Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, September 2025 – Vadilal Industries has announced the appointment of Mr. Himanshu Kanwar as the Chief Executive Officer and Key Managerial Personnel of the company, effective September 29, 2025, for a tenure of five years. This marks a historic transition for the company as he becomes the first non-family CEO to lead Vadilal’s India business.
With over two decades of leadership across FMCG giants and high-growth consumer startups, Mr. Kanwar brings extensive expertise in brand building, digital strategy, and market transformation. He is currently serving as General Manager, Growth & Marketing Practice at XTO10X, where he mentors fast-scaling consumer businesses across beauty, food, fintech, and OTT sectors, focusing on sharpening growth strategies and strengthening organizational capabilities.
The Vadilal family (Mr. Rajesh Gandhi, Mr. Devanshu Gandhi, Mr. Janmajay Gandhi) remarked:
“The appointment of Mr. Himanshu Kanwar as CEO represents a significant step in Vadilal’s transformation into a professionally managed company and reinforces our commitment to building a world-class ice cream and food multinational.”
Shiv Shivakumar, Chairman of the Board, added:
“Himanshu is a great choice with deep experience in consumer understanding, innovation, and go-to-market strategies. He will be an important catalyst in evolving Vadilal from a family-led business to a professionally managed enterprise of the future.”
Accepting the role, Mr. Himanshu Kanwar said:
“I feel extremely privileged to lead Vadilal through this phase of transition. I am thankful to the Gandhi family and the Board for their confidence in me. Vadilal brand and the Gandhi family have been pioneers in bringing joy to millions through their quality ice creams. I feel honoured to take this legacy forward and build upon it for the continued success of the business.”
Earlier, during his distinguished career at Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), Mr. Kanwar held senior leadership roles across foods, beverages, personal care, and ice creams. As Business Head – Ice Creams, he steered the portfolio to robust growth through acquisitions, disruptive innovation, and margin expansion. Later, as Global Brand Director for HUL’s South Asia Haircare portfolio, he spearheaded strategy and innovation pipelines for some of the region’s most iconic brands. His early career also saw him lead household names in detergents and beverages, while gaining deep experience in frontline sales leadership roles.
An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta with an MBA in Marketing, and a Computer Engineering graduate from Delhi College of Engineering, Mr. Kanwar is widely recognized for blending analytical rigor with entrepreneurial agility, enabling him to bridge established FMCG practices with the demands of digital-first ventures.
About Vadilal Industries
From its humble beginnings as a small soda shop in Ahmedabad, Vadilal has grown into India’s second-largest ice cream manufacturer and marketer. With over a century-long journey, Vadilal has pioneered several innovations in the industry – from launching the iconic cassatta, ice cream dollies, cones, and sundaes to developing the super-premium Gourmet range for discerning consumers.
The company operates state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Pundhara and Bareilly, offering 300+ SKUs across 150 flavors, and holds a 16% market share in the organized domestic ice cream sector. Guided by its imaginative ingenuity, Vadilal continues to explore new flavors, technologies, and global trends to deliver “the taste of happiness” across India and beyond.
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