Brands
Vector Brand Solutions announces its operating leadership team
MUMBAI : Vector Brand Solutions on Tuesday announced its operating leadership and appointed Tushar Bhatia, Ripanka Kalita and Mandar Gore to lead business, creative and strategy respectively.
Earlier in November, Tilt Brand Solutions founder, chairman and MD Joseph (Joe) George had announced the launch of Vector – the group’s next brand & communications enterprise. “With the operating leadership of Vector now in place, I am certain that the vision and ambition for Vector, will be brought to fruition very soon,” stated George while speaking on Vector’s operating leadership team announcement. “With their pedigreed experience in delivering through- the-funnel results for clients, Vector will hopefully soon be the answer for all digital-first marketers. I am absolutely confident that the three of them will live and breathe every day, Vector’s operating philosophy of ‘Pace. Preference. Purpose. Performance.’”
Tushar Bhatia has joined Vector as a senior director – business, after his stint at Maple where he was the chief marketing officer leading the function. He has over 19 years of experience across advertising and marketing stints, across continents too. His prior experience includes leadership positions at Ogilvy Africa where he was the SPOC for Airtel Africa (19 countries), Barclays Bank, Coca Cola, Nestle, Barclays Bank and many more in Sub Saharan Africa. At Y&R Menacom, he was the lead for Nawras Telecommunications (QTEL) Bank Muscat and Khimji Lifestyle in Muscat Oman.
Over the years, Bhatia has also worked at Lowe Lintas and FCB Ulka where he partnered his clients on work for brands like Axis Bank, Canara Robeco MF, Indian Oil Corporation, Reliance Retail, ICICI Bank, Bisleri, Kansai Nerolac Paints, Ultratech Cements, and many more.
Ripanka Kalita has joined Vector director – creative. With over 17 years of experience across Mullen Lintas, Leo Burnett, McCann Erickson, Grey Worldwide and Infectious, Kalita has crafted distinct brand stories across categories and brands. Some of his stellar pieces of work have been seen on campaigns for brands like Pharmeasy, Motilal Oswal, Tata Cliq, Voot, Too Yumm!, Bajaj Avenger, Marico, Reliance Life Insurance, MTV Beats and many more. He has also picked up a number of metals during his career across Cannes, Kyoorius, and the Effies.
Mandar Gore has moved within the group as senior director – strategy. At Tilt Brand Solutions, he was leading strategy on brands like Licious, Livspace, 24 Mantra, The Pink Foundry, Groww, Swiggy to name a few. Gore had joined Tilt after over 16 years across advertising and brand consulting. In his earlier stints at FCB, Ogilvy and Sideways Consulting, he worked on brands like Bournvita, Kamasutra, Fosters, Amaron, Castrol, Mahindra & Mahindra and Pidilite, amongst others. His work on them has won him Indian as well as international effectiveness laurels at Effies India/APAC and AME.
Brands
Nestlé weighs trimming ice cream footprint and Froneri stak
Swiss giant reviews options including stake cut in €15bn JV as it eyes higher-margin focus post-Unilever split.
MUMBAI: Nestlé is melting down its ice cream ambitions or at least scooping back a few spoonfuls amid a strategic review that could see it slim its stake in blockbuster joint venture Froneri. According to a Bloomberg report published 18 February 2026, the Swiss food and beverage powerhouse is mulling a reduced presence in the global ice cream segment. Options on the table include trimming its holding in Froneri, the joint venture with private equity firm PAI Partners that houses crowd-pleasers like Häagen-Dazs, Mövenpick, and Rowntree’s or even shifting some of Nestlé’s remaining wholly owned ice cream operations into the JV.
Discussions remain fluid, with no final decisions locked in and no guarantee of any transaction materialising. One scenario has PAI Partners boosting its ownership if Nestlé pulls back, while another could see the Swiss group offloading a portion of its stake to an existing investor like the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).
Froneri itself got a hefty valuation boost in October (likely 2025), when Goldman Sachs and ADIA poured in fresh capital, pegging the business at around €15 billion (about $17.69 billion). The move turned heads in the sector, especially as Unilever spun off its ice cream arm last year into the now-independent Magnum Ice Cream Company freeing both giants to chase sunnier, higher-margin pastures.
Nestlé’s rethink, reportedly overseen by new CEO Philipp Navratil as he sifts through the company’s vast portfolio, mirrors broader industry trends: consumer giants are sharpening focus on core strengths amid shifting tastes and profitability pressures. Ice cream might be delicious, but it’s not always the creamiest part of the balance sheet.
Whether this ends in a stake sale, JV expansion, or just more pondering, the frozen dessert world could soon see another ownership shake-up. For now, Nestlé isn’t screaming “last orders” but it’s definitely checking the freezer temperature.
