticated investors with sharper storytelling and stronger brand recall.
Krishnan joins Edelweiss after a high-profile stint at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, where she served as head of marketing for India and South West Asia. During her tenure, Hyatt clocked double-digit growth, strengthened its presence in key segments such as MICE, weddings and food and beverage, and emerged as the most followed hospitality brand in India on social media. She also helped lift loyalty contribution to topline by 10 per cent, blending brand-building with measurable business impact.
Before Hyatt, Krishnan spent over four years at Starbucks India, where she headed marketing, category, loyalty and digital. Her time there coincided with rapid expansion, with the store network tripling in four years and loyalty-led customer acquisition growing at 20 per cent year on year.
Her earlier career spans leadership roles at Kantar, Idea Cellular and Diageo India, along with a long consulting innings at The Futures Company, advising global giants on strategy, innovation and consumer trends across Asia. She began her professional journey at Godrej Appliances, working on marketing and new product development, including the launch of Godrej’s first rural refrigerator.
With experience cutting across FMCG, hospitality, telecom and now alternate assets, Krishnan brings a rare mix of brand craft and growth discipline. At Edelweiss Alternate Asset Advisors, that blend is likely to be put to work as the firm looks to stand out in a crowded and increasingly brand-conscious investment landscape.
Brands
Britannia 5050 expands premium range with caramel dipped sandwich
New launch blends 50 per cent crunch and 50 per cent melt amid premium snack shift
MUMBAI: It’s not just crunch time anymore, it’s crunch meets caramel curtain call. After more than three decades of owning the sweet-salty sweet spot, Britannia’s 5050 is now leaning into indulgence, adding a caramel twist to its evolving playbook. The brand has introduced the Britannia 5050 Caramel Dipped Crunchy Layered Sandwich, extending its recently launched premium “dipped” range that began with its cheese variant earlier this year.
At the heart of the new offering is a familiar equation with a richer finish 50 per cent crunch and 50 per cent melt reimagined through a caramel-forward profile. The product combines layered, baked crispiness with a smooth caramel coating, tapping into a noticeable shift in how India snacks today.
That shift is less about choosing between textures and more about having both. As consumer preferences tilt towards premiumisation, “melt-in-the-mouth” experiences are increasingly complementing traditional crunchy formats. Add to that the rising popularity of caramel across both Western-style treats and Indian taste adaptations, and the timing begins to make sense.
The result is a deliberately engineered “crunch-to-melt” transition, a multi-sensory bite designed to turn routine snacking into something a little more indulgent. It is also a clear signal of how legacy brands are reworking familiar formats to stay relevant in a market that now expects novelty as much as nostalgia.
Britannia vice-president for marketing Siddharth Gupta pointed to this evolving behaviour, noting that the brand is pushing the 5050 idea beyond flavour into texture. The move, he said, reflects a broader attempt to align with changing consumer expectations while strengthening its position in the premium snacking segment.
The caramel and cheese dipped variants are currently available across select cities through retail outlets and quick commerce platforms, marking Britannia’s continued push into high-frequency, high-indulgence snacking occasions.
If the original 5050 was about balance, this new chapter is about contrast with a glossy caramel finish.
