Franchise News India Today 2025 : Startups & Franchise Expansion

Overview

Visionary, adaptable, and committed to excellence—this year’s best-performing Top 50 Franchise leaders have redefined what it means to lead in franchising. As they expand their brands, inspire their teams, and embrace cutting-edge strategies, these leaders leave an indelible mark on an industry built on opportunity and growth. Here’s a closer look at why they deserve recognition as the top franchise performers, showcasing the qualities and achievements that make them true champions in their field.

Top 50 Leaders in Franchising

Name	Designation	Profile
Sanjay Raghuraman	CEO, Kalyan Jewellers	Profile
Rajeev Ranjan	Managing Director, McDonald's India North and East	Profile
Venkatesalu	Managing Director, Trent Ltd	Profile
Dr. Jayen Mehta	Managing Director, Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd, (Amul)	Profile
Manish Rastogi	CEO, Zee Learn Ltd	Profile
KVS Seshasai	CEO, PreK Division- Lighthouse Learning Group	Profile
Dipali Goenka	MD & CEO, Welspun Living	Profile
Jeevan Shetty	Director - Franchise Mangement, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd	Profile
Gaurav Poddar	Executive Director, Siyaram Silk Mills Ltd.	Profile
Vikas Sharma	COO, Zepto	Profile
Anupam Bansal	Executive Director, Liberty Group Ltd	Profile
Satish Puranam	Vice President – Franchise Strategy and Operations, Reliance Retail Limited	Profile
Sanam Kapoor	Founder & Director, La Pino'z Pizza	Profile
SD Nandakumar	President and Country Head – Corporate Tours, SOTC Travel	Profile
Binaisha Zaveri	Whole-time Director, TBZ - The Original	Profile
Sandip Baksi	COO, AstorMueller India	Profile
Davashish Srivastava	Senior Director Development, Radisson Hotel Group	Profile
Vilas Pawar	CEO- Managed and Franchise Business, Lemon Tree Hotels	Profile
Sohrab Sitaram	Co-founder and Director, Keventers	Profile
Vaibhav Kaushish	COO, Stellar Concepts Pvt. Ltd.	Profile
Akshay Jatia	Executive Director, Westlife Foodworld	Profile
Jatin Rai	GM & National Head - Franchise Expansion & Operations, Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd.	Profile
Vineet Kochar	Chief Operating Officer, Azure Hospitality Private Limited	Profile
Pawan Gadia	Director & Global CEO, FNP (formerly Ferns N Petals)	Profile
Anand Nichani	Managing Director, Magniflex India	Profile
Viren Shah	Director, Scoops IceCream & Cream Stone Concepts	Profile
K.G. George	President – Retail, Cello World Limited	Profile
Animesh Kumar	Director - Franchise Operations Eurasia, Wyndham Hotels	Profile
Nikhil Singh	Vice President – Head Retail Operations, Bata	Profile
Manish Singhai	Chief Business Officer, TMRW House of Brands	Profile
Jasmeet Singh	Chief Commercial Officer, MakeMyTrip India	Profile
Akash Srivastava	National Head, Business Development and Real Estate Expansion, Raymond Limited	Profile
Sunil Menon	Chief Retail Expansion Officer (Global), Lenskart.com	Profile
Abhishek Chakraborty	Chief Executive Officer, DTDC EXPRESS LTD	Profile
Dr. Kailash Goenka	Chairman & Managing Director, Sankalp Group	Profile
Rajneet Kohli	CEO & Executive Director, Britannia Industries Ltd.	Profile
Vipul Chaturvedi	CEO, Lakme Lever Pvt Ltd.	Profile
Bidyut Bhanjdeo	Chief Business Officer- Brands-FMCG-Fashion- Retail, Ethnix by Raymond	Profile
Navnath Dashrath Yewale	Founder and CEO, Yewale Group	Profile
Aakash Gupta	CEO, Crossword Bookstores Pvt Ltd	Profile
Mohit Khattar	Director and CEO, Graviss Foods Pvt Ltd (GFPL)	Profile
Ranjit Talwar	Commercial Director India Subcontinent, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf	Profile
Rajeev Kale	President and Country Head Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Limited	Profile
Ashu Khanna	National Head, Dhani Stocks	Profile
Sundeep Singh	Founder and CEO, Bogmalo Foods & Hospitality LLP	Profile
Nitin Bansal	Head Business Development, MINISO Life Style Pvt. Ltd.	Profile
Ashish Shah	Co-founder and CEO, Pepperfry	Profile
Sooraj Bhat	CEO - Ethnic Business, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited	Profile
Siddharth Perikala	Deputy General Manager & Head of Retail, TTK Prestige	Profile
Supam Maheshwari	Co-founder and CEO, FirstCry	Profile