Epigamia, the Verlinvest-backed Greek yogurt and healthy snacks brand, has announced the formal completion of its post-Mirchandani leadership structure: Ritesh Gauba has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, while Ankur Goel — who steered the company through its most difficult period — has been elevated to co-founder and COO. The moves signal that Epigamia’s board is closing the chapter of uncertainty that began in December 2024 and reorienting toward what comes next.
When Rohan Mirchandani passed away on December 21, 2024, at the age of 41, Epigamia lost its most public face and the architect of its brand positioning. The company did not stumble. Goel, as acting head alongside co-founder Uday Thakker and growth head Ajinkya Poundrik, kept operations running and — more significantly — reported over 50% revenue growth in FY26 alongside improved profitability. That performance is the strongest possible argument for his elevation to co-founder; it is formal recognition of leadership that was already being exercised in practice.
Gauba brings an FMCG pedigree suited to the stage Epigamia is now trying to reach. He has previously held senior roles at Pladis, Mars, and Britannia — three companies that know what it takes to build mass-market packaged food brands across diverse retail environments. Epigamia competes in the premium health food segment with products across Greek yogurt, smoothies, and protein snacks, and has expanded its distribution across retail, e-commerce, and quick commerce platforms. Scaling that kind of multi-channel FMCG distribution requires a different skill set than founding a challenger brand — exactly the kind of operational depth a Pladis or Mars background provides.
The company has raised approximately $60 million to date from investors including Verlinvest, Danone Manifesto Ventures, DSG Consumer Partners, and Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, who came on board in 2019 as both a strategic investor and brand ambassador through her investment vehicle KA Enterprises LLP.
With Mirchandani’s vision now institutionalised into the brand’s DNA and a rebuilt leadership team in place, the next milestone is likely to be the Middle East expansion that Mirchandani himself had been planning before his passing — a market where premium yogurt and functional dairy products have demonstrated strong demand.
