Brands
Fabelle cracks the code with luxe Kunafa chocolates in India
MUMBAI: If dessert trends had a passport, Kunafa would be the global jet-setter of 2025 and now, Fabelle Exquisite Chocolates has decided to give it a five-star upgrade. Riding the wave of the world’s obsession with crackling kataifi, silky pistachio crème, and molten chocolate, ITC’s homegrown luxury brand has unveiled the Fabelle Kunafa Chocolate Collection, turning a viral sensation into a confectionery masterclass.
While Kunafa chocolate has been swirling through reels and TikToks globally, Fabelle’s Master Chocolatiers took the trend off the timeline and into the test kitchen quite literally. The team spent months inside Dubai’s patisseries, studying everything from how kataifi breaks to how pistachio crème behaves under different temperatures. Then came the flavour science: deep-diving into nut–chocolate pairings, texture calibrations, and taste harmony to bring India a version of Kunafa that isn’t just indulgent, but intensely crafted.
The result is a three-variant multisensorial collection that reimagines Kunafa with Fabelle’s trademark finesse:
• Milk Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate
A creamy blend of pistachio crème, delicate golden Kunafa strands, and the gentle nuttiness of slow-roasted pistachios, a nostalgic, melt-in-the-mouth experience.
• Pistachio Dark Chocolate Kunafa (64 per cent cocoa)
A richer, deeper take featuring dark chocolate’s intensity layered with smooth pistachio crème and crisp Kunafa textures.
• Pecan Dark Chocolate Kunafa (64 per cent cocoa)
A pioneering twist: buttery roasted pecans meet dark chocolate and Kunafa strands to create a bold yet balanced flavour profile, a first-of-its-kind Indian interpretation that adds a new dimension of luxury.
In fact, the pecan variant marks a notable leap in taste innovation for the Indian market, expanding the Kunafa trend beyond the expected pistachio territory.
Speaking about the collection ITC Limited vice President and head of marketing for chocolates and coffee & confectionery for foods division Anuj Bansal, said the global craze offered an opportunity “not just to follow the trend but to elevate it through months of dedicated research and craftsmanship.” He added that combining insights from Dubai’s finest patisseries with advanced flavour science allowed Fabelle to create “three distinct sensorial experiences from the creamy nostalgia of Milk Pistachio to the bold roasted depth of the novel Dark Pecan Kunafa Chocolate.”
Beyond the kitchens, the brand is ensuring the Kunafa experience travels far and wide. The collection will be available across Fabelle boutiques in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Amritsar, and Kolkata, as well as digitally via Fabelle.in, Swiggy, and Zomato.
With this launch, Fabelle hasn’t merely joined the Kunafa trend, it has raised the bar, plated it with gold, and served it with a distinctly Indian touch of craftsmanship. In a dessert world full of imitations, this one arrives with a signature crackle.
Brands
YES Bank hands the keys to SBI veteran Vinay Tonse as it bets on a new era
Former SBI managing director appointed as YES Bank’s new MD and CEO
MUMBAI: YES Bank is done rebuilding. Now it wants to grow. The private sector lender has appointed Vinay Muralidhar Tonse as managing director and chief executive officer-designate, with RBI approval secured and a start date of April 6, 2026 confirmed. The three-year term signals the bank’s intent to shift gears from crisis recovery to full-throttle expansion.
Tonse, 60, is no stranger to scale. Most recently managing director at State Bank of India, he oversaw a retail book of roughly $800bn in deposits and advances, one of the largest in the country. Before that, he ran SBI Mutual Fund from August 2020 to December 2022, a stint that saw assets under management surge from Rs 4.32 lakh crore to Rs 7.32 lakh crore across market cycles. Add stints in Singapore and four years leading SBI’s overseas operations in Osaka, and the incoming chief arrives with a genuinely global CV.
His academic grounding is equally solid: a commerce degree from St Joseph’s College of Commerce, Bengaluru, and a master’s in commerce from Bangalore University.
The appointment follows an extensive search and evaluation process by the bank’s Nomination and Remuneration Committee. NRC chairperson Nandita Gurjar said the committee unanimously backed Tonse, citing his leadership track record, governance credentials and ability to drive the bank’s next phase of transformation.
Non-executive chairman Rama Subramaniam Gandhi was unequivocal. “I am certain that Vinay Tonse, with his vast experience as a senior banker, will propel YES Bank to its next phase of growth,” Gandhi said, adding that the bank remains focused on strengthening its retail and corporate banking franchises and expanding its branch network.
Rajeev Kannan, non-executive director and senior executive at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, the bank’s largest shareholder, said Tonse’s experience across retail, corporate banking, global markets and asset management positioned him well to lead the lender. SMBC said it looks forward to working with Tonse and the board as YES Bank pursues its ambition of becoming a top-tier private sector lender anchored in strong governance and sustainable growth.
Tonse succeeds Prashant Kumar, who took the helm in March 2020 when YES Bank was in freefall following a severe financial crisis, and spent six years painstakingly stabilising the institution, rebuilding governance and restoring operational scale. Gandhi was generous: “The bank remains indebted to Prashant Kumar, who is responsible for much of what a strong financial powerhouse YES Bank is today.”
Tonse, for his part, struck a purposeful note. “Together with the board and my colleagues, I remain deeply committed to creating long-term value for all our stakeholders,” he said, pledging to build on Kumar’s foundation guided by his personal motto: Make A Difference.
Beyond the balance sheet, Tonse played cricket at college and club level and represented Karnataka in archery at the national championships — sports he credits with teaching him teamwork, situational leadership, discipline and focus. In quieter moments, he reaches for retro Kannada music, classic Hindi songs, and the crooning of Engelbert Humperdinck, Mukesh and Kishore Kumar.
YES Bank has its steady-handed rebuilder in Kumar to thank for survival. Now it has a scale-obsessed growth banker at the wheel. The next chapter starts April 6.
