Brands
Knya appoints Chintan Adeshara as Head of Retail
Lifestyle and medical apparel brand eyes 100+ stores in three years as it ramps up offline push
MUMBAI: Knya is doubling down on bricks and mortar. The lifestyle and medical apparel brand has appointed Chintan Adeshara as head of retail, tasking the retail veteran with scaling the brand’s physical footprint across India as it accelerates its offline expansion.
Adeshara joins with a clear brief: help take Knya to more than 100 stores over the next three years and steer the next phase of the company’s retail growth.
The brand has already opened more than 20 stores and plans to add two new outlets every month this year, signalling an aggressive offline strategy and a push to build a strong national retail presence.
Adeshara brings more than 19 years of experience in large-scale retail operations. Over the years he has handled multi-state business management, store operations and region-led expansion, managing annual business portfolios exceeding Rs 320 crore and leading teams of more than 1,300 employees across functions and hierarchies, while keeping a firm grip on profitability and execution.
He has previously worked with fast-growing retail brands such as Zudio and Lenskart, where he played a key role in building and scaling operations from the ground up. His experience spans expansion planning, process standardisation, shrinkage control initiatives and driving sustained double-digit growth across regions.
Abhijeet Kaji, co-founder of Knya, said, “As we continue to scale our retail presence across India, it is important for us to strengthen our leadership bench. Chintan’s extensive experience in managing complex retail operations and building scalable growth models aligns well with Knya’s vision. We are confident that his leadership will add significant value to our expansion journey.”
Adeshara said the timing of the move made the opportunity particularly compelling. “I am excited to join Knya at a pivotal stage of its growth journey. My vision is closely aligned with the brand’s ambition to build India’s most structured and scalable medical apparel retail network. I look forward to driving disciplined expansion, strengthening store-level profitability, standardising retail operations, and building high-performing teams that can support Knya’s goal of scaling to 100+ stores over the next three years.”
The hire underscores Knya’s push to strengthen its leadership bench as it expands its physical presence nationwide. With stores opening at a brisk clip and the 100-store milestone firmly in sight, the brand’s retail ambitions are now moving from plan to full-throttle execution.
Brands
Devyani International names Sandeep Anand, Robinder Singh in key roles
Pizza Hut and Costa Coffee businesses see leadership refresh from April
MUMBAI: Devyani International has strengthened its senior leadership bench with a fresh set of appointments across its key brands, Pizza Hut and Costa Coffee, signalling a sharper focus on growth and brand momentum.
The company has appointed Sandeep Anand as chief marketing officer and business head for Pizza Hut. His appointment, approved by the board via a circular resolution on April 3, follows a recommendation by the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, as reported by CNBC-TV18. Anand will officially step into the role on April 6, 2026.
He takes over from Vijay Gogate, who currently serves as chief executive officer for Pizza Hut within the company’s operations. The move marks a strategic transition as the brand looks to sharpen its marketing and business playbook in a competitive quick service restaurant market.
Anand brings over two decades of experience across the food and FMCG sectors, with a strong track record in brand building and innovation. His career spans roles at major consumer-facing companies including Domino’s, Zydus Wellness, Zomato, GSK Consumer Healthcare, Reckitt and Ranbaxy, giving him a well-rounded perspective on both scale and agility.
Alongside this, Robinder Singh has been appointed business head for Costa Coffee and the company’s airport operations. He too will assume his new role on April 6, bringing more than 18 years of experience in operations, business expansion and customer experience transformation.
The twin appointments come at a time when Devyani International is doubling down on leadership depth to steer its portfolio through evolving consumer preferences and heightened competition. With fresh faces at the helm of two key verticals, the company appears set to brew up its next phase of growth with renewed energy.
