Brands
Parle-G records highest-ever sales during Covid2019 lockdown
NEW DELHI: Popular Indian biscuit brand, Parle-G, has recorded its best sales in eight decades during the lockdown period.
As per media reports, Parle Products category head Mayank Shah said, “We’ve grown our overall market share by nearly five per cent, out of which, 80-90 per cent of this growth has come from Parle-G sales. This is unprecedented.”
Parle-G's Rs 5-pack biscuits came in handy for many migrants who walked back home. Even during this difficult time, when all major factories were closed and supply chain was hampered, Parle Products was swift to resume operations to reach maximum sales.
The company also restocked its distribution channels within a week to ensure the availability of the product during the lockdown.
Its’ been over 80 years since Parle-G was first introduced in India and it has over 130 factories across the country out of which 120 are continuously producing units.
Here’s how netizens celebrated the news on Twitter.
Parle-G is my favourite and itbis my childhood memory I love Parle-G is the one of the oldest company because my mother and father also used to eat parle-G in her/his childhood.#ParleG @officialparleg
— Nikhil Kumar Gupta (@nikhilk388) June 9, 2020
#ParleG is not only a biscuit it's an emotion
"
Started cravingWhen i see #ParleG biscuit is trending
Highest Sales in 82 years during COVID-19#ParleG @officialparleg pic.twitter.com/VMyNNPeNFM
— Thakur Shriom singh (@ThakurShriomSi1) June 9, 2020
@officialparleg is the most selling biscuits in this pandemic #Covid_19
5-rupees-a-pack cookie came handy for many migrants who walked back home
Bharat ka Apna Hero #ParleG pic.twitter.com/3NaSz60qlq
— Bhavesh Parate (@the_bhaveshp) June 9, 2020
@officialparleg is the most selling biscuits in this pandemic #Covid_19
5-rupees-a-pack cookie came handy for many migrants who walked back home
Bharat ka Apna Hero #ParleG pic.twitter.com/3NaSz60qlq
— Bhavesh Parate (@the_bhaveshp) June 9, 2020
Brands
Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail reshuffles top deck; Nikhil Modha to take over as CFO
Phased transition sees Marco Agnolin head OWND!, Nikhil Modha lined up as CFO as company readies next growth leg
MUMBAI: Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail is redrawing its leadership map, lining up a new generation of executives across key roles as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
The company has named Suraj Bahirwani as chief executive (designate) of Pantaloons, effective April 1, 2026, with a full transition to the top role slated for October 1, 2026. He will also be designated as senior managerial personnel.
A two-decade veteran of the Aditya Birla Group, Bahirwani joined as a group management trainee in 2002 and has since held a string of leadership roles across retail and manufacturing. His resume spans stints at Aditya Birla Retail, a tenure as chief operating officer of Pantaloons, and most recently, head of global sales at the group’s cellulosic fibres business, where he drove international expansion and strengthened value-added portfolios.
Academically, he holds a PhD from the University of Mumbai, a postgraduate management diploma from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, and is a chartered accountant. Over the years, he has picked up multiple chairman’s awards, including distinguished achiever, exceptional contributor and accomplished leader.
The transition at Pantaloons will be staged. Incumbent chief executive Sangeeta Tanwani will continue until September 30, 2026, steering the handover before moving into an advisory role to the managing director from October 1, 2026. She is set to retire on January 31, 2027, at which point she will step down as whole-time director and key managerial personnel.
Alongside, the company has brought in Marco Agnolin as chief executive of OWND! and senior managerial personnel, effective April 6, 2026. Agnolin arrives with over three decades of global experience, having held senior roles at Inditex, where he helped expand Zara in Italy, and later served as chief executive of Bershka and Diesel. His track record spans fast fashion, brand turnarounds and youth-focused retail.
On the finance side, Nikhil Modha has been appointed chief financial officer (designate) and senior managerial personnel from April 1, 2026. He will assume full charge as chief financial officer and key managerial personnel from January 1, 2027.
Current chief financial officer Jagdish Bajaj will oversee a phased transition until December 31, 2026, before retiring and stepping down from his roles.
The reshuffle signals a calibrated succession plan rather than a sudden overhaul, with the company staggering exits and appointments to ensure continuity even as it refreshes leadership across verticals.
As Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail juggles legacy brands and new-age formats, the message is clear: steady hands for the present, sharper ones for the future—and no pause in the push for scale.
