Premium Greek yogurt and dairy brand Epigamia has appointed Ritesh Gauba as its new chief executive officer. The Verlinvest-backed startup has also elevated Ankur Goel to the additional role of co-founder and chief operating officer.
The Mumbai-based company announced the leadership transition on May 4, 2026, after closing what it described as its strongest financial year on record.
Epigamia Leadership Transition Caps A Record FY26
Goel had been steering the company as acting head since December 2024, following the untimely death of co-founder Rohan Mirchandani. He led operations alongside co-founder Uday Thakker and growth head Ajinkya Poundrik through the transition phase.
Under this interim leadership, Epigamia clocked over 50% growth in the 2025-26 financial year. The company called it its most successful year so far on growth and profitability metrics.
The fresh appointments aim to carry that momentum into FY27.
Ritesh Gauba Brings 20+ Years Of FMCG Leadership To Epigamia
Gauba joins Epigamia from Pladis Global, where he served as counattempt general manager for India. In that role, he oversaw premium biscuit and chocolate brands McVitie’s and Godiva.
He brings over two decades of leadership experience across India’s quick-shifting consumer goods sector. His track record covers scaling premium consumer brands and building omnichannel sales and distribution networks.
Before pladis, Gauba spent nearly eight years at Mars, including a stint as sales director for Mars Wrigley India. His earlier career includes leadership roles at Britannia Industries and Tata Motors, spanning trade marketing, brand management and international business.
Ankur Goel Formalised As Co-Founder And COO
The elevation formalises a role Goel has effectively played since late 2024. The promotion recognises Epigamia’s record FY26 performance and his stewardship through one of the most challenging periods in the company’s history.
Verlinvest, Mirchandani Family Endorse New Leadership Structure
Arjun Anand, managing director and head of Asia at Verlinvest, stated: “Epigamia has delivered an excellent FY26 of solid growth, driven by strong execution by Ankur, Uday, Ajinkya and the company’s leadership team. We are certain that the appointment of Ritesh Gauba as chief executive officer and the elevation of Ankur to co-founder and chief operating officer will assist them continue this momentum.”
Swaraj Mirchandani, director on the board and representative of the Mirchandani family, added: “Ankur’s elevation to co-founder and chief operating officer and the appointment of Ritesh as chief executive officer is a sign of recognition of a great year and the commitment over the many years to come.”
Ritesh Gauba On Joining Epigamia
Commenting on his appointment, Gauba stated: “Epigamia is one of India’s most loved new-age food brands, and I am excited to join at such a meaningful juncture. The company’s strong fundamentals, the founding family’s commitment, and Verlinvest’s long-term partnership create a powerful platform for category-defining growth. I view forward to working closely with the leadership team to take the brand to its next horizon.”
What This Means For India’s Premium Dairy And Health Foods Market
The Epigamia CEO appointment signals a sharper push into India’s premium dairy and health-focutilized foods segment. The brand has built a distinctive presence through Greek yogurt, smoothies, plant-based offerings and snacking formats.
With consumer demand for protein-led and clean-label foods on the rise, the company is well placed to deepen modern trade penetration and quick commerce visibility.
Gauba’s experience scaling premium consumer brands at pladis, Mars and Britannia is expected to support distribution depth, brand-building investment and innovation pipelines as Epigamia enters its next phase of growth.
Verlinvest, a long-standing global investor in consumer brands across emerging markets, has continued to back the company through the leadership transition.
With over 50% growth in FY26 and a structured leadership team in place — Gauba as CEO, Goel as co-founder and COO, alongside co-founder Uday Thakker and growth head Ajinkya Poundrik — Epigamia enters FY 2026-27 with a clear runway for category-defining expansion in India’s evolving food and beverage landscape.
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