Vadilal Industries has appointed Himanshu Kanwar as its first non-family Chief Executive Officer for the India business. The move has marked a milestone in the company’s transition from a family-run enterprise to a professionally managed organisation.
Kanwar brought over two decades of experience across FMCG majors and high-growth consumer startups. He has held senior roles at Hindustan Unilever (HUL), including Business Head- Ice Creams and Global Brand Director for the South Asia Haircare portfolio. In these roles, he has overseen acquisitions, innovations, and brand strategy initiatives.
In recent years, Kanwar has been associated with a startup enabler, mentoring consumer businesses in beauty, food, fintech, and OTT sectors.
The company has said that his appointment has signalled a significant step in shaping Vadilal into a world-class ice cream and food multinational.
On his appointment, Kanwar said, “I feel extremely privileged to lead Vadilal through this phase of transition. and I am thankful to the Gandhi family and the Board for their confidence in me. Vadilal brand and the Gandhi family have been the pioneers in building love for ice creams in India and bringing joy to millions through their quality products. I feel extremely excited and honoured to take this legacy forward and build upon it for continued success of the business.” –
“Himanshu is a great choice with deep experience in the category involving consumer understanding, Innovation, Go to Market. Himanshu will play a crucial bridge role in the move from a family run company to a professionally managed enterprise of the future.”- Shiv Shivakumar, Chairman of Board
“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.”- Rajesh Gandhi, Devanshu Gandhi, Janmajay Gandhi
