MAM
Tata Starbucks appoints Sumi Ghosh as CEO
MUMBAI: Tata Starbucks has appointed Sumi Ghosh as CEO with effect from 1 January, 2016.
The move comes in the wake of the company’s current CEO Avani Davda’s resignation. Davda has been instrumental in establishing the Tata Starbucks business and positioning Starbucks as the premier coffee house experience in India.
Tata Starbucks is a 50:50 joint venture between Starbucks Coffee company and Tata Global Beverages. The company said that Davda made the personal decision to pursue other opportunities and accordingly resigned from her current assignment as CEO.
Ghosh is an eight-year Starbucks partner and brings three decades of consumer retail experience.
Since its entry in the Indian market in October 2012, Tata Starbucks has opened as many as 70 Starbucks stores across the country
Brands
Reliance Consumer Products partners with Fazer for premium chocolates in India
MoU signed during Finnish President’s visit to leverage RCPL’s distribution for Fazer brands.
MUMBAI: Reliance just added Finnish chocolate to its sweet spot because when the land of saunas meets the land of spices, the result is a premium bar that melts borders. Reliance Consumer Products Limited (RCPL) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Finnish food company Fazer to manufacture, market and distribute Fazer’s premium branded chocolates across India. The agreement was formalised during Finnish President Alexander Stubb’s state visit to India on 7 March 2026.
The long-term strategic partnership combines Fazer’s heritage recipes, quality standards and global chocolate expertise with RCPL’s massive distribution network reaching nearly three million retail outlets nationwide. The collaboration aims to introduce Fazer’s well-known premium products to Indian consumers while strengthening business ties between the two nations.
Reliance Consumer Products Limited director T. Krishnakumar said, “By combining Fazer’s globally trusted brands and manufacturing excellence with RCPL’s local production capabilities, robust distribution network and deep consumer insights, we are well positioned to bring world-class products to Indian consumers and elevate the overall category experience.”
Fazer president and CEO Christoph Vitzthum added, “With RCPL handling commercialisation and distribution in India, we can establish a premium position in the chocolate market and create a foundation for a broader nationwide rollout.”
Since its launch in 2022, RCPL has steadily expanded in the confectionery segment by reviving legacy Indian brands such as Ravalgaon, Toffeeman, Pan Pasand and Lotus Chocolate Company. Fazer, a major player in the Nordics, Baltics, Poland and China with exports to over 40 countries, sees India’s fast-growing chocolate market as a key opportunity.
In a country where chocolate is no longer just a treat but a growing daily indulgence, this tie-up isn’t just about bars, it’s about blending Nordic precision with Indian scale to sweeten the next chapter of the confectionery story.
