Devyani International Ltd appoints Pradeep Das as CEO of KFC

Devyani International Ltd has elevated Pradeep Das to chief executive officer of KFC India, Storyboard18 can confirm. Das takes over from Rajat Luthra who joined Third Wave Coffee, which counts Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath among investors, as CEO.

Das is currently CEO of airports and institutional business at Devyani International, where he leads the charge in opening and operating food courts at airports, railways, malls, highways, and hospitals. Steering international brands like KFC, Pizza Hut, and Costa, along with the company's own brands (Vaango, Masala Twist.)

Das is an experienced retail and QSR leader with over 26 years of experience, including stints at Nature's Basket and Big Bazaar. He started his career in 1998 with Pizza Hut. Das is a graduate from the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) Kolkata and also attended IIM–Kolkata for a Management Development Program. He holds an International Executive Master’s in Business from SDA Bocconi, School of Management in Milan, Italy.

Das joined Devyani International in 2022.

Meanwhile, Das's predecessor Rajat Luthra has joined Third Wave Coffee, a specialty coffee and food brand, as the chief executive officer. Luthra's role as TWC's new chief executive will be effective from Q1 FY25.

Luthra brings with him nearly three decades of experience in the FMCG and QSR sectors, having worked at HUL, Future Group and several others during his career.

On February 21, 2024, Yum Restaurants India sold 4.4 percent stake in Devyani International, which operates KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell in India, for Rs 871 crore through an open market transaction.

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