MAM
DeHaat partners with Freshtrop for Fruit export boost
Mumbai: DeHaat, the leading AgTech platform providing comprehensive agricultural services for farmers is entering into a strategic partnership with Freshtrop Fruits Ltd. to enhance the export business of grapes & other fruits from India. The partnership aligns with the vision of both companies to strengthen the fruit value chain from India with deeper engagement with farmers, better technology transfer & improved infrastructure.
Speaking on the acquisition, DeHaat co-founder & CEO Shashank Kumar said, “The way Freshtrop has built its relationship with 50+ global retail chains delivering strong business presence across 20+ countries is quite commendable. Over the last 25 years, Freshtrop has empowered hundreds of farmers to start the grape export journey which completely aligns with DeHaat’s vision of being a ‘Farmers First’ organisation. We established our export business 18 months ago and are today exporting more than 20 agri produce from India to the Middle East, UK & EU. We see strong synergies around the complementary core competencies between DeHaat & Freshtrop. We are super excited about this collaboration to grow the grapes & overall agri export business together. Each member of the Freshtrop’s founding family along with the larger team will continue to remain actively involved in the business and DeHaat will bring its network & resources for market expansion, development of new grape varieties & technology deeper pre-harvest support to the associated farmers.”
DeHaat is in the advanced stages of acquiring Freshtrop Fruits Ltd’s fresh fruit export network and grading, packing & precooling centres, and will absorb all people from the company, including the top leadership team, in its structure. Commenting on the acquisition, Freshtrop Fruit Ltd managing director Ashok Motiani said, “In order to take the business to the next level it is essential to work on the development of new varieties of grapes, establish access to other global markets and the domestic market and diversify the product basket for year-round activity. DeHaat’s strength is in providing quality farm inputs, using technology to provide predictive crop advisory and in its infrastructure for domestic sales & distribution. There is a fundamental alignment of value systems in both organisations of the farmer-first approach, respect for everyone in the value chain, maintaining integrity & investing in innovation for further value creation. Hence, we feel that this association would be beneficial to all stakeholders with farmers getting access to new varieties and the potential to diversify into other products, customers getting a larger basket of products from an established source, employees getting better prospects through organizational growth and the shareholders getting a good return on their investment.”
The partnership will enable DeHaat to offer its full-stack agri services including the availability of high-quality inputs, personalised advisory, financing, insurance & access to wider global markets to Freshtrop’s farmer network, enabling seamless information exchange and better value discovery.
Brands
Emami names Dhruv Aggarwal as chief growth officer
Former Bain partner steps in as FMCG firm sharpens growth playbook
MUMBAI: Emami Limited has appointed Dhruv Aggarwal as its chief growth officer, effective 25 March 2026, following the resignation of Giriraj Bagri.
Aggarwal joins the FMCG major from Bain & Company, where he most recently served as partner. With over two decades of experience across consulting and strategy, he brings a global perspective shaped by work across India, the US, the UK and Germany.
During his tenure at Bain, Aggarwal advised consumer, retail and media companies on large-scale transformations, business turnarounds and growth strategies. He was also closely involved with India’s startup ecosystem, guiding early-stage ventures on scaling and digital expansion, while supporting private equity and venture capital firms on investment decisions.
His earlier stints include a brief role at Barclays Capital and operational experience at Jindal Power, giving him a mix of financial and industry exposure.
Academically, Aggarwal holds an MBA from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and has also been associated with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as a PhD candidate and teaching assistant.
The appointment comes at a time when Emami Limited is looking to sharpen its growth strategy in a competitive consumer market. With a seasoned strategist now at the helm of growth, the company appears set to double down on transformation and expansion in the months ahead.
