Brands
Pranav Kunkalienkar joins JioStar as associate director – corporate communications
Former Rajasthan Royals and Disney Star communications leader to steer JioStar’s brand narrative and media relations
MUMBAI: Pranav Kunkalienkar has been appointed as associate director – corporate communications at JioStar, strengthening the media company’s communications leadership as India’s entertainment and sports landscape continues to evolve.
In his new role, Kunkalienkar will lead corporate communications initiatives for JioStar, focusing on shaping the company’s brand narrative, managing media relations and driving strategic communications across its entertainment and sports ecosystem.
His appointment comes at a time when media companies are placing greater emphasis on strong storytelling and clear communication to engage audiences, partners and industry stakeholders in an increasingly competitive market.
Kunkalienkar joins JioStar after serving as manager – corporate communications and PR at Rajasthan Royals, where he led public relations and communication efforts for the IPL franchise.
Before that, he spent over three years at Disney Star as assistant manager – corporate communications for sports, supporting communications strategy around the broadcaster’s sports portfolio.
Earlier in his career, he worked at MSLGROUP as a senior account executive, handling communications mandates for multiple brands. He also held roles at Kooh Sports Private Limited as a marketing intern and at Rendezvous Sports World Pvt Ltd in marketing and business development.
Kunkalienkar began his professional journey as a business development consultant at Universal Hunt, where he worked on identifying and developing new business opportunities and partnerships.
With experience spanning sports, media and communications agencies, Kunkalienkar brings a well-rounded perspective to his new role as JioStar continues to strengthen its voice in India’s rapidly expanding entertainment and sports industry.
Brands
Britannia 5050 expands premium range with caramel dipped sandwich
New launch blends 50 per cent crunch and 50 per cent melt amid premium snack shift
MUMBAI: It’s not just crunch time anymore, it’s crunch meets caramel curtain call. After more than three decades of owning the sweet-salty sweet spot, Britannia’s 5050 is now leaning into indulgence, adding a caramel twist to its evolving playbook. The brand has introduced the Britannia 5050 Caramel Dipped Crunchy Layered Sandwich, extending its recently launched premium “dipped” range that began with its cheese variant earlier this year.
At the heart of the new offering is a familiar equation with a richer finish 50 per cent crunch and 50 per cent melt reimagined through a caramel-forward profile. The product combines layered, baked crispiness with a smooth caramel coating, tapping into a noticeable shift in how India snacks today.
That shift is less about choosing between textures and more about having both. As consumer preferences tilt towards premiumisation, “melt-in-the-mouth” experiences are increasingly complementing traditional crunchy formats. Add to that the rising popularity of caramel across both Western-style treats and Indian taste adaptations, and the timing begins to make sense.
The result is a deliberately engineered “crunch-to-melt” transition, a multi-sensory bite designed to turn routine snacking into something a little more indulgent. It is also a clear signal of how legacy brands are reworking familiar formats to stay relevant in a market that now expects novelty as much as nostalgia.
Britannia vice-president for marketing Siddharth Gupta pointed to this evolving behaviour, noting that the brand is pushing the 5050 idea beyond flavour into texture. The move, he said, reflects a broader attempt to align with changing consumer expectations while strengthening its position in the premium snacking segment.
The caramel and cheese dipped variants are currently available across select cities through retail outlets and quick commerce platforms, marking Britannia’s continued push into high-frequency, high-indulgence snacking occasions.
If the original 5050 was about balance, this new chapter is about contrast with a glossy caramel finish.
