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
Himanshu Khanna joins CKA Birla Group as group chief marketing officer: report
Former Raymond lifestyle CMO to lead group-wide brand and marketing strategy
MUMBAI: According to a media report citing industry sources, senior marketing leader Himanshu Khanna has joined CKA Birla Group as group chief marketing officer.
Khanna moves from Raymond Limited, where he served as chief marketing officer for the lifestyle division since August 2021, overseeing the marketing transformation of the company’s nearly $1 billion lifestyle business. His tenure featured a sharper consumer focus, a digital-first operating model and large-scale retail and brand modernisation.
At Raymond, Khanna led brand strategy and growth across a broad portfolio including Raymond suiting and shirting, Park Avenue, ColorPlus, Parx, Ethnix by Raymond, ready-to-wear, Raymond Home and Raymond made-to-measure. His remit also covered retail marketing, digital marketing, consumer insights, visual merchandising and brand protection.
Before joining Raymond, Khanna was business head for the FMCG division at RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, with full P&L responsibility. During this period, he scaled the snack brand Too Yumm!, drove rapid revenue growth, led the integration of Apricot Foods following its acquisition and executed a business turnaround.
Khanna’s career spans over three decades across global consumer companies, with senior leadership roles at Beam Suntory, Wrigley, PepsiCo, Cadbury and Nestlé.
Widely regarded as a seasoned marketing operator, Khanna is a familiar presence at leading industry forums and is considered among the most in-demand marketing leaders in the country.
